1. Read and listen to the following 2018 Nobel prize speech by Nadia Murad (Thanks to Barakat for this suggestion):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqB0cMvGnIk
If you can, read more about the history of the Yazidi people, their opposition to killing and advocacy for peace, and their oppression and genocide by several groups, and the enslavement of Yazidi women and children. Consider what she is saying about how the world stood by while her people were murdered and women and children subjected to sexual slavery. Consider her proposal: That the UN would prevent the genocide, liberate women and girls who were being held captive, offer special protections to survivors and outlaw terrorism in Iraq and other countries.
She says she hears the cries of other women and children who still are being subjected to sexual violence and the world should stop this.
You can answer one of these questions:
1) Think about women and girls who are subjected to violence in your country. Drawing from what you have read about effective models to combat injustice and advocate for and help persecuted persons, what could social workers do to prevent this in your country?
2) Consider that the Yazidi people have a different religion, culture, and history than the majority of persons in their countries. They have been mistakenly called “Devil-worshippers,” persecuted and murdered. Think about what Zimbardo and others say about the problem of “dehumanizing” persons who are different and how this is an incitement to violence. Consider persons who are members of minority groups in your country. How are they misunderstood and what can social workers do to prevent such misunderstandings, prevent the dehumanization of persons with different beliefs and cultures than the majority and initiate a “virtuous social cycle”?
First of all, the speech by Nadia Murad was phenomenal. I could see in her eyes all the pain and suffering and could feel it too. In her speech she talked about a lot of important things but the most important point she made was to achieve peace and co-existence above us all. It is really important especially now with all the things that is happening in Ukraine. Word peace is one of the most hardest things to achieve and we are far behind it. The main point of Nadia’s speech was to get justice for the crimes ISIS has done for her people. She talked about women and children who became part of genocide – they did not asked for this, they were suffering and died because of terrorists who became obsessed and didn’t know better life that they could have. In our lectures we talked about how someone becomes a terrorist – they are poor, unemployed and lack social support. They are brainwashed to believe, like in Nadia’s case, a hole nation, a ethnic group, is the enemy and they have to destroy them. I fell so bad for all these people who died because of this and could never imagine something happening in 21st century. But here we are – seeing how Ukraine is suffering and women and children crying for help in bomb shelters. Nadia in her speech said: “ No to violence, yes to peace. No to slavery, yes to freedom”. We should all stand by that.
ReplyDeleteSecond, in my country, Lithuania, there are women and young girls who are subjected to violence. Most often is the cases of domestic violence. What we, social workers, could do to prevent and combat that? First, we have to talk and encourage our politicians to ratify Istanbul convention who talks about women rights and have a lot of options how to prevent violence and help in any of these cases. Second, if we know women and young girls who have suffered such violence we must create a safe space to talk and encourage them to seek justice – go to police. We have to prove to general public that if you do these crimes you will be punished and we prove that by encouraging women and girls to talk about what happened to them. Maybe then society will realise that people who cause pain to these women will be punished. Third and last, we have to educate young children about domestic violence and how is this unforgivable. We have to prevent young girls for ever feeling like they are lost, have no one and have to suffer alone. They don’t. We can help. We just have to be loud enough for the right people to notice us. Then we can change anything.
References:
1. “Global Social Work Practice: Reflective Practice for Justice and Peace”. Lecture material, 2022.
2. Gustaitienė, M. (2005). Smurto prieš moteris priežastys ir prevencija. Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas, 1, 110-121.
3. Vaigė, L. (2016). Smurto prieš moteris prevencija: nacionalinės teisės spragos. Jurisprudencija, Mykolio Romerio universitetas, 23(1), 89-107.
Gabrielè,
ReplyDeleteI totally know what you mean when you say you could feel the pain behind Nadia Murad’s words in her speech. It was incredibly moving for me, and it got me thinking about a lot of things.
I, too, thought this speech was very timely regarding everything that is going on in the Ukraine. Something that touched me during her speech was how she said she knows she has the sympathy of other countries, but what she needs is action. There is only so much that “thoughts and prayers” can do, but many countries are afraid to intervene because they don’t want to enter the conflict and get their people in danger as well. However, like Nadia was saying, it is our duty as humans to protect each other and at least provide refuge for those who need it. By staying out of it, we are only allowing the problem to happen more and more. The hard thing is that it’s sometimes very hard to get full governments on board. In some situations, organizations need to come together to face the problems head on when the government won’t. When I heard Nadia’s speech, I only thought about government intervention, but the “Ethical Dilemmas and International Human Rights” reading reminded me that there are other ways to help, like INGOs.
Lastly, I definitely agree that education is the best way to prevent violence before it can start. Humans are not naturally born violent; they are taught violence. Therefore, if we teach our young children about other people and how to respect them just like how we teach them science and math, we can hope for a better world with less violence and more understanding and empathy.
References:
Bell, D. (D., & Carens, J. H. (2004). The ethical dilemmas of international human rights and humanitarian ngos: Reflections on a dialogue between practitioners and theorists. Human Rights Quarterly, 26(2), 300–329. https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2004.0017
Violence against women is a global phenomenon and a serious violation of human rights. Every day in Lithuania women experience physical, psychological, and sexual violence. Women are persecuted, harassed, raped, harmed, they are sterilized against their will. It is difficult for women to talk about domestic violence. Many women are afraid or ashamed to seek help, and sometimes silence takes their lives. Those who dare to speak are not always heard. Sometimes they experience Institutional Betrayal when a person turns to public authorities for help, but an employee of the institution does not believe them, accuses them, refuses to help, does not provide protection or professional assistance. Women are also subjected to economic violence when they are denied work or deprived of their earnings, forced to ask for money for themselves and their children, denied money for necessities, refused to support children both during marriage and divorce (when children remain with their mothers).
ReplyDeleteThe consequences of domestic violence for the person who experienced it can be severe and drastic: physical injuries, severe psychological and emotional damage, psychosomatic disorders, social isolation, dependence on psychotropic substances, serious problems with sexuality and emotional intimacy, depression, self-harm.
The current situation in Ukraine is also a matter of great concern for women's safety. Women with children are forced to leave their country, their men, who remain at war for freedom. Women seeking refuge in a foreign country alone with their children. In this situation, the protection of women from sexual slavery or violence is very important and they are more likely to experience poverty and violence.
The social worker can provide short-term or long-term assistance to those who have experienced violence to overcome an emergency, including their empowerment, information, counseling, representation, and mediation, help in finding specialized psychological and legal assistance, and assistance in preparing documents.
It is very important to talk to the public about violence, to create educational programs at school, to spread information where help is available.
Civic empowerment is a process that promotes the inner strength of individuals, communities, and society by acting on issues that are important to them. The purpose of civic empowerment is to help the client regain the power and control taken away from the abuser in their life and to make independent decisions.
Vasiliauskienė, L. H., Dirmotaitė, E., & Vasiliauskaitė, Z. (2016). Metodinės rekomendacijos Specializuotos pagalbos centrų darbuotojams, savanoriams bei Apsaugos nuo smurto artimoje aplinkoje įstatymą įgyvendinančių institucijų darbuotojams ir specialistams.[Methodological recommendations for Specialized Help Centres staff and volunteers as well as for employees and professionals of institutions’ responsible for the implementation of the Protection against Domestic Violence]. Kaunas: Spaudos praktika. Išleista LR Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerijos lėšomis. Vilnius: Vilniaus moterų namai.
In 2018, Nadia Murad delivered a Nobel Prize speech on the genocide of her nation, the Yazidi. Many people around the world were likely to shed tears when they heard of Nadia's experience, admired the young woman's courage and determination, and many of them ran to look for „The Last Girl“ in libraries and bookstores. What Nadia said 4 years ago was, and always will be, an extremely relevant and particularly significant question - can other people, another faith, another state or even one person decide that something is not worth living, that someone’s life is less important than another person? Genocide - the deliberate and systematic destruction of people due to their belonging to an ethnic, national, religious or racial group and the manifestations of this crime can also be found in the history of Lithuania, which mentions the genocide of the Baltics and the entire list of crimes in the world as the genocide of the Jewish nation, genocide in Armenia, Assyrians and Greeks in Turkey, Indian genocide and much more. This topic is particularly sensitive in today's context, when we hear more and more that the war in Ukraine should be treated as genocide of the Ukrainian people. This is a very ambitious one, because we are not talking about a national minority, but a state of 44 million people. There will be no small or large prey against the free will of the people, so here is the dehumanization tool tested in the Zimbard experiment and described by other researchers. Dehumanization is one way of inciting genocide. It was also used to justify war, judicial and extrajudicial killings, slavery, confiscation of property, disenfranchisement and other rights, as well as attacking enemies or political opponents. Dehumanization is a complete denial of the humanity of others and the cruelty and suffering that accompanies it. Nadia has repeatedly mentioned in Nobel's speech that states have stood, seen and done nothing about its genocide, but states are home to people and each of us, and especially social workers, can make a significant contribution to the micro-level, our states, our communities. there would be no hatred for national minorities and no other record of genocide in history. There are several national minority groups in Lithuania, but one of the most sensitive and vulnerable is the Roma community, which has a poor reputation in society and a certain negative attitude. Roma are often associated with crime, drugs, unemployment, deception, and other things that do not adorn any nation. Social workers working in this field can be said to be social workers in the field of human rights, have ample opportunities to protect and avoid terms of dehumanization and genocide in their own country. First and foremost, it is working with the society, the communities in which Roma citizens already live or will live, to introduce them, to create a common plan and strategy to help them integrate, find work, receive services and help. On the other hand, it is working with the Roma themselves to provide them with information, to help them acquire the missing skills, knowledge and other tools that will enable them to become equal and respected citizens of all of us in the state. However, I know from experience that it is extremely difficult to change the long-established and entrenched attitude towards the Roma in the human subconscious. But worth it. Social workers, with the tools, skills, knowledge, reflection of their experiences, acting in different directions and methods of social work, can bring about change in society, can raise this issue at the macro level. I think one of the scariest things that can happen in the world is the indifference that results in helplessness and that kills people. Nadia expressed in her speech the hope that the world would finally see, understand, and learn its lessons. No matter how unfortunate it is, it is clear that there are no lessons to be learned, that it is a daily and uninterrupted work for each of us to have the right to live as we are.
