Women and the Violence That Still Lacks Definition

November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Violence that no geographical borders have been able to limit, and in many parts of the world, women are expected to accept this violence and not react against it. November 25 is a day celebrated in most countries by governments or civil institutions to find a way for better living for women, who make up half of the world's population. The United Nations General Assembly defines violence against women as 'any act of gender-based violence that can result in physical (bodily), sexual, or psychological harm to women,' which includes coercive acts or arbitrary deprivation of liberty. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, published in 1993, states that this violence can be perpetrated by individuals of the same gender, family members, or the government against women. Asia Amini, a women's rights activist residing in Norway, believes that the most important issue in combating violence in Iran is finding a common understanding of this subject: 'Our country is located on an island that is different from many other places in the world that have named this day the Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. I am not saying that we are the only ones living on this island; there are other communities with cultural conditions similar to ours. But the reality is that we have a linguistic duality in understanding this issue in our country. That is, when you talk about violence against women, you essentially have to explain to others what you mean. And do you have a basic agreement on the term 'violence,' even within your family, among your friends, among your neighbors, or your colleagues? Is it a term that you have a common understanding of or not? It is at this next step that we reach the government and those who hold power.' According to international statistics, between 15 to 71 percent of women in various countries around the world are victims of violence, with the least reported in Japan and the most in Ethiopia, Peru, and Bangladesh. Based on a study in Iran, the results of which were published in the book 'Beaten Women' by Shahla Ezazi, it was found that 83 percent of the battered women who participated in this study were housewives, and 92 percent of the battered women in this study experienced violence in their own homes. The high statistics of domestic violence, which often occurs in front of children, can leave irreparable effects on the next generation. Mojgan Kahan, a psychologist residing in Belgium, states: 'Psychologists tell us that witnessing violence, even if a child has not been directly subjected to violence but observes it in a situation where the father expresses violence towards the mother, causes the son to identify with his father. As a result, it increases the likelihood that the individual will become a violent person; the identification of the daughter with the mother also leads her to become more entrenched in the role of a victim.' Violence against women occurs behind closed doors, yet finding signs of it is not difficult beyond those walls. Violence, which according to Saeed Peyvandi, a sociologist residing in France, can first be found in textbooks: 'The educational system in Iran has a very passive stance towards various forms of violence against women. In the social or family dimension or in other forms, this violence exists, and in fact, there is no discussion, no serious critical assessment of this issue with students, whether girls or boys.' Saeed Peyvandi also reports on 'symbolic violence in Iranian textbooks' and states: 'This violence is justified through a discourse that rationalizes discrimination and differences between men and women and largely attempts to explain that the difference between men and women is natural and that every society should accept or institutionalize it. Thus, it can be said that it participates in the reproduction of violence. Therefore, the educational system in Iran is both very passive in its critical approach to violence and, on the other hand, through the type of discourse regarding women and men in textbooks, unfortunately participates in safeguarding violence.' Child marriages are another form of violence against women. Kamil Ahmadi, an anthropologist and researcher residing in Iran, addresses the issue of violence against women from another perspective, where young girls are forced to marry before reaching the legal age of 18: 'First, there is the psychological factor that will have a tremendous impact on these children. The physical pressures from work are the second point; because these individuals, whether boys or girls, will be considered adults from the moment they marry and will bear the responsibility of family work, working in the fields, in the village, and places like that. This work is usually more burdensome for girls because their bodies are much more fragile and weaker. Major sexual pressures are also a form of violence against women, especially imposed on young girls during sexual intercourse, which occurs without a proper understanding of sexual relations or sexual education before marriage and is very unpleasant, causing significant psychological and physical harm to these children. The damages that occur after marriage happen when young girls become pregnant, and their small bodies cannot withstand this pressure medically and physically, placing significant stress on the internal organs of these children, which may even lead to the death of the mother or miscarriage during childbirth.' Government violence against Iranian women. But is violence against women only perpetrated at home? Mehrdad Darvishpour, a sociologist residing in Sweden, answers this question negatively: 'In a society like Iran, when the government itself is a misogynistic regime, it means that it carries out all forms of this violence itself. In a society where the state, instead of being a deterrent to violence or combating violence or punishing violence, is the perpetrator and executor of these violences, it is clear what message it sends to society.' He explains government violence: 'Look, when the morality police beat women for the crime of improper hijab, it means they are exercising violence. When they impose psychological humiliation, asking, 'What kind of makeup is this?' or 'You are not allowed to study these fields,' or impose gender segregation... the hijab itself is a form of violence imposed on women. It means forcing women to deny their sexuality or cover their sexuality in order to have the right and chance to participate in society. When laws in this society effectively apply discrimination against women in the realm of family rights, pursue gender discrimination in employment, education, etc., it must be said that this government organizes violence against women.' The enforced silence of civil society and violence against women. The bill for the protection of women against violence, which was hoped to support women against various forms of domestic and street violence, has remained in the judiciary for three and a half years, and now Shahindokht Molaverdi, the assistant for citizens' rights under Hassan Rouhani, has promised that it will be presented to the parliament within two months. In such a situation, what is the solution? Asia Amini believes that individuals themselves must create change: 'In the enforced silence of civil society, in the repression of women's groups that have been at the forefront of addressing the issue of violence against women or discriminatory laws against women, we have faced a public reception from the people who have taken steps themselves to support these movements. In my opinion, in the deadlock we are in, perhaps this is the only solution that individuals in society change in their personal domains. That is, if we believe that we can have a healthier society, we must strive to confront violence seriously in our personal domains and start with ourselves.'