Violence against Women in War is an Extension of Domestic Violence - Essay Example

Introduction According to the World Health Organisation estimates, 1 in every 3 women in the world stands a chance of being raped, beaten or physically abused at one point in her lifetime (WHO). When the reality of such estimates clicks in mind, then there are reasons for women all over the world to be worried. But even so, the same statistics gives men more reasons to be worried, because the victims of such acts at some point will have to be their mothers, their children, their sisters, friends or relatives. There is no doubt then, that violence against women is violence against the whole society (Alston, 1999:27). Nevertheless, before such acts of rape, assault and physical violence against women occurs during wars and conflicts, the same must have happened domestically, way before. Female genital mutilation, forced marriages, forced and selective abortion, abandonment, gender discrimination in property inheritance, forced sex, rape and a series of other domestic abuses happens to women of different faiths, from different economic backgrounds, in almost all countries in the world, taking either of these forms or the other (WHO, 2005:12). Therefore, while such abuses, violence and acts of aggression finds themselves into war and conflicts zones, it is because they have been happening under the cover of domestic veil, only that wars and conflicts have created a better opportunity to accelerate and repeatedly commit the acts of violence, with no fear of legal consequences. More so, statistics have indicated that the service men, especially the military, operatives and combat personalities who have been involved in a series of operations in different regions of the world are more likely to attack, abuse or assault their intimate partners or children, while raping and assaulting the victims of conflicts and wars during their combat duties (Jones, 2013:n.p.). Such occurrences are mostly contributed to, by the stress and substance use related consequences of the wars that such service men and combatants have been exposed to. The fundamental behavioural principle that connects domestic violence and violence against women in war is one, namely the overwhelming display of superior force, applied towards controlling and cowing the victims, and putting them in a situation where they cannot express any resistance (Blake & Husain, 2003:35). Further, the tactics applied in domestic violence and in violence against women in war are the same; shock and awe, and the attack goals both in domestic and war violence against women are the same; to control the behaviour and the very life of the target, while the mindset of the perpetrators of the violence against women in war and the perpetrators of domestic violence are the same; that sense of entitlement to have the subject by all means and to determine their fate (Jones, 2013:n.p.). The bottom-line underlying these factor is simply the fear and rage of the attacker, who then throws himself on the victim and pounces the victim into silence, that the victim may receive the acts of terror and atrocities without a voice. Thus, this discussion seeks to affirm the view that Violence against women in war is an extension of domestic violence, with a focus on behaviour, tactics, goals, mindset and finally the drive and motivation of the perpetrators, while reinforcing the same with applicable case studies. Discussion Cultural Relativism vs. Universalism The concept of Cultural Relativism provides that human rights are dependent on the cultural of a society, and as a result, no human rights principles can morally be defined as universal, since what is a fundamental right to one society might be an abomination in a different society (Shah, 2013 n.p.). On the other hand, the concept of universalism advances that the premise that human rights are universal, and in that sense, the fundamental basic human rights should apply to all (Shah, 2013 n.p.). According to European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), all individuals within the jurisdiction of the European Union have the rights to enjoy fundamental human rights. In this respect, the ECHR upholds the principle of universalism of human rights, which provides that all individuals have equal rights to fundamental human rights and freedoms (Shah, 2013 n.p.). This being the case, the bottom-line remains that there is no difference in the factors that drive both domestic violence and violence against women in war. The fundamental principle is that violence, whether domestic or international is a violation of the fundamental human rights and freedoms, such as the right to dignity and decent life (Amnesty International UK, 2013 n.p.). Further, the behaviour of those perpetrating acts of violence against women in war and those perpetrating acts of violence against women domestically is the same, considering that both categories of perpetrators seek to make an overwhelming display of superior force against the victims, such that the levels of intended resistance from the victims are reduced, and the victim easily gives in to the demands of the attackers (Cowan, Dembour & Wilson, 2001:72). Cultural Relativism Case Domestic violation against women: 14-year old Fartun, Mogadishu According to Fartun, she was awakened by the acts of a man who was undressing her. In realizing what was happening, in her words, “I tried to scream but he grabbed me by the throat so that I could not scream” (Amnesty International, 2013 n.p.). When her cousin heard what was happening and woke up, the attacker told him to be silent lest he could die, and he had no choice because he was just four-year old. Therefore, the attacker did his business while both watched it happening, and then he went his way out. This case of rape and attack against a minor was not simply a case of domestic violence against women, but more of a case for the violation of the universal fundamental human rights of dignity and decency (Benedek, Kisaakye, & Oberleitner, 2002: 47). This case of rape occurred in Mogadishu, Somalia, a country that has not experienced any peace for the last 21 years, thus people are born in a context where peace is not known, and