ReplyDeletePART 1:
ReplyDeleteIn Lithuania, many women experience physical, psychological, sexual violence as well as domestic violence in mentioned forms. But, after hearing Nadia Murad’s speech and experience, I would like to focus on the sexual violence experienced by women, because I can see some similarities between Yazidi and Lithuanian women who are victims of sexual assault.
In 2019, 179 women in Lithuania experienced rape and sexual assault (Eurostat, 2019). It’s important to note, that this data may be inaccurate because women often don’t seek help for the sexual abuse they have experienced because sexual violence in Lithuania is very stigmatized and victimized. Women are accused of being too provocative for the way they dress or look. Fearing stigma, women choose not to seek help and experience the consequences of sexual violence alone. Another devastating part is that non-consensual sexual intercourse between husband and wife is often not seen as sexual assault in society. A study conducted by the Office of the Equal Opportunities in three Lithuanian cities showed that 46 % of men mostly agree that sexual intercourse is a women’s obligation to men (Lygių galimybių kontrolieriaus tarnyba, 2020). This shows how sexual violence can be normalized in society and women’s needs, good mental health and well-being are being ignored. According to Lithuanian victimologist Michailovič (2017), some of Lithuanian families are still living by the patriarchal family model applying strong gender stereotypes and standards of masculinity and femininity. This is one of the main reasons for such gender inequality. In such “traditional” families, violence against a woman is understood as the norm and women are seen as “weaker” and obedient to men. Such an attitude is stereotyping a woman and her role in society and the family. I put the word “traditional” in quotations intentionally, because sometimes people in Lithuania are trying to hide between the traditions and claim they value family just to justify domestic violence against women including sexual abuse. This patriarchal concept is deep-rooted in our society and dictates women's and men's roles in the family which are very unequal. However, in my opinion, traditions should not be used to justify violence against women. It's important to make sure that women's voices are heard, and non-consensual sexual intercourse is as well seen as abuse. The Official Statistics Portal reported that in 2021 there were 55 cases registered of women who experienced sexual abuse from their intimate partner (Oficialiosios statistikos portalas, 2021). This data is slowly increasing every year, so it's important to empower more and more women to defend their rights as well as provide them with sources of assistance.
PART 2:
DeleteNadia Murad mentions that sexual violence is used as a weapon in wars. A similar situation is happening right now in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukrainian city Kherson mayor Ihor Kolykhaiev reported 11 confirmed cases of rape by the Russian occupiers. Only 5 of the victims survived (Rubryka, 2022). It can be assumed that there are significantly more cases of sexual violence in the war in Ukraine, but not all of them have been reported. The bodies of women in war quickly become a battlefield. As Nadia Murad said in her speech, the leaders of 195 countries around the world stood by while children and women were murdered and taken to sexual slavery. A similar case is now in Ukraine. Women are being assaulted and murder, but United Nations does not provide concrete action to save them. Ukrainian women are asking for emergency contraception and medicines to maintain reproductive health. However, these items are being collected by civilians of different European countries. International agencies must provide a help plan for women suffering from wars, genocide, or any other danger. It is upsetting how sexual violence against women is being normalized across different countries, in the presence of war and peace. In Lithuanian media reports about sexual assault victims usually receive a negative outcome - people tend to blame the victim. Therefore, the stigma of sexual violence against women and the need for help is what connects women from these three different environments.
In Lithuania, social workers work a lot at the micro-level with women who experienced any form of violence. However, it’s crucial to not forget the importance of mezzo and macro levels for sexual abuse victim’s welfare and prevention of any form of violence or persecution. As Bianco, Lombe and Bolis (2017) noticed, women tend to reach out to different organizations, programs, and associations for help to break gender norms. Therefore, it’s important for social worker to represent and advocate women at mezzo and macro levels. So social media for education about women’s rights is a good tool. For example, the non - governmental organization I work for focuses a lot on educating and informing about women’s rights (sexual abuse stigma, empowering women and so on). Even though sometimes we receive a negative reaction (rude messages, jokes etc.) from our posts and articles, but those reactions show us more than enough – society needs more education about women’s rights. I personally write Instagram posts about sexual violence, human trafficking, sexual abuse from intimate partners etc. But I can see a need for more information about mentioned topics and more social worker’s representation in social media to ensure better prevention. As I mentioned before social media submits very stereotypical and stigmatizing information about women's rights therefore it is crucial to use the same weapon – social media to fight it. That not only shows women that their experiences matter, and that help is necessary to seek but educates society about the importance of women's rights and gives women information about a help source. Nadia Murad in her speech also mentions that education plays an essential role in nurturing societies to be aware of women's issues. That’s why it’s significant for social workers to be more seen in media, political movements - meaning to be more active on mezzo and macro levels. However, micro-level daily communication, helping women to build their confidence and encourage independence thru social work is important too towards any form of violence prevention thru empowering women.
PART 3:
DeleteReferences:
1. Bianco, M. E., Lombe, M., & Bolis, M. (2017). Challenging gender norms and practices through women’s entrepreneurship. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship.
2. Eurostat. (2019). Intentional homicide and sexual offences by legal status and sex of the person involved. Access through internet:https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/crim_hom_soff/default/table?lang=en
3. Lygių galimybių kontrolieriaus tarnyba. (2020). Tikslinių rajonų gyventojų smurto ir lyčių stereotipų suvokimo sociologinis tyrimas. Access through internet: https://www.visureikalas.lt/files/dokumentai/birdge_savivaldybiu_apklausa_2020.pdf
3. Michailovič, I. (2017). Smurtas prieš moteris kaip diskriminacijos dėl lyties forma ir lyčių stereotipų pasekmė. Informacijos mokslai, (80), 50-60.
4. Oficialiosios statistikos portalas. (2021). Užregistruota asmenų, nukentėjusių nuo seksualinės prievartos artimoje aplinkoje. Access through internet: https://osp.stat.gov.lt/statistiniu-rodikliu-analize?indicator=S3R0130#/
5. Rubryka. (2022). Kherson: Girls are asked to stay at home and not go outside. There are rape cases. Access through internet: https://rubryka.com/en/2022/03/03/herson-divchat-prosyat-zalyshatysya-vdoma-i-ne-vyhodyty-na-vulytsi-ye-fakty-nasyllya/
PART 1:
ReplyDeleteThe story of Nadia Murad is related to the events in Ukraine now. We’re getting news from Ukraine about raped and murdered women, and women who cross Polish border ask for emergency contraceptive pills after the rape, the world hears and sees it, but we only hear condemnation from the United Nations and from other organizations, but so far we don’t see concrete action to help those women and girls. Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska on her instagram page urged United Nations take an active role and help organize humanitarian corridors to ensure security for civilians. We see a lot of support being provided at the micro level, people are providing humanitarian aid to the people in Ukraine, but specific macro-level solutions are needed to stop killings and rape.
According to the Official Statistics portal (2020) in 2019 9,265 people were victims of domestic violence, of whom 7,147 were women and girls. These data show that intimate partner violence is more common against women than against men (Official Statistics portal, 2020). According to Gustaitienė (2005), women are afraid of shame and humiliation, so they do not talk about domestic violence and for this reason statistics on violence are not accurate in either developed or developing countries. A survey conducted in Lithuania in 2008 showed that more than a third of women who experienced violence never sought help at all, and about half turned to relatives or friends. 60 percent women who have experienced domestic violence have never sought help and they couldn't say why they are behaving in this way. Thirty percent who asked for help said they would not do it next time (Stonienė, Aguonytė & Narkauskaitė, 2012).
Puidokienė & Perttula (2014) wrote that meetings with help giver were crucial and supportive relationships helped women working in prostitution develop their individuality which is necessary for everyone. According to Gustaitienė (2005), who wrote about the prevention of domestic violence against women, in many legal systems, sexual violence against a wife is not considered an object of criminal law. There are also cases where women themselves, who allegedly provoke, tolerate and even crave the abuse of their husbands, are blamed for domestic violence. Author said that there are two challenges to eliminating domestic violence: how to stop domestic violence that is happening now, and how to stop violence from happening. To make situation better, laws should be passed that strengthen gender equality, prohibit physical punishment, eliminate media stereotypes, strengthen the economic independence of the family, and expand public education (Gustaitienė, 2005). Nadia Murad in her speech also mentioned that education plays an essential role in nurturing civilized societies. Bianco, Lombe & Bolis (2017) have revealed the gender inequalities faced by women entrepreneurs, but promoting women entrepreneurship is important as it would increase women’s economic independence from men.
