Civil Society, Europe, Gender, Headlines, Human Rights

HUMAN RIGHTS: Ominous Silence About Domestic Violence

Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW, Apr 22 2009 (IPS) - Over a quarter of Armenian women have been hit or beaten by a family member and about two thirds have experienced psychological abuse, yet the state grossly fails to prevent, investigate and punish domestic violence, say researchers and rights activists.

Levels of violence against women are roughly the same everywhere in the ex-Soviet countries, they add.

“During my research on domestic violence in Belarus and Ukraine, I did not see any significant differences in levels of violence. What differs from country to country are the measures taken by the authorities to combat the problem and social attitudes towards women including social acceptance of violence,” Heather McGill, a researcher with Amnesty International (AI) told IPS

“In Ukraine and Armenia, the state offers minimal support to women. The support available is generally provided by NGOs. The situation in Belarus may be slightly better in that the state has preserved the rather paternalistic social services and social control systems inherited from the Soviet Union,” McGill explains further.

Ara Sanjian, a director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in an interview with IPS, observes non-governmental organisations (NGOs) supported by western donors are raising the issue of violence against women in the country.

“I believe there should be a more stringent law to punish extreme cases. However, it is more important to raise awareness of this issue, not only among women, but also among men,” she points out, adding: “I have met educated women in Armenia, who see a western plot when matters involving the privacy of an Armenian family like incest, family violence, and particularly the use of contraception, are raised.”

Ukraine is the only country of the three (Armenia and Belarus) that has adopted a law on domestic violence. It came into effort in January 2002. Initially this was not very effective because it included the concept of “victim behaviour” – making it possible for policemen to avoid prosecuting the abusers and to warn the victims instead.

McGill explains: “In one case, I spoke to a chief of police in the Vinnytsya region in Belarus, who informed me that the concept of victim behaviour was important, because if women were to alter their behaviour, and for instance, ensure that the house was tidy and dinner was on the table when the men came home, the men would no longer find it necessary to beat them.”

“Victim behaviour” was deleted from the law after AI launched a campaign.

Laws to protect victims of domestic violence are notoriously difficult to legislate. Nearly everywhere in the ex-Soviet countries, lawmakers are very reluctant to discuss the problem.

A women’s organisation Doverie (which means trust), a centre for social, psychological and legal assistance in Orsha Vitebsk region in Belarus, was told not to discuss such “indecent things”, an activist who did not want to be identified, confided.

Everywhere the police are reluctant to deal with cases of domestic violence, and often fail to respond adequately, or impose either minimal sentences or fines for domestic abuse. As a punishment, fines are counterproductive. It punishes the whole family by taking money out of the family budget.

There is an ominous silence about violence against women by their husbands and partners. Most ex-Soviet countries are parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

In Armenia, McGill says, the institution of family is very strong. Consequently, no one wants to talk about the abuse. Governments too fail to take responsibility claiming domestic violence is a private matter.

“One of the biggest problems is that women themselves do not come forward, they are ashamed to admit that they are victims and they fear repercussions from their families and abusive partners; they also have financial barriers, they cannot afford to move out and often, even if they divorce, they end up living in the same flat as the abuser and continue to be victimised,” McGill said.

“Armenia (which is a more conservative society) has some traditions that somehow prevent the issue from being publicised and discussed openly in public. Women tend to hide the problem more than seek for help,” Irina Alaverdyan, a public relations manger at the Policy Forum Armenia (PFA), a think tank in Yerevan

The Armenian Ministry of Family and Youth runs a network of over 200 crisis centers throughout the country that offer counseling and legal support to women. However, the actual quality of the support offered differs according to the level of expertise of the staff, and there are no state run shelters. The enormous restrictions faced by NGOs in Belarus means that it is harder for NGOs to function, and the support offered by NGOs is minimal.