violence is the order of the day. Further, the rape case of the 14-year old minor is a presentation of the principle of Cultural Relativism, which holds that human rights cannot be universal, and thus they depend on the different societies and the values that such societies uphold (Shah, 2013 n.p.). Consequently, the behaviors of the perpetrators of such acts of violence are motivated by the fact that their attitude towards violence is that of perceiving it as natural, and thus engaging in acts of violence against any victim, whether a minor or adult woman is not anything unfamiliar. The principle of Cultural Relativism applies in that the from the perpetrators point of view, it their right to have women even if it is against their wish. This perspective contrasts sharply with the principle of universalism, which holds that all human beings have right to basic human rights and freedoms. (Amnesty International UK, 2013 n.p.). The behavior, attitude and indifference towards violence against women and the suffering of the victims allows such perpetrators of crimes against women to continue perpetrating the acts of crime, especially since there are little chances of legal redress by the victims facing violence and abuse in such contexts (Freeman, 2002:81). Cultural Relativism in international conflicts: 22- Year old Alliance Ntakwinja, Democratic Republic of Congo Alliance Ntakwinja was raped by four men in 2005, during a period when the country was experiencing conflicts between the rebels and the government of the country, which placed the lives of the citizens at the mercy of both the rebel militias and the government soldiers. They committed acts of violence against men, women and children in the country. In her own narration she says, “Four men raped me. When they came to my house, they took my husband outside and tied him to a banana tree and then they raped me” (Soroptimist International, 2013:2). This case also recaps the similarity in behaviour and attitude of the attackers, an application of Cultural Relativism by the perpetrators of rape against Alliance, and the attacker who raped Fartun. While the attacker in Fartun’s case threatened her and her cousin into silence, the attackers in Alliance case took the husband and tied him up, before raping her. The similarity in these two cases is that; the domestic attacker against Fartun and the perpetrators of rape against Alliance felt they were culturally entitled to have those women and to do with them what they pleased (Berger, 1975:63). In fact, the better connection that arises from the above findings by the World Health Organisation study is that; domestic violence supplements violence against women in war thorough providing the perpetrators with the background drives and motivations that eventually acts as the basis on which the perpetrators performs such atrocities (WHO, 2013 n.p.). When the soldiers, military personnel and other combative service men are exposed to crimes and atrocities that are perpetrated against the victims of war by the enemy military or militias that are instigating war and conflicts within a country or a region, such exposure builds-up in the mind to become a constant mental picture that flows through their minds. Thus, even when they come into contact with such victims, the humane values of sympathy and compassion have been blurred by the exposures to atrocities that they have been encountering. The consequence is that; those who have been sent to help and assist the victims of violence and wars eventually turns against them, especially because such victims are defenceless and are not in a good position to express any resistance, having already been cowed by the war and conflict they are facing (Banda, 2005:52). Therefore, simply put, there is no difference in the behaviour and attitudes of the perpetrators of domestic violence and the perpetrators of violence against women in war, the behavior and attitudes of the attackers in Fartun and the attackers in Alliance Ntakwinja’s case are equally portraying that when the context is favorable for Cultural Relativism application, committing acts of violence against women in both the categories of domestic attackers and international conflicts behave the same towards their victims, through applying the cultural contexts to gain entitlement to the victims through feeling they have more rights over the victims. Thus the two cases above affirm the fact that, violence against women in war is an extension of domestic violence, where Cultural Relativism plays the major role of granting the perpetrators of such crimes more rights over their victims. Torture tactics applied in domestic violence and in violence against women in war The tactics that are applied in perpetrating violence against women both in domestic violence and in violence against women in war are the same, since under both categories of violence, the perpetrators apply the tactics of shock and awe, to have their victims and subjects subdued (Roth & Worden, 2005:77). The habit and practices within a society are highly associated with the foreign policy that such a society is likely to establish (John Stuart Mill). Further, the internal practices are not any different when the soldiers and military are operating in a different foreign or international environment, especially where the context guarantees them of committing some crimes and getting away with it, because of the turbulent nature of wars and conflicts, such that there is less focus on issues of violence and abuses against the victims, but more emphasis on the victory in the war. Therefore, where the domestic and internal practices are characterized by assaulting, abusing and torturing women at homes, the same forms the perspective and viewpoint of the society even in matters of foreign policy and international conflicts, where the military involved will extend the attitude to the warfront (Hayden, 2001:46). The concept of household tyranny where the man in the house is constantly abusing and assaulting the woman in order to subdue her to the rules of the house shapes the attitude of children and when they grow up, there is likely hood that such children will also be brutal and violent against women. Eventually, the