PART 2:
DeleteI like the ideas of the all authors and I think that all these things social worker in Lithuania can do to prevent domestic violence against women. In my opinion, a social worker could help identify various forms of violence (sexual violence, economic violence, psychological violence, etc.). Recognition of forms of violence would contribute to the prevention of domestic violence. It is possible to use social media that reach many people in different places to spread the message that violence against women is not normal and that women are not to blame for it. Social worker can create different groups, post articles and share personal experiences. The social project "Sit I have to tell you something" was implemented in Lithuania. During the project, famous Lithuanian women told the stories of women who had experienced violence. And the goal of the project was to help women who experience bullying, humiliation and fear of physical abuse dare to break out of the cycle of violence, to hear the stories of other women who, no matter how painful, could set an example for others and take action to leave violent environment. There is also a lack of centers in Lithuania, especially in rural areas, where women could leave the abusive husband. Social workers can contribute to the creation of centers to help women who have already experienced violence not return to the abusive husband. Puidokienė & Perttula (2014) said that support is crucial for women working in prostitution but it is also important for women who have experienced domestic violence so social workers should give the support ant create supportive relationships. They also can make or attend demonstrations and protests and show their support for women's right in this way.
Gintarė Patašiūtė
References:
Bianco, M. E., Lombe, M., & Bolis, M. (2017). Challenging gender norms and practices through women’s entrepreneurship. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 9(4), 338-358.
Gustainienė, M. (2005). Smurto prieš moteris priežastys ir prevencija. Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas, (01), 110-121.
Official Statistics portal. (2020). Retrieved from: https://osp.stat.gov.lt/pradinis
Puidokienė, D., & Perttula, J. (2014). The healing relationship for women in prostitution. Topos, (1), 159-172.
Stonienė, L., Aguonytė, V., & Narkauskaitė, L. (2012). Smurto prieš moteris paplitimas ir priežastys. Visuomenės sveikata, 2(57), 8-15.
Human Trafficking (hereafter HT), either domestic or cross-national, has always been a gender issue amongst others. To date, women and girls still make up more than 70% of the detected trafficking victims in the 2016 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. Global effort have identified the severeness of this issue by for example, listing the discrimination of women’s as one of the five dimensions in the Global Slavery Index (which aims to examine the population vulnerability within individual country).
ReplyDeleteHT cases in Taiwan share many of the similarities of HT in other regions, which are highly associated with gender inequality and gender-based vulnerability. As a region under the influence of Confucianism has embedded patriarchal values in families and societies where women are considered inferior to men (Liu, 2014)- hence, in the past, trafficking in women and girls was seldom under the spotlight since society largely tolerated commoditization and exploitation of women and girls. In early days, trafficking in women and girls in Taiwan were seriously underestimated since the victims were from minority or disadvantaged groups (e.g. in the 1970s- adopted/given-away daughters between Taiwanese families; 1980s- sexually trafficked Taiwanese aboriginal girl) (Chen, 2014). These socially disadvantaged women and girls are oftentimes overseen by authorities as remain hidden victims of sexual and/or labour exploitation. Hence, prior to the passing of 2009 Human Trafficking Prevention Act (HTPA), human trafficking was underestimated in Taiwan. Since the 1990s, an increasing flow of New Immigrant women (mainly from Vietnam and Indonesia as domestic helpers- female foreign workers, and from China through arranged marriages- foreign spouses) has created a new group of human trafficking victims. In extreme cases, the female migrant (worker) suffer from both labour and sexual exploitation, from mainly domestic male perpetrators. While sexual exploitation is more evenly distributed among citizens and immigrants and affects both adults and minors, labour exploitation seems to be an exclusive phenomenon among women immigrant workers (Huang, 2017). Between 2005 and 2020 on average, over 100,000 cases of domestic abuse were reported in Taiwan. Reports included cases of intimate partner violence, child protection and elder abuse. 54% of reports were of intimate partner violence, with 86% of victims being female (of which 79% were Taiwan citizens, 17% held foreign nationality or were unidentified. (Source: Department of Protective Services of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan).
Since early 1990s, social work efforts via NGOs such as The Garden of Hope Foundation have been invested in: awareness building through advocating for new immigrant women’s wellbeing; empowerment by including them into expressions of public involvements such as arts, literature, civil involvement, etc ; creating safeguarding and rehabilitation mechanisms specifically for female migrant workers who are also victims of labour, sexual and/or domestic violence. Social workers are able to connect the survivors to legal services and educate them about the legal process to help reduce the trauma that they may further suffer through the legal process. However, it is important to consider the healing effect that human relationships can have (Puidokiene and Perttula, 2015) when approaching the group of victims in discussion. Trust building is the initial and the ultimate goal for the social workers as there is also the important aspect of cultural differences between the social worker and the new immigrant female victims tht has to be handled with upmost care and respect, “The women could realise life changes when they felt they were in control of their situations and could make their own decisions, whereas behaving well according to any external ‘good hopes’ did not promote change in the women’s lives. The help givers’ patience and sincere attention encouraged the women to seek help, regain strength and heal” (p. 10).
References
Delete1. Chen Y. (2014). Human trafficking in Taiwan. In: Hofmeiser W, Rueppel P, editors. Trafficking in human beings: learning from Asian and European experiences. Singapore: Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung and European Union, p. 65–74.
2. Huang, L. (2017). The trafficking of women and girls in Taiwan: characteristics of victims, perpetrators, and forms of exploitation. BMC Women's Health 17, 104. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-017-0463-2.
3. Liu C-L. (2014). Mental health problems in Taiwan from a gender and anti-oppressive perspective. Socialno Delo, 53(3–5):207–16.
4. Puidokienė, D., & Perttula, J. (2014). The Healing Relationship for Women in Prostitution. Topos, (1), 159-172. Retrieved from http://journals.ehu.lt/index.php/topos/article/view/331
5. UNODC (2016). Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2016. New York: United Nations.
1. Migrants are a minority in Lithuanian society, they have their own language, culture, religion, some of them belong to an ethnic group and for these reasons they are different from the majority of the Lithuanian population. This is due the fact that the Lithuanian population is the dominant group in relation to migrants. It is very important how the dominant group accepts the language and culture of the members of the minority group, because it determines the relations of Lithuanian society with migrants, how they manage to integrate, for example, when finding a job. In extreme cases, Lithuanians can accept and value the language of migrants, support their culture and agree that migrants also take over important features of the majority, such as learning Lithuanian language. Such a case would be welcome, as it would support cultural diversity in the country. However, it may happen that the Lithuanian population will not be tolerant of the language and culture of migrants and will also refuse to allow them to take over the features of the dominant culture, and in this case, migrants are not included in Lithuanian society and want to leave it. It is possible to notice in the Lithuanian media how stereotypes about migrants are formed. Migrants are portrayed negatively in the media, often portrayed as powerless, as passive victims, with links to human trafficking, religious aggression, and lack of independence. These stereotypes determine the general attitude of the dominant group towards the minority and, consequently, their ability to integrate into society, for example when looking for work, and thus make migrants feel excluded. Thus, one of the main and fundamental tasks of social workers is to eliminate these stereotypes in order to strengthen the inclusion of migrants as full members of society in the dominant culture. One of the measures to eradicate prejudice against migrants is to reduce the exclusion, discrimination, and demonization of migrants. The dominant group of people needs to have common interests and goals with migrants. Also, to develop critical public awareness through the use of good examples of the integration of migrants into society, for example through the labour market and training.
ReplyDeleteAkvile, I agree with your thoughts on migrants in Lithuania. I would like to add one thought about the knowledge of the state language in Lithuania. The government decided on Wednesday to allow war refugees from Ukraine to work in Lithuania for two years without learning the country's language. I think this is a very good solution.
DeleteA common form of injustice against women in the United States and around the world is domestic violence. Mapp writes how it is more common for those with less education to be the victims of an abuser most often, though it can happen to anyone. One way that women can strive to become more equal is through economy and entrepreneurship. Most often, the abuser has the control over the finances of the couple. By giving women more opportunity to become financially independent or pursue a business themselves it can potentially prevent situations like this.
ReplyDeleteBianco, Lombe, and Bolis write about challenging gender norms and practices through women’s entrepreneurship. By studying the places where women do and do not hold power, we can begin to change what the norms are. Researchers found that gender scripts are very strong and hold power in society. Implementing more programs and policies that can facilitate community discussion and bring more women to the table could contribute to more supportive interactions and greater equality. Specifically, programs focused on bringing independence to women who are in an abusive relationship would be vital in creating more empowerment.
Bianco, M. E., Lombe, M., & Bolis, M. (2017). Challenging gender norms and practices through women’s entrepreneurship. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 9(4), 338-358. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijge-10-2017-0060
Mapp, Susan C. (2008). Human Rights and Social Justice in a Global Perspective : An Introduction to International Social Work. Oxford University Press: New York.
- Evan Kafka
Hello, Evan! I definitely agree with the points you made. I really liked your idea of how violence against women can be prevented by empowering women thru entrepreneurship. I was thinking the same and wrote about it in my answer to 3rd question, however, your answer gave me a vision of how this concept can be used to prevent violence. As Bianco, Lombe and Bolis (2017) mentioned, empowering women to become entrepreneurs can be very useful for their self-esteem, to increase their self-growth as well as contribute to gender stereotypes breaking, meaning to stop stigma linked to domestic violence. Empowering women thru the economy can help prevent economic violence as well any other form of violence by strengthening women’s self-esteem and creating their independence.
DeleteReferences:
Bianco, M. E., Lombe, M., & Bolis, M. (2017). Challenging gender norms and practices through women’s entrepreneurship. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship.
