Once more the world is commemorating the “16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”, between 25 November and 10 December.
The 16 Days of Activism is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute held in 1991. The dates, 25 November, International Day Against Violence Against Women and 10 December, International Human Rights Day, were chosen in order to link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that gender-based violence is a violation of human rights.
It is the requirement of justice that everyone is treated equally and with dignity. But this has often not been the case when treating women – one half of the world’s population. The conventional beliefs that women are inferior to men make them easy targets for anger, frustration and violence. The effect of the persistent denial to women of full equality with men, in the family set up or in some belief systems, sharpens further the challenge of dealing with violence.
In the Bahá’í view, creating a violence-free family and society requires new skills and approaches and commitment to gender equality, which encourages communication, mutual trust and respect. It involves consciously moving away from using force and violence to impose one’s will and fulfil his desires, and instead using cooperation and consultation. It necessitates respect for the dignity and rights of everyone, including one’s spouse and children.
Any effective effort to end violence against women require a partnership between men and women. Likewise responsibility for the change that will bring about gender equality rests with both. Measures to create violence-free families and societies will be short-lived if it does not involve early training of boys.
Appropriate laws, and the mechanisms developed for their enforcement, although very necessary, seem to have little impact on eradicating gender-based violence. There is clearly a need to follow moral and spiritual principles. These facilitate the shift in values required to put into practice the principle of equality of men and women and justice towards all.
It is the Bahá’í view that, “Alongside critical changes in the legal, political and economic architecture slowly taking shape, the development of individuals’ moral and spiritual capabilities is an essential element in the as yet elusive quest to prevent the abuse of women and girls around the world,” and “… moral capabilities, when articulated in a manner consistent with the ideals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and aimed at fostering the spiritual, social and intellectual development of all persons, represent a key element of the kind of transformation required for a non-violent society to take shape”.
For feedback please contact: tshwane@bahai.org.za; or call 083 794 0819
Websites: www.bahai.org, www.bahai.org.za
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