household and home contexts becomes the training grounds for the tactics, strategies and attitudes of the big games that plays in the international battle front (Jones, 2013:n.p.). In this respect therefore, it is not possible to diverge the concept of household tyranny and domestic violence from the violence that happens internationally during wars and conflicts, thus affirming the fact that violence against women in war is an extension of domestic violence. While the concept of slavery and human trade came to an end at the turn of the 19th century, there was no longer an avenue for the stronger and able men to subdue the weaker men and women, thus the concept of slavery and undue subjection was transferred to homes, under the guise of subjecting women to the obedience of the household rules (Anderson, 1993:44). Therefore, through physical, mental or emotional torture, men are able to exert their authority and get their way with everything, which is the same concept that is applied in wars and conflicts, where the enemy has to be torture and subdue the enemy, so that it becomes possible for either the military or the militias to get their way into victory. Thus, the concept of the law of the strongest have now been transferred from the traditional slavery and slave trade into military torture strategies and tactics, so that the same way the slaves were subdued and subjected to the authority of the masters, becomes the same way the perceived enemy in a war is be subjected to the authority of the victor. According to the World Health Organisation 2013 report, on average, 30% of women globally in relationships or those who have previously been in a relationship have experienced some form of physical or sexual torture from their partners (WHO, 2013:n.p.). Additionally, the report also indicates that 38% of women murders globally are done by their intimate partners, while the overall number of women who have experienced some form of sexual violence either in the hands of their partners or non-partners globally is 35% (WHO, 2013:n.p.). Such statistics serves to indicate that the prevalence of torture and sexual abuse of women in the world is high. Thus, the tactics applied in domestic violence and in violence against women in war; to shock and to awe the subjects, are the same (Jones, 2013:n.p.). The World Health Organisation 2013 report has established various risk factors for being a victim against sexual assault and physical abuse for women. According to this report, the situations that accelerates the risks of women being exposed to physical, emotional or psychological torture include societal gender inequality, current situations of wars and conflicts and post-war/conflicts situations such as displacements (WHO, 2013:n.p.). Case for Torture against Women in Domestic violence: 23-year-old Naila, Pakistan Naila has suffered over nine years of reconstructive surgery, involving hair implants and eye surgery amongst other routine surgical procedures, to ensure that she recovered from her badly disfigured and discoloured face and body (UK GOV Case study, 2013:n.p.). The twenty-three-year-old Naila was attacked by a teacher during an event of celebrations at her school, when she rejected the sexual advances of her teacher, eventually leaving her with badly disfigured body shape that has taken her many years to recover. The teacher poured a can of acid on her face and her body, which burnt Nailla almost to death (UK GOV Case study, 2013:n.p.). This case study serves to present the concept of torture against women, where in the Middle Eastern customs and traditions, men have the right over women, and thus women are supposed to obey the demands of men (Amnesty International UK, 2013 n.p.). The fact that men feel they have a right over women makes them apply all methods to get what they are demanding from women, with torture being the most applied tool to win over women. Therefore, Naila’s case present the brutal manner of subduing women and exerting pressure to subject them, especially where the women have portrayed or indicated a desire to resist the move of the attacker to have influence on them. According to Amnesty International, violence against women thrives on gender inequality and discrimination, where the male gender is constantly seeking to enforce influence and authority against women through violence and torture (Amnesty International UK, 2013 n.p.). Therefore, in the Nailla’s case, when her teacher found it impossible to exert his male power of authority and influence on the female student, and riding on the precept of gender inequality where men must have power of influence against women and thus should not be defeated, he resulted to torture, through burning her with acid. In Nailla’s case, considering that she was only 14-year old then, while her teacher must obviously have been old than these, the intrigues to influence her sexually were poised to have greater chances of success. It is only when the teacher failed that it became difficult to take the defeat and thus resulted to harming her with the acid. Thus, the tactic of torture, which entails subduing and subjecting the victim to high levels of pain serves to form the main compounding forces against domestic violence, which is similarly the driving force in the cases of international conflicts (Alston, 2005:42). Case for Women Torture in international conflicts: 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi This victim of rape and murder, 14-year-old Abeer, met her death at her home in Iraqi in March 2006, where she was raped by three American soldiers during the USA war against Iraq, where the soldiers went into her home and first killed three of her family members before turning to her, raping her and finally shooting her to death (The Associated Press, 2014:n.p.). The soldiers have since been charged and sentenced for their role in the rape and murder, in different USA courts. The perpetrators of this crime applied torture as the tool to subdue 14-year-old Abeer, by first killing her family. This case also serves to demonstrate how torture as a tactic to subdue the victim is applied in the international wars and conflicts, where the major tactics applicable to subject the victims to the will and