Evan, I definitely agree with these points you've made. Entrepreneurship and education empower women and allow them to have more options when they are in violent relationships. I wonder your thoughts on the current U.S. celebrity gossip/drama. Anyone on Instagram sees Kanye West constantly harassing one of the richest woman in the world and she can not make it stop. The power society gives men to harass even powerful and rich women without punishment makes it seem as though "normal" women do not stand a chance in emotionally/physically abusive relationships even if they leave the situation.
DeleteWomen and girls make up a large percentage of the people that experience violence in the United States. There are many ways that women and girls are victims and violence, and some of the most common occurrences include things such as domestic violence, rape, and human trafficking. These types of violence are extremely concerning, but there are things that social workers can do to advocate for women and girls and help to prevent these types of violence. One of the main things that social workers can do is empower women and girls. Empowering individuals when they are in a vulnerable position can help them to see their own worth, and feel like they have the courage to change the situation that they are in. This can be done at a micro level when a social worker is helping a violence victim one on one, but empowering women can also be seen in large scale initiatives that address violence against women. There are also many other ways that social workers can help women and girls who have experienced violence. The book International Social Work: Professional Action in an Independent World by Lynne M. Healy says that, “social workers have been instrumental in developing shelters, in providing training to police and court officials on the needs of victims of violence, in counseling and offering concrete services to victims, and in self-esteem building projects to encourage women to believe that they have the right to not be abused” (Healy, p,91, 2001). Social workers are able to provide direct support for victims of violence, and they are also able to help women and girls find other supports and resources. Social workers can also be involved in the more legal side of violence too by helping to educate police and court officials on the needs that violence victims have, which is a necessary part of education for how to support victims. They can also help to create shelters for women who are escaping violence, and in these shelters they can also provide them counseling. Social workers can do things at many levels to help prevent violence against women and girls, as well as support victims.
ReplyDeleteHealy, Lynn M. and Rebecca Thomas. (2020). International Social Work: Professional Action in an Interdependent World. 3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hi Maddie. I am grateful for the views and thoughts you have expressed. Thank you for all your suggestions to social workers on how to help and provide assistance in working with victims of violence against women or girls. I agree with you that the most important thing is that the social worker tries to help empower women. I also agree that the social worker should contact police and court officials about the needs of victims of violence. There are a number of psychological services in Lithuania where a woman can get qualified help, but it is rare for anyone to dare to call and ask for help. Therefore, I would like to add that the social worker should talk to women or girls who have experienced violence in precisely these places. To tell that there are women of similar destiny, to tell how they are doing, that they are not alone, to encourage them.
DeleteThank you.
Dear Maddie,
DeleteI like your answer and I agree with what you wrote, it was really interesting to read. One of the most interesting and fascinating things is that our answers are basically similar even though we are from different countries. I like the sentence that social workers need to empower vulnerable women I also think that it is important but as Puidokienė & Perttula (2014) wrote it is very important to build a supportive relationship so I think social workers should build a supportive relationship first so that vulnerable women can trust them. It was a nice and useful idea that "social workers can also be involved in the more legal side of violence too by helping to educate police and court officials on the needs that violence victims have" and it is related to what Gustaitienė (2005) wrote that women who have experienced violence avoid contacting the police and this could be related with the fear that police officers would not understand women's needs so that's why I also think that social worker should participate in educating professionals who work with vulnerable women.
Gintarė Patašiūtė
References:
Gustainienė, M. (2005). Smurto prieš moteris priežastys ir prevencija. Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas, (01), 110-121.
Puidokienė, D., & Perttula, J. (2014). The healing relationship for women in prostitution. Topos, (1), 159-172.
Maddie that was so insightful. women empowerment is indeed key in ending violence against women. to me this is Sustainable social work practice, empowering our claimants to be able to help themselves even in our abscence. I also think the empowerment should start by equality, and should be seen at micro levels where not only the girl child does home chores whilst the boy child is busy exploring the world and reading books. #equalopportunities for all
DeleteIn the United States, there are many women and girls who are subjected to various forms of violence, including but not limited to sexual, psychological, physical, and economic. Perpetrators of this violence can be anyone from an intimate partner relationship, parent or family member, or even a coworker or boss. There are multiple ways for social workers to advocate for their clients and combat these injustices, however, I believe one of the most significant steps in doing so is case-based advocacy. This approach allows for clients to be empowered to reclaim their rights as a person and their dignity (Dibbets, 217). This is also an important step in the next stage of advocacy, which is more causal-based. This approach focuses “on structural change through lobbying or by acting as a ‘whistle-blower’ while using human rights as a frame of reference” (Dibbets, 217). The cumulative efforts of these approaches help to provide justice to the client, while also working to solve this problems on a macro level. Furthermore, this will allow social workers to advocate for change by encouraging the investment in women and children, as Miss. Murad suggests. These groups are significantly important to shaping macro level responses to violence against women because children are malleable in their beliefs – one generation has the ability to shift a culture – and women play significant roles within communities and families.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Dibbets, A. and Q. Eijkman (2018). "Translators, Advocates or Practitioners? Social Workers and Human Rights Localization." Journal of Human Rights Practice 10(2):217
Healy, L.M. (2008). International Social Work: Professional Action in an Interdependent Word. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Natalie Archdeacon
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Natalie,
DeleteGreat answer! I agree that case-based advocacy is important when working with women and girls who have experienced violence. I like how you bring up how this can help to empower victims, which is something that I also brought up in my response. Case-based advocacy can allow a social worker to be able to empower their client to believe that they are capable of removing themselves from the situation that they are in, as well as making sure that they are aware that they do not deserve the conditions that they have experienced. This makes me think of something in the book “Human Rights and Social Justice in a Global Perspective: An Introduction to International Social Work” by Susan C. Mapp where she says, “due to our ethical grounding in empowerment, social workers are a good group to help power disenfranchised groups” (Mapp, p.142, 2007). Social workers can help to empower groups that lack power, including women and girls. It is also essential to talk about the more large scale advocacy social workers can be involved in as well. I like how the quote you included describes that social workers can be "whistle-blowers," which is think is very accurate, as many social workers try to inform others about problems and injustices that occur in society. It's good to look at ways that social workers can address violence against women at a micro and macro level, and you did just that!
Mapp, Susan C. (2008). Human Rights and Social Justice in a Global Perspective : An Introduction to International Social Work. Oxford University Press: New York.
Nadia Murad’s speech at the Nobel Peace Prize is very sensitive. At the beginning of the speech, she said that when she was little, she did not know that "the human beings could perpetrate such hideus crimes against each other." And later, her reality turned into the biggest nightmare, “Our homes, our families, our tradition, our people, our dreams, and our dignity were all destroyed.” I personally don’t understand how the 21st century rights, could in 2014 ISIS carry out genocide against Yazidis. And as "Many coutries recognized this genocide, but the genocide did not stop." In her speech, she emphasized justice and the prosecution of criminals. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 2 say "Everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, legal or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty “. Also article 4 say “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms'.
ReplyDeleteViolence against women is very common in today’s society. They experience moral, psychological, physical abuse, abuse of their spouse, life partner, father in their families. There is a lot of media coverage about this, but the public is not sufficiently aware of the extent of violence against women and its consequences (Gustainienė, 2005, p. 10). the threat of such acts, the use of force, the unlawful restriction of liberty in both private and public life. Domestic violence is the most common in Lithuania. Violence against women in the family is a form of coercive behavior that attempts to control a woman’s thoughts, beliefs and behavior or to punish a woman for trying to resist, resist control. The aim of dishonesty or the abuse of power, control and authority by a person is to secure power. Control is achieved through intimidation. (Vasiliauskaitė and Vasiliauskienė, 2013). Joint research company of Lithuanian and British public opinion and market research “Baltic Research” in 2019 April 12-26. The Association "Women's Information Center" commissioned a representative survey of the Lithuanian population on domestic violence. One-fifth of respondents (19%) said they had experienced violence. The experiences of women seem even more painful - one in four (25%) admitted to having been or is being abused. 70 percent of perpetrators are current or former spouses or cohabitants. The rest are parents or other close people. Violence in relationships also has many negative social consequences - relationships with friends, relatives, acquaintances can be severed, social circles can be narrowed, jobs and income can be lost, and they can feel lonely and isolated. In this case, help can be provided by social workers whose mission is to help you regain a full, independent life. Specialized comprehensive assistance centers have been established in Lithuania to provide specialized comprehensive assistance to victims of domestic violence. A social worker provides social services such as: information, counseling, mediation and representation and empowerment. Accommodation and intensive crisis support services are also provided. The public should be educated on the issues of prevention of domestic violence, trained to recognize the manifestations and consequences of violence, and develop intolerance to all types of violence. It is also very important to educate and educate children about violence from an early age. Incorporating prevention programs into the curriculum.
1. Gustainienė, M. (2005). Smurto prieš moteris priežastys ir prevencija. Sociologija: Mintis ir Veiksmas, 15(1), 110-121.
Delete2. Lietuvos Respublikos socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija (2022). Patiriantiems smurtą – skubi pagalba, apsauga ir kokybiškos bei prieinamos paslaugos. Access through internet: https://socmin.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/patiriantiems-smurta-skubi-pagalba-apsauga-ir-kokybiskos-bei-prieinamos-paslaugos
3. LYGUS informacinis portalas (2019). Smurtiniai santykiai – kas penktuose namuose. Access through internet: https://www.lygus.lt/smurtiniai-santykiai-kas-penktuose-namuose/
4. United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
5. Vasiliauskaitė, Z., & Vasiliauskienė, H. L.,(2013). Šeimoje patirto smurto bio – psciho – socialinei asmens sveikatai. Mušamos moters sindromas. Vilnius: Lietuvos žmogaus teisių centras. Access through internet: https://manoteises.lt/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Musamos_moters_sindromas_2013-06-20_Zuzana_Vasiliauskaite.pdf
Reading the history of the Yazidis, my thoughts were related to the current situation in Ukraine, where women and girls became victims of sexual abuse and violence.
