La Strada Documentation Center

No Justice in Justifications: Violence against Women in the Name of Culture, Religion and Tradition

Document number
2446
Date
2010
Title
No Justice in Justifications: Violence against Women in the Name of Culture, Religion and Tradition
Author/publisher
Shaina Greiff
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Research/Study/Analysis,
Keywords
Sex tourism, Pornography, Domestic violence, Prostitution, Rape, Sexual harassment, Women's rights; Women; Control and regulation of prostitution, Protection, Punishable forms of prostitution, Violence, Human rights violation, Crime against humanity, War crime, Armed conflict, Post-conflict situation, Terrorism,
Summary
This brie ng presents a survey of culturally justi ed violence against women, including how violence against women is justi- ed by `culture', the di erent forms this violence can take, and recommendations for change. The SKSW Campaign is undertaking projects on `culture', women and violence, with partners in Senegal, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iran, and Sudan. This brie ng paper will therefore give a general overview of discourses on culture, tradition, and/or religion that are used to justify, and therefore perpetuate, speci c manifestations of VAW in these focal countries, as well as local methods to counter such arguments. While recognising that culture and religion can be empowering for, and central to, both individual and collective identities, this article will look at the misuse of these discourses for the purpose of sanctioning impunity for perpetrators and silencing dissenters. This discussion concludes with recommendations for activists, scholars, and policy makers.
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