authority of the perpetrators of crime is through shock and awe, where the victims are terrified through torture, to the extent that they can no longer pose any resistance to the attackers (Ishay, 2008:22). According to the Amnesty International report, sexual assault and acts of sexual violence against women has now ceased to apply as an opportunistic incidence of pleasure, to a full-fledged military combative tool of the modern society (Smith-Spark, 2013:n.p.). The use of rape as a weapon for war is an occurrence that has been in the scene for much longer than the reports dare to disclose, considering that when a country is fighting against the other, or a rebel militia group is fighting against the government of a country or region, there is no better way to leave a mark of insolence, than to torture women, and sexually abuse them and their daughters (Brown, 1985:84). Therefore, while it has become extremely difficult for the government soldiers or the irregular militia groups to win their battles through combat, they have turned into using torture, rape and sexual assault against women as a major war tool strategy, where the women are rarely murdered or injured without first having being tortured and raped. Therefore, torture, rape and other forms of physical assault have become an effective insolence tool for refusing defeat amongst the soldiers and the irregular militias involved in conflicts, thus resulting to applying it as an element of "spoils of war" (Smith-Spark, 2013:n.p.). Approaches of human right The concept of human rights holds that human beings are born free (). Further, the concept of human rights advances the ideology that all men have were created with equal dignity, rights and freedoms, and thus it is only on the basis of conscious, reason and free will that a human being should interact with the other (Shah, 2013 n.p.). Therefore, the sense of entitlement to have the subject by all means, and the strong will to determine the fate of the subjects are the approaches applied to deprive victims and subjects off their fundamental human rights and freedoms (Jones, 2013:n.p.). The same mindset is also applied to deny strip women off their dignity, while denying them their rights and freedoms. The mindsets of men from the cultural and role traditions since the history of man is that; man is entitled to all services from a woman, especially sexual services that the man may desire, without any due regard for women’s feelings or perception of the need. This culturally engrained orientation of the society is affecting the way women are deprived their fundamental rights in both domestic violence and in war/conflict situations (Boyle & Anderson, 1996:142). The mindset has always been that it is the role of the woman to meet the desires of men, and the issues have become so persistent that it is constant in many societies. In fact, even where the society is well educated, civilized and has well established legal framework that seek to grant women their rights and protect them from domestic abuses and sexual assault, the problem has continued to persist, because the issue of domestic violence has not been treated as denying women their fundamental rights, but rather as internal family matters that do not call for much attention (Beetham, 1999:102). The concept of cultural relativism of human rights provides that different societies define human rights differently (Shah, 2013 n.p.). Thus, certain cultures have defined the role of women as that of sustaining their families, regardless of the conditions under which they live. This belief makes them to remain faithfully committed to protecting their families against a tarnished name, effectively tolerating acts of abuse or sexual assault against them at home (Arnheim, 2004:97). The same mindset has also been transferred to the military and the combative forces, where the male members of the military and troops have the mindset that they deserve the services of the military members of the service including sexual services, in total disregard of their dignity, rights and freedoms (Burns, 2005:17). No wonder therefore, that there are still cases and incidences of sexual abuse in the military and the combative troop services, and yet only a few of such cases are reported, similarly to the domestic violence cases (Ivison, 2008:65). Cases of violation of fundamental human rights The violation of the fundamental rights, freedoms and dignity of women is not a new phenomenon in the military. There have been numerous reports of female service members of the USA military, navy and air force being subjected to a series of sexual assaults. In a previous cases, eight female service members have brought a suit against the military, one who is already an active service member, while the rest seven are retired service men, who were serving in different departments of the defence (The Associated Press, 2012:n.p.). The male members of the forces have been found to be looking down on women service members as members meant to serve their interests, especially sexual interest, when they are in the barracks and even when they are on different duties in other territories. One of the female members of the force has reported being sexually assaulted and raped by a senior member of the force, and was told, “while deployed overseas..."this happens all the time" (The Associated Press, 2012:n.p.). The level of sexual violence and other abuses against women is reportedly even higher, with even more recent cases being reported on the same. In a very recent case, a top and honoured military official is set to face courts martial over the case of rape, where Sgt. Bohlayer, a veteran in the USA defense forces is accused of having raped Karalen Morthole inside a marine barracks (Caulfield, 2014:n.p.). Further reports have indicated that estimated 19,000 women service members of the USA defence forces were sexually assaulted in 2011, while some others were murdered by their colleagues, who were either their husband or their boyfriends (Jones, 2013:n.p.). Such data serves to indicate that the violation of the dignity, rights and freedoms of women that is demonstrated within the military forces. 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