ReplyDeleteA number of psychological services have been established in Lithuania, to which a woman can receive qualified help. However, it is noteworthy that women and girls who have been victims of violence do not seek help from these bodies. This approach can be summed up in a pessimistic statement: "there is still no truth." Social workers could focus more on working with women’s crisis centers that provide temporary shelter and assistance to women who have experienced violence. Trying to show women that without abusive men their quality of life will improve, perhaps allowing them to meet and interact with women who have escaped from abusive men and have not returned to them so that those women can tell their story will encourage women not to return to abusive husband. The causes of violence are very diverse and relevant to social workers. According to Jenkins (Jenkins 1997), violence is most often caused by violence. The perpetrator is not born, the violence is learned, and it can become a constant behavior. "It can also be an expression of spontaneous anger at the humiliation, abuse, coercion." According to (Purvaneckienė 1999), if boys experience or observe violence (as their father beats their mother), they are many times more likely to become aggressive and benefit from violence as adults. If girls experience or observe domestic violence during childhood, they are much more likely to become victims of violence as adults.
Jenkins, J. 1997. The Moral Problems of Today. Vilnius.
Purvaneckienė, G. 1999. “Public opinion on the prevalence of violence against women in Lithuania” kn. Violence against women in Lithuania: 116, 118.
Tautvydė Liubinė
DeleteHello, Tautvyde,
DeleteI have read the thoughts you have written and I want to share that when writing the work I focused my thoughts first on current things in Ukraine. But not only is violence against women linked to this war, but it is still a serious problem around the world, because I still do not dare to talk about it out loud, and I think the role of the social worker is particularly important here, because complex, diverse help is especially important.
Today, women globally face immense adversity in the realm of daily life, as hardships such as poverty, reproductive issues, along with gender violence pose as threats to their livelihood. As women currently make up for the majority of the impoverished and refugee population, they face deadly outcomes as most struggle to stay alive. Countries around the world still impose detrimental traditional practices that can put a women’s life at risk. In countries within the Middle East and Africa, women may face the devastating effects of female genital mutilation. This procedure, although extremely harmful with risks of serious medical injury, is continued to be used for nonmedical purposes within these countries. “More than 200 Million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is practiced.” Another severe risk women face around the world is human trafficking. According to recent studies, “more girls have been trafficked in the 21st century prostitution alone than people were enslaved in the African Slave Trade.” Further analyzing these numbers, it is recorded that nearly “800,00 people are trafficked across internalltionally borders annually,” with 80% of this population being women and 50% classified as minors. Typically, we see high reports of sex trafficking in countries such as India, Cambodia, and Thailand, but this crisis goes beyond borders as it poses as a global threat.
ReplyDeleteAs a social worker, it is our duty to combat these social injustices and work towards resolving them, while preventing any further injustices to occur. When working towards a solution, immediate aid for survivors can be the first course of action that has an immense impact on the population. Working on the microlevel with clients can have an impact on the lives of the survivors, as adjusting to daily life proceeding escape can be challenging. It is vital that we provide the appropriate resources for these victims to acheive success in their daily life. Working on a more macrolevel, raising awareness online or in political setting can help provoke legal change in the legal aspect. Working with representative and bringing awareness to the general public can be a powerful tool to enact legal change to reduce these injustices. In hopes of preventing further wrongdoings, educating the public can be extremely impactful and beneficial to these populations. When working towards aiding those suffering from abuse, going to worksettings and schools to inform young girls and women about the certain signs of abuse and what further resources they can access can work towards reducing the numbers of victims. Although understanding that many of these injustices cannot be solved within a day, using our privilege as social workers to help those in need over the course of our career can eventually make a different in the livelihood of others.
References:
1.World Health Organization. (n.d.). Female genital mutilation. World Health Organization. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation
2.Deshpande, N. A., & Nour, N. M. (2013). Sex trafficking of women and girls. Reviews in obstetrics & gynecology. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3651545/#:~:text=Main%20Points,commerce%2C%20worth%20%2432%20billion%20annually.
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 4 states that no one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. Prostitution is known as the 21st century slavery, which is prohibited in Lithuania by law. The Lithuanian Code of Administrative Offences state that the activities of sex workers and their clients are punished. The only exceptions are made for the sex workers who were dependent or forced into prostitution using physical/psychological violence or deception. Or by any means being a minor or/and a victim of human trafficking when the status is recognized in criminal proceedings. Cecilia Benoit (2018) provides Sweden as a great example of helping woman and men, who fell victims to prostitution. They focus on providing woman with medical, psychological and social services. The main point at the end is to completely removing prostitution. In this sector, there are too many cases where underage girls and immigrants fall victim to prostitution, that’s why there is a need for a complete ban and removal for this sector. I think education is a key part of helping to prevent young girls from being manipulated. Education should include young teens and parents, tackling the topics like boundaries, how to say no, stranger danger, safe date. Also teaching parents positive parenting, rules at home, respect and how to talk to children on sensitive topics. Talking openly about dangers and calling it by a real name, which is sexual abuse. Lobbying for laws to change and responsibility to fall on the clients who use and abuse women, and not on victims who need help. Providing victims with secure housing, where they can get the help and services they need while also being protected from dons, giving victims a chance to escape from the influence. Providing the victims with support, assistance and information. Making sure, that everything reaches the person and giving him the power to make choices. Most importantly, make sure the person feels safe and his dignity is being respected.
ReplyDelete1. Benoit, C., Smith, M., Jansson, M., Healey, P., & Magnuson, D. (2019). “The prostitution problem”: Claims, evidence, and policy outcomes. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48(7), 1905-1923.
2. Guide of Promising Practices / Long term protection for trafficked persons. (2021). LEFÖ Intervention Centre for Trafficked Women.
3. The differing EU Member States’ regulations on prostitution and their cross-border implications on women’s rights. (2021). European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs.
Dominika Viduolytė
Hello Dominika! Thank you for your post, it is so interesting to learn about how other countries view sex work. I myself am an advocate for the decriminalization of sex work and is an area of social work I would like to participate in and have studied quite a bit. So, please forgive my wordy response! The most important aspect to consider when looking at this issue is not to confuse sex work (prostitution as you call it, however many sex workers find this term demeaning) and sex trafficking. Sex work is when a consenting adult willingly partakes in acts of sex for money. Sex trafficking and slavery is when someone is coerced or forced into sex slavery, even through forced drug addiction and should always be considered illegal.
DeleteSex work itself is not inherently violent, the oppressive patriarchal view of women as sexual objects combined with a criminalized environment creates an atmosphere where sex workers are stigmatized and at constant risk of violence. There are many adults who participate in healthy and safe sex work and treat it as any other job. Being able to separate sex workers from those who have been coerced would allow sex workers to work with law enforcement by reporting any occurrences of coercion or trafficking without the fear of accumulating their own charges.
The model you are speaking of in Sweden is called the Nordic model. This model allows for the purchasers of sex to be prosecuted while the sex worker themself is not. This is only partially helpful as while the sex worker does not face any criminal charges they are still left to work in a criminalized environment, leaving them open to dangerous situations. They generally also face judgement from social services and law enforcement. There is also full legalization, which can be seen in Las Vegas, Nevada in the U.S. This however leaves sex workers overregulated by government agencies, having to pay for licensing and must follow strict rules about where, when, and who can operate the business, often leaving sex workers at the mercy of the business owners and government agencies. The last, and in my opinion best, model is decriminalization. This just means that there will not be any criminal charges for buyer or sex worker, nor will there be any extraneous regulations, fees, and fines for the sex worker from government agencies. This allows sex workers to operate as any other business, following general labor laws, instead of being subject to unnecessary regulations. By distinguishing sex work from sex trafficking and slavery we can not only help diminish sex trafficking, but we can also allow sex workers the dignity and respect they deserve by decriminalizing their job of choice. Sex work is work! Again, thank you for your post, I really enjoyed hearing your perspective!
-Capri Abernathy
1) In 2021. On November 29, during the migrant crisis, Nadia Murad visited Lithuania for migrants, many of whom came from Iraq.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of domestic violence in Lithuania and only a part of it is included in the statistical tables. Because while living in a family, women do not only experience physical violence, which is not difficult to prove (it is most often reflected in those statistical tables, by the way). However, economic, psychological and sexual violence is either harder to prove or stigmatized, and women tend to hide it. Often, women who have experienced sexual violence are accused of “provoking it themselves”, “giving their husband expectations”, and so on. While living in a family, spousal sexual abuse is considered almost the norm, and satisfying a husband sexually is the duty of the wife. Nonsense? Sometimes it’s hard to believe what you have to hear. That coercion to meet your needs is the norm. And where then does a woman need to be loved, respected? Where are her human rights? And here we as social workers have a place to stretch. If a woman who has experienced violence turns to us, the first thing we can't do is not believe in her. As strange, unconvincing, or otherwise as a woman’s story may sound, we must support her and show her that we believe and help her. A woman comes to us "hurt", humiliated, not believing in others or herself, not believing that something can change. Maybe we are the only person who will believe it. The role of public education is also very important to us as social workers. Talk about violence, help people recognize violence, provide assistance to those who have experienced violence, and run educational programs about violence in schools, kindergartens, and other educational institutions. To deepen their legal knowledge in this field, to establish cooperative relations between institutions. Another situation we may face closer now is the context of the war in Ukraine. We already have about 14,000 refugees from Ukraine, most of them women and children. What they had to go through until they came to Lithuania with little information yet. But they will increase. Women who have experienced possible violence, stress over children and men and other relatives left in Ukraine to fight, perhaps even sexual abuse during the "trip". Perhaps not everyone they met during their trip was benevolent and willing to help. Maybe they didn't just have to pay for money to keep them and their children safe. Stories are already being heard, and over time they will only increase. Someone helps sincerely, and someone may have angry intentions. Another thing is that where there is war, there are cases of raped women. A woman raped by a soldier. They will need a lot of help to heal the trauma they have suffered. Therefore, we must be prepared for that as well.
