Not good if we believe the statistics. While women continue to increase their representation at work and are more likely to find themselves as chief executives of companies than ever before, discrimination continues against them. But more worryingly, violence against them has not abated. Shamelessly, men (because they are the main perpetrators) continue to abuse women worldwide. The “Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women” by the United Nations in 1993 defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” A long and tedious declaration perhaps but can anyone swear that he or she has never witnessed a circumstance involving any one of the above?

This is the trouble. Everyone has witnessed some kind of violence against a woman at some point in their life, whether it is physical, sexual or psychological. But why does it continue? Where and when does humanity fail us? Today, “one out of every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime” according to surveys by human rights group Amnesty International (AI). The study also shows that the abuser was a member of the victim’s family or someone known to her. Such cowardice is not only confined to traditional societies. On the contrary, it is very much alive in developed economies. In Britain, domestic violence accounted for 22% of all violent crimes according to the British Crime Survey (BCS) of 2002, with 81% of female victims. The Home Office also found that the police receive a phone call, requiring assistance in domestic violence every minute. But only 35% of the cases are reported.

Silence is a major component and also accomplice of domestic violence. The surprise expressed by people at the high rate of abuse, in a survey by Amnesty, reveals how the phenomenon becomes self-perpetuating. Studies have shown that on average a woman will be assaulted 35 times before her first call to the police. More that any other crime, domestic violence has a higher chance of being repeated. This can be partly explained by the relatively ‘soft’ view that the law has on the issue, with less that three in ten domestic violence incidents reported to the police resulting in convictions. Women sometimes feel powerless in this situation. Why report victimisation if the perpetrator remains unpunished and is even more likely to commit the crime again? Social attitudes to the problem must also change if we want to make the world safer for women. There is an implicit tolerance in society for domestic violence. This helps to marginalise and minimalise the issue, pretending it is not such a big problem. Mauritius is particularly tolerant towards domestic violence, where a big proportion sees a slap as being a normal way to solve an issue.

This level of violence is from societies at peace. Mauritius and the UK are not countries which are currently experiencing civil strife. During civil war, women are even more vulnerable to hideous crimes. We saw how in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the former Yugoslavia or Sierra Leone, rape became a weapon of torture to dehumanise women. But rape is also common in countries not experiencing war. According to AI, 167 women are raped every day in Britain and one in twenty has been a victim of this monstrous act. They are usually committed by partners (32%) or acquaintances (22%). Only 8% of all rape cases were by strangers. Only one in five attacks are reported to the police according to the human rights organization. In the USA, it is estimated that a woman is raped every 15 seconds. And these countries like to be considered as the epitome of civilisation. The harrowing experience of Sandra O’Reilly is something that we must ensure does not happen again. She had the courage to report it, to walk and protest against such debasing treatment, but we should not forget that most women have to suffer this humiliation in silence, the psychological trauma lasting longer than the physical pain.

Feminism at the crossroads

How is it possible after more than two centuries of activism that women are still treated as second class in society? The first feminist emancipation came with the suffragette movement in the 19th century, demanding equal rights. Lest we forget women were granted the right to vote less than a hundred years ago. And it was only after World War II that they were allowed to work. Having proved their ability to do ‘men’s work’ in the war effort, in the ammunitions factories etc, they could aspire to leave the apron behind. Industrialisation was also a major contributing factor in taking women out of the kitchen.

But some feminists have castigated this as giving a false impression of equality. Their theory revolves around patriarchy and the structure of the family. Using the Marxist dogma, they claim that men exploit women by appropriating free domestic labour and denying them positions of power in society. This was during what is considered the second wave of feminism in the seventies. This movement also saw violence against women as one of the main reasons why men dominate.

However, after all these battles for a more equal society, sadly, women still find themselves among the most vulnerable. Violence against them persists despite our claims to progress. It thus comes back to the casual attitude that we have towards this crime more than any other. Until people change their ways and until women are de-objectified, violence against them will continue. A more equal society is not only about abolishing classism, but it is also about providing a safer environment for our better halves. And this starts at home.