Confronting Violence

Violence against girls and women is rampant all over the world, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept it.  Violence and its partner, control, are present in many aspects of relationships, social cultures, and laws of many countries. Most people are aware of domestic violence (or intimate partner violence) that uses controlling words, mind games, body language, or physical violence itself. But there are also other forms of control, like social expectations and advertising that dictates how women “should” be. A group of feminist organizations is presenting a series of workshops to bring home the message that women deserve better during Prevention of Violence Against Women week (April 19-26).

Here at PWN, where many members deal with violence on a daily basis, the connection of violence and HIV is close often too much so. In interviews with positive women who have been abused, Melissa Medjuck found that HIV can fuel abuse. HIV gives oppressive partners added ammunition when it comes to controlling their partner’s actions and relationships. HIV’s stigma is undermining, and even more so when a woman feels she must stay in an abusive relationship because HIV limits her options.

The Urban Women’s Anti-Violence Strategy is presenting the week long series to look at different aspects of abuse. Sessions will include Victor Malarek looking at the role of johns in the sex trade. There’s another one on involving boys and men in anti-violence work, and one featuring the writing of survivors of abuse looking to their futures. One session is called “Bad dates, campus creepers and drug rape.” All sessions are free and open to the public.

If you want to find out more about any of these sessions, contact one of the sponsoring organizations: YWCA Munroe House,  Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter,  Women Against Violence Against Women, Act II Safe Choice or Battered Women’s Support Services.

Violence is a reality, but it doesn’t have to be a given.

- Janet

This was posted on Friday, April 17th, 2009 at 10:00 am and is filed under Education & Resources, Networking, Special Events . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.

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