Hi Violeta! I really agree with the thoughts you have expressed about domestic violence against women. Many women experience violence from their intimate partner and not every woman admits to the world that she is being exploited. I believe that women feel fear and shame, do not dare to publicly admit that they are being abused. Especially when in our culture the family has been elevated above all for a long time and there is still often a prevailing attitude towards how a woman can be abused in marriage? Or a woman sometimes needs to be taught. These attitudes are terrible, they must change and I think we can make a difference. Society needs to be educated, girls need to be educated from an early age that we are all equal and no one can be harmed, even in the family. After all, the family is our home, where we should feel safe. Violence cannot be tolerated at all. Violeta, thanks for the great post, I was feel happy to read and agree with your thoughts!
DeleteNadia Murad’s speech was incredible. It saddens me deeply to hear yet another story of genocide that is not acknowledged enough in U.S. news and culture. One quote in her speech that stuck out to me was that “it is unfathomable that the conscience of the leaders of 195 countries around the world is not mobilized to liberate these girls. What if they were a commercial deal, an oil field, or a shipment of weapons? Most certainly, no efforts would be spared to liberate them” (Murad, 2018). The valuing of profit over people is not unique to the genocide of the Yazidi people or to Iraq. This is something that is happening worldwide - we are seeing it in Ukraine as power-hungry “leaders” destroy livelihood and we see it in the United States in our prison system, unlivable wages, food deserts, the construction of oil pipelines on Native lands, and the funding of police departments and defunding of schools. These things are all violent - and the burden lands disproportionately on women and People of Color via the wage gap, segregation, environmental racism, and an overall lack of care and justice. Looking at this through the lens of Philip Zimbardo’s theory of the Lucifer Effect (Zimbardo, 2007) helps to explain why this division and misunderstanding happens. Zimbardo argues that people see good and evil as fixed - with them on the good side and others on the evil side. He says that this is not true, and in fact the world has always been a mix of good and evil. While Zimbardo’s work focuses on the very important inquiry into how good people can “become” evil, I believe that the premise of his whole theory is what is needed to initiate a virtuous social cycle. It is imperative for humans to recognize that good cannot and will not exist without evil. Being different - whether it is based on religion or race or gender - has always been a reason for dehumanization and an excuse for violence, which I would argue is where the misunderstanding is. Dehumanization and violence are the real evils! The profession of social work is literally based on the idea of promoting the good to combat the evil forces that impact people and communities. We must remedy with peace and goodness in regards to all people in order to prevent dehumanization - this is how we initiate a virtuous social cycle.
ReplyDeleteNobel Prize. (2018). Nadia Murad: Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqB0cMvGnIk
Zimbardo, P. (2007). The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil. United Kingdom: Random House Publishing Group.
(Phoebe Siegel-Horne)
2. Anyone from a minority group is misunderstood as a result of ignorance. Often times disdain or disagreement with minority groups comes from a lack of knowledge and background on those individuals. Humans fear the unknown and when people have different beliefs, insights, customs, religion, habits, etc., instead of learning or embracing the differences, some people choose to hate and limit the minorities in any way they know how. Another cause of misunderstanding of minority groups is societal norms and systems built solely for predominately straight white men.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, if one thinks of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically queer/homosexual relationships, so much disagreement and misunderstanding is caused because of the lack of visibility and representation in society. As a society, in the United States and most of the Western world views heterosexual relationships as the norm and relationships to consider and aim for as individuals. We also must admit the role Christianity has played to cause hate against the LGBTQ+ community. Despite the United States having the separation between church and state, Christianity played instrumental roles in the creation of our nation and laws. Present day, we still find religious narratives influences the laws and systems in our country. These narratives often cause hate, attacks, and misinformation against the LGBTQ+ community.
As social workers, we must ensure we do not shut down the unknown and are always open to educating and learning from minority groups different than our own. It is our jobs, even if we disagree with certain beliefs and ideas, to learn and best approach everyone with the respect and service they deserve. We know must understand the history that was is often erased among minority groups and what caused this erasure in the first place. We must recognize who controls the narrative in communities, schools, courts, “safe space”, etc. We must ensure if we are able to give others space to be heard, that we provide and offer that space. Representation in the spaces we are working matters. We must be constantly surrounds by diversity and minority groups in order to learn and grow and break down the hate and misunderstanding ignorance creates among minority groups.
Hello, Naomi! I just read your thoughts about how Christianity has played a role to cause hate against LGBTQ+ community. While reading your thoughs I remembered few moments from LGBTQ+ march that was held here in Kaunas few month ago. One moment was group of people with a priest in front of them were standing near to a place where event was held and they were praying and holding big poster which said something "we are praying for you to convert to christianity". Other moment was that lady was standing and holding a cross in front of LGBTQ+ event participants, that moment reminds me a horror movie. I totally agree that it is very important to understand and recognize who cotrols the narrative; how the narrative was socially construced. This recognition helps us to act toward reconstruction of these old narratives.
DeleteMembers of minority groups in the United States can include people of different religions and/or countries of origin. Two extremely prominent minority groups that have recently been the target of our country’s dehumanizing rhetoric are Muslims and Mexicans. While our country has always struggled to accept people different than the men in positions of power, the Trump administration only increased the “othering” of those different than the norm. Zimbardo explains the process of dehumanizing others as, “creating stereotyped conceptions of the other, dehumanized perceptions of the other, the other as worthless, the other as all-powerful, the other as demonic, the other as an abstract monster, the other as a fundamental threat to our cherished values and beliefs.” (Zimbardo 11). The Trump administration focused their dehumanizing efforts on members of the Muslim and Mexican communities and the administration was able to convince many Americans to believe horrible stereotypes about our neighbors from different countries and backgrounds. By enforcing these stereotypes, the Trump administration was able to rally the support needed to introduce such policies as the Muslim majority country ban, harsher treatments in ICE detention facilities, and building the southern border wall. While the next administration did not continue these policies that aimed to keep these minorities out, it is important to remember how much support the Trump administration was able to gain around these dehumanizing issues.
ReplyDeleteWhile these policies are not continued today, the effects of such dehumanizing language continue to linger, and it is our role as social workers to combat these stereotypes with education and empowerment. Murad spoke to the importance of holding those accountable in her community: “If justice is not done, this genocide will be repeated against us and against other vulnerable communities”. If we fail to speak out against these wrongdoings and all those who were involved, there is nothing hindering others from continuing to stereotype and dehumanize the same minority groups and other minority groups. Talking specifically about the dehumanizing of Muslims and Mexicans, it is important for social workers to not only educate about the invalidity of the conceptions formed around these people, but also work to empower the Muslims and Mexicans facing the effects of dehumanization. To empower members of minority communities, it is important to make sure they are educated on how to correctly respond if they are facing a dehumanizing situation and discourage the hateful rhetoric that has been used towards them. A dehumanizing situation could be an encounter with ICE agents or police officers and social workers can provide people in commonly targeted groups with the knowledge of their full rights and how to best comply with officers to avoid life threatening situations. Even though there are not legal bans in place against these groups, the past motivations against their communities have changed people’s opinions about these groups and about themselves. Social workers can empower these minority groups by discrediting these stereotypes and reenforcing to the effected minority groups their true abilities, skills, and individuality based on their life experience thus far. Social workers have the ability to change the effects of these hateful stereotypes as we can rehumanize minority groups and empower them to challenge those stereotypes forced against them.
-Claire Lewing
Nadia Murad – Nobel Lecture. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2022. Tue. 15 Mar 2022.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2018/murad/lecture/
Zimbardo, Philip. “The Lucifer Effect.” The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo, 2016, http://web.archive.org/web/20160310234249/http://www.lucifereffect.com/index.html.
First of all, Yazid is a religion. Jazidism is one of the oldest religions that characterized by a combination of elements of different religions.
ReplyDeleteBecause of some religious doctrines, the Yazidis were called worshipers of Satan. Hatred for the Yazidis erupted like the genocide of Xinja: entire villages were killed and women were forced into sex slavery. Jazid society is closed. Jazide can only be obtained through the blood, i. y. born in a Yazid family. One of the oldest ethno-religious groups in the region, the Yazidis speak Kurdish and profess a religion of Yazidism with elements of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism. Historically, because of the cultural and religious differences inherent in the group, the Yazidis have been repeatedly persecuted. In addition, to cultural and social differences is a professed religion, what separates the Yazidis from other groups and often causes their hostility. In other widespread religions that converts to Yazidism are not accepted as equal members of the group.
