The Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women showed a video documentary series at a parallel event held for the CSW conference this past Wednesday. The video documentaries portrayed how violence against women can often derive from patterns that are justified in the name of “culture” and religion. This is the case of many countries where laws regulate obedience, modesty, and freedom of mobility, and require a woman’s submission to the men in her family.
In this context, women’s bodies become a site of bartering and control, where even being raped can be perceived as defying socially-prescribed roles and lead to portrayals of having brought shame and dishonor on their family and community. Women are whipped, maimed, harassed, stoned and killed under the pretext of “culture” and religion. As explained in a statement the Global Campaign posted to their website:
“Reprisal is often brutal violence, or the threat of violence, used as a means of punishment and control, which is oftentimes condoned, legitimized and excused by personal status laws, family codes and customary laws in many countries.”
In this video documentary series, women recount their story of injustice and violence. In this sense, video advocacy has become a powerful tool not only to bring forward and make visible human rights violations, but also as a space women have to come forward and stand up for their rights.
For more information from MADRE about so-called "honor" crimes, click here.
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