There are still a large number of cases of violence in Lithuania. Most violence is against women. From time immemorial, there is still a belief that a woman is the weaker sex. The current legislation does not define domestic violence in Lithuania also it is limited to domestic violence without gender discrimination. But the Ministry of Social Security and Labor proposes to define domestic violence in the new draft Law on Protection against Domestic Violence and Violence against Women. Statistics show that domestic violence affects women much more. Violence against women is most often associated with historically unequal power relations between men and women. Stereotypes are still passed down from generation to generation that men occupy a higher position in society and in the family and may use violence to secure their interests. Domestic violence is also fueled by poor non-violent conflict resolution skills and patterns of violent behavior learned from parents in childhood. According to the data of the Department of Informatics and Communications, in 2020. 5,809 people were affected by domestic violence, of whom 4,449 were women and girls from January to September. Who (women) experience domestic violence are also known as victims. Most women are already accustomed to this lifestyle, are not going to and do not even want to change the current situation. In this case, it is the duty of the social worker to show and introduce such women that the world is better without violence. The key is to grab women from an unsafe environment and ensure a safe environment and that the victim does not continue to encounter the abuser. Currently, there are many support groups in Lithuania for women who have experienced violence. It is primarily a psychologist, a family crisis center, a women’s line, the police.
https://www.zmogausteises.lt/pasaulis/jazidu-genocidas-sindzaro-kalnuose-o-kas-toliau/
https://socmin.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/kovos-su-smurtu-pries-moteris-diena-demesys-lyciu-nelygybes-problemai
Hello Gintarė Pocevičiūtė,
DeleteI agree with your answer, because the number of cases of violence against women and girls is not decreasing in Lithuania, but it is also important that women get used to such a life and understand it as their destiny. It can be said that women experience violence, avoid talking about it, are scared and think it should be, but do not think that such a life can change boldly, you just have to dare to speak up. Possibly every woman does not want to show and express what is happening in the home or other environment, they are afraid to experience even more violence. Indeed, the view that a woman is the weaker sex has persisted for a long time, it manifests itself and works very strongly, often competes with a woman and makes women feel weak or underestimate themselves because men want to occupy the highest position. When many men don’t understand I think it causes harm to a woman and don’t realize that it can have long-term consequences because they look masculine to them and thus show their high ego by underestimating the woman. In conclusion, I would like to say that I really agree with your answers, because there are more and more cases of violence against women in Lithuania, which is tacit.
Dehumanization of others due to differences is a vicious cycle that occurs everywhere, and especially in the US. I have seen this in all different types of groups and individuals, because the inability to relate to certain people who are “different” can perpetuate dehumanization. Lack of ability to relate decreases empathy and therefore increases violence.
ReplyDeleteIn my country, minority groups are incredibly misunderstood and dehumanized. For example, there is a conservative ideal that people in poverty or experiencing homelessness are “lazy” and just want to take advantage of others to get by. This makes people ignore their troubles and feel apathetic towards their calls for help. In addition, I have experienced many White people at my university shutting down Black individuals’ pleas to combat the prejudices they have undergone at the school by staff and other students. Because these White people haven’t experienced anything similar, many of them believe that the school is fine and no changes need to be made. They cannot relate, so they ignore the Black individuals’ cries for help and do not believe them.
The best way social workers can combat this is through education. With our knowledge and research on this topic, we must share it and make it known to others. One way we can do this is by facilitating diversity trainings in places like schools and workplaces. In addition, like Nadia Murad said in her speech, it is important that we teach our children to learn about other people and model empathy. She says children are a “blank slate,” and their immediate inclination is not to hate, but to love (Nobel Prize, 2018). By teaching them about others, we can prevent dehumanization.
- Jilly Kornak
Nobel Prize. (2018, December 13). Nadia Murad: Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 2018 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqB0cMvGnIk
Hi Jilly,
Deletethanks for sharing your stories and insights. Very interesting answer and I totally agree with what you wrote. I liked your idea that "Lack of ability to relate decreases empathy and therefore increases violence." Your story about situations at university is sad, but it reminded me of the bullying situation in my schools. When people make fun of someone else for unknown reasons, they use violence against another person. And as far as I remember the schools I attended, they didn’t do much to prevent bullying. To help a child, it is necessary to cultivate and increase empathy for members of the whole community. I think that by raising a child, we will also educate the future.
Hearing Nadia Murad’s speech regarding how the Yazidi people have been overlooked by their own government and the world at large reminded me of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Movement (MMIW) in The United States. According to the National Crime Information Center out of the 5,716 reported missing indigenous women, only 116 were logged with the Department of Justice (Lushesi & Echo-Hawk, 2018). This was further highlighted during the Gabby Petito case. While multiple agencies and news stations all over the country were covering the story, there were indigenous women who went missing in Wyoming in the recent past, that received little to no police help, and no media coverage at all. In fact, over 95% of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women did not receive any media coverage at all. Even finding basic information on missing indigenous women is difficult as records are not kept and many of the missing people’s race are mislabeled (Lushesi & Echo-Hawk, 2018). Young Native women are so vulnerable to this issue because law enforcement has made it clear that these cases are not taken seriously. When my Navajo mother was shot and killed, the police never tried to locate myself or any of her eight siblings. We only found out two weeks later when the state fiduciary was calling on behalf of the funeral home where her body was being stored. This is just one example of the often-horrible way that indigenous women in need of help are treated by law enforcement agencies.
ReplyDeleteIn response to that there are many things that a social worker can do to mitigate the MMIW crisis. On a micro level, initiating an empowerment model could be very successful in helping young women realize their potential (Mapp, 2008). By utilizing empowerment from childhood in Native communities, young girls will be able to rely on their strengths to combat traditionally gendered stereotypes, which can be prevalent in Native communities. Social workers can also work with non-profits and other local organizations in order to assist in a culturally relevant way (Mapp, 2008). On a more macro level, another way that the MMIW crisis could be helped is if Tribal communities would be allowed to advocate for missing people in urban settings where they lack jurisdiction. Or even the police departments reporting it to the tribe, for example when a person traveling outside of their home dies, the government will notify that nation of their death. Tribes should be able to “fully practice their inherent sovereignty” by being allowed to advocate for their citizens (Lushesi & Echo-Hawk, 2018).
References
Lucchesi, A., & Echo-Hawk, A. (2018). Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls: A snapshot of data from 71 urban cities in the United States.
Susan C. Mapp. (2008) Human Rights and Social Justice in a Global Perspective: An Introduction to International Social Work Kindle Edition.
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Delete
ReplyDeleteDomestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviour in any relationship that is used by one
partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. The definition
adds that domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation,
religion, or gender”, and can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse,
emotional, economic and psychological abuse
In Nigeria, many women are brutally treated by their intimate partners who in some cases
lead to the death of such women. Domes-tic violence affects all social groups and can consist
of physical, sexual and psychological abuse. The level of violence against women in Nigeria
is increasing by the day with two out of every three women in certain communities
experiencing violence in the family. Many women do not report the abuse as they are
ashamed that their marriages are not working and for most women in Nigeria, divorce is not
an option at all. So they suffer in silence. It is against this background that the researcher
looks into cases of domestic violence against women in Nigeria, types, causes, effects, and
management.
As a Social worker,i will analyze and understand the reasons that violence is perpetrated against women.
Creating an environment where women and girls are comfortable sharing that they have been victims of violence is an essential first step to providing care and treatment.Social service workers can also be advocates to the government and for victims, and oftentimes have a leading role in obtaining justice by working closely with law enforcement.“Child protection workers and violence [prevention] advocates are now finding new ways to work together.
I am very glad on your thought as a social worker on how to go about bring justice to women and young girls who are victims of abuse. Africa as a whole still live in a patriarchal societies where women are oblige to be submissive to their husband even at the point of heavy domestic vi0lence. also considering the fact that there are just few human rights institutions that looks out for the protection of women in Africa. I think creating and organization like women empowerment centers where case and be dealt with in terms of violence will be a necessity.
DeleteFirst, when I heard Nadia Murad speech in the beginning I saw in her eyes how much she dreamed about finishing school, having a village house near her family/ She talked about all these dreams which later has changed into a nightmare. The most unexpected thing in her life - was genocide. She lost her family: mother, brothers, children... In her eyes, I saw pain and hope...
ReplyDeleteAnd this quote from her speech took my heart and feelings into nowadays situation of Europe, Lithuania, especially Ukraine: „No to violence, yes to peace, no to slavery, yes to freedom, no to racial discrimination, yes o equality and human rights for all, no to exploiting women and children, yes to giving them a decent and independent life, no to impunity for criminals, yes to holding them accountable and achieving justice“. My thoughts were related to the war in Ukraine, where women and girls became victims of violence and sexual abuse. Men also go through violence, when they must protect their country from an attacker.
When I have read that Islamic militants have trapped up to 40,000 members of Iraq’s minority communities. Most of the trapped people are members of the Yazidi religion, one of Iraq’s oldest minorities. It's difficult to understand that this is the world we live in.
Reports of violence, repression, and murder by Isis and other extremist groups have become increasingly prevalent in Iraq. Christians have also been targeted for their faith. The country’s largest Christian city was abandoned, as Isis advanced through minority communities in the north-west.
In World Health Organization statistics data, it is said that violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence – is a major public health problem and a violation of women's human rights. Estimates published by WHO indicate that globally, about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
Most of this violence is intimate partner violence. Worldwide, almost one-third (27%) of women aged 15-49 years who have been in a relationship report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner.
Violence negatively affects women’s physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health, and may increase the risk of acquiring HIV in some settings.
As social workers, it is our duty to combat these social injustices. We must work for justice and work towards resolving these issues. It is important that we as social workers organize resources for victims. It is significant to have the opportunity to talk in public about women's experienced violence.
Often people wonder: why is this happening? Why do women allow themselves to be treated this way? In answering these questions, it is essential to identify the causes and consequences of violence. Identified societal stereotypes and attitudes towards violence against women and the perpetrator itself are also very important. International law distinguishes between these main forms of domestic violence (Criminal Law of the Republic of Lithuania) Code, 1999): physical, sexual, psychological violence, economic coercion, social isolation.
From childhood, it is necessary to talk about domestic violence in schools. To encourage children to notice violence in near areas and don't be shy to tell to responsible people. It is also necessary to have more free art therapy groups or more psychologists, which are possible to have for free to everyone in the society.
- Paulina Šlepavičiūtė
References:
1. Kauno technologijos universitetas, 2012, THE BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE, Available at: [Accessed 16 March 2022].
2. Jalabi, R., 2022. Who are the Yazidis and why is Isis hunting them?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: [Accessed 16 March 2022].
3. Who.int. 2022. Violence against women. [online] Available at: [Accessed 16 March 2022].
Nadia Murad won a Nobel Peace Prize and is a key resemblance of fighting against women violence. Terrorists’ attacks are a challenge to humanity and should be fought and usually women and girls are affected the most due to their vulnerability. In face of injustice, Social workers are guided by The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which gives all nations globally, an obligation observe rights and freedom of people and in this discussion article 4 which reads “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms“.
ReplyDeleteIn Zimbabwe, we did not experience terrorists attacks but however this does not rule out the presence of girls and women being subjected to violence and abuse. Women and girls experience moral, psychological, physical abuse, abuse within both macro and meso levels. Section 25 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe stipulates that the State and all agencies of the government at every level must protect and foster the institutions to adopt measures for the prevention of violence. Regardless of such recognition, there have been rampant incidences of politically motivated and domestic violence against women and girls in the country. Domestic violence against women and girls is a violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and all of the treaties, conventions, charters and optional protocols on the rights of women.
In regards to this discussion, women trafficking in Zimbabwe will be used as a form of violence against women and will be looked into. Human trafficking was a rather silent phenomenon in Zimbabwe until April 2016 when Zimbabwe realized through its Embassy in Kuwait that an estimated 200 Zimbabwean women were stranded in Kuwait after falling into the trap of human trafficking. The women were recruited by a syndicate of agencies in both Kuwait and Zimbabwe after having been promised lucrative employment opportunities. It was unfortunate that the women only realized that they had been hoodwinked upon arrival in Kuwait after their travel documents were confiscated.
The women were treated as slaves and were subjected to harsh working environments and suffered emotional and physical abuse. Some of them were forced to work as sex workers and the proceeds were enjoyed by the traffickers. The women lost their freedom as their identity cards, mobile phone, passports and educational certificates were confiscated. They had to bear the burden of working for long hours and were denied access to medical facilities neither were they allowed to go outside the premises they were working from
The role of Social workers cannot be exhausted without looking at gender inequalities. Gender inequality refers to the disparity between opportunities available to men and women based on gender. Women in the majority of societies are seen as less than men, are usually paid less for equal work, have fewer rights, have less access to health, education, and property, are expected to be submissive to men; and are therefore vulnerable to recruitment by traffickers. Social workers should therefore ensure ‘equality of capabilities,’ enabling people to have the skills they need to participate in society, to engage in productive activities and to participate in decision-making thus lessening women susceptibility to being victims of trafficking.
The roles of social workers in Women trafficking do not only lie before but also after trafficking has taken place. From an intervention perspective in the micro level, social workers can play a role in providing direct support to those victimized through advocacy. Social workers are skilled advocates and are cognisant with policy and political systems that impact on practice.
Social work is a helping profession concerned with a person as an individual and a person as part of an environment. Psychosocial support to relieve the victims of trauma associated with trafficking is important.
ReplyDeleteThe profession encompasses knowledge and skills for a range of work at both the micro level (the individual and family) and macro level practice which involves working with groups, communities, organizations or programs, legal, health, and educational systems including large social systems. Social workers engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to resources needed to meet basic human needs.
A critical and most valuable service from the agency comes in the form of intensive case management which may best be delivered in residential facilities (Palmer, Nancie 2010). Case management is a method of service provision whereby a social worker coordinates ongoing and multiple services such as mental health, social welfare, and victim advocate services for the client. Social work has a long history of recognizing client strengths and capacities, linking clients to services, as well as providing needed direct services to the client and when appropriate the family, kin, or referent group.
Guided from the roots of social justice and belief in the dignity and worth of all human beings, social workers work with clients through an empowering approach that seeks to enhance the natural abilities and skills of the individual and family as well as add resources and support. Utilizing skills in group work, social workers may facilitate bringing organizations together for dialogue, problem solving, and advocacy.
In conclusion, human trafficking is a complex crime and a gross human rights violation that requires an equally sophisticated response. Such response must be informed by a more nuanced understanding concerning the dynamic factors that condition human trafficking. Human trafficking public policy, acts and international laws must be reflective of this understanding if such policy is to be effective and truly victim-centered
Yazidi - member of a Kurdish religious minority found primarily in northern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, the Caucasus region, and parts of Iran. On August 3, 2014, the IS launched an offensive against the Sinjar region of northern Iraq and carried out large-scale massacres against the civilian population. This involved mass killings, sexual violence, torture and enslavement. Over 5,000 people were killed and over 400,000 people were displaced from their homes. To date, more than 2,800 Yazidi women and children are still held captive by the IS or remain missing.
ReplyDeleteSpeech by Nadia Murad was realy emotional. It is hard to believe that nowadays such things can happen. The girl's mother and brothers were killed. And all she wants is for these terrible things happening in her country to end. I think that it can be compared to a war in Ukraine also. There is information in the media that in Ukraine women also experienced sexual abused by Russian soldiers. These days innocent women, kids are being killed in Ukraine.
Statistics show that domestic violence affects women much more. According to the data of the Department of Statistics, 9265 people were affected by domestic violence, of whom 7147 were women and girls (In Lithuania, 2019). The coronavirus pandemic only exacerbated the situation: the requirement to stay at home made it more difficult to escape from and abusive partner, and a large proportion of women lost their jobs and became more dependent on abusive partners. It is very important that women will not be afraid to say that they have experienced violence. Women can get the help they need in women crisis centers where they can stay get psychological help. There are also women‘s lines, police, so the most important thing do not be afraid to ask for help.
1. https://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/germanyiraq-world-s-first-judgment-crime-genocide-against-yazidis
2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yazidi
Tt is quite fortunate for me to have had the opportunity to listen such a speech from Nadia Murad about the genocide, sexual violence that happened in Yazidi. If I have to relate this for what has been happening in my country right now (Cameroon), I must say the case is very similarly as concern to sexual abuse and genocide.
ReplyDeleteViolence erupted in 2016 in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon and continues to impact the daily lives of Cameroonians today. The conflict disproportionately impacts women and girls who are increasingly afraid of becoming victims of gender-based violence (GBV).
Gender-based violence in Cameroon has been an existing reality prior to the crises, and occurs in areas where guns are silent. Also, the privacy of the home is, as a matter of fact, the most dangerous place there is for many women. Intimate partner violence prevails as one of the most widespread forms of violence against women and girls.
Placing gender issues at the center of aid interventions helps rebalance gender injustice.
as a social worker, to prevent this in Cameroon first, is to analyze power dynamics and committing to shift unequal power relations, humanitarian actors can bring transformation. We (social workers) can use spontaneous opportunities and short-term intervention windows to address some of the root causes of inequality; sustainably influencing unequal customs and practices and generating social change.
Preventing gender-based violence, particularly the one taking place behind closed doors, requires a concerted effort from all actors – not just the social workers. Reinforcing women’s socio-economic agency and autonomy and making it clear that a life free from violence is a benefit for all, requires a collective engagement.
It is about ensuring that women have a voice in decisions making and supporting their economic self-sufficiency. It is also about mobilizing boys and men to challenge harmful masculine norms that favor violence over dialogue and respect, among others. So we stand for with voice to say No to sextual violence and justice for the victims.
First of all I would like to say that when I listen Nadia Murad’s speech on her face was possible to see everything what she experienced during the Yazidi genocide. Nadia’s language was inspiring. Thanks to her language, I began to appreciate the country I live in even more. A country where there are no major outbreaks of racism, a country where everyone can feel equal, a country where there is no genocide against people who look different, behave differently or have a different opinion. However, despite all this, there are also cases of violence against women in my country. Violence against women is caused for a variety of reasons, and those causes are usually complex. Violence can be influenced by simple things such as biological or personal characteristics of a person, by close relationships with the family, by the community, by the work environment as well as by society. Violence is often caused by education, the lower the person's education, the more likely he or she is to be violent, so the fight against violence should encourage individuals to obtain the highest possible education. Women who have been subjected to childhood violence are also at greater risk of experiencing violence, and there is a need to educate the public about violence-related topics where can find help is available in the event of violence. Women are also more likely to experience violence due to gender inequality, and gender and social equality must be promoted. In the summary, the fight against violence can be improved by strengthening and strengthening the collection of information and data on violence, strengthening assistance to victims of violence, improving education on violence, and improving cooperation and the exchange of information on violence prevention.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
1. Stoniene, L., Aguonyte, V., & Narkauskaitė, L. (2012). Smurto prieš moteris paplitimas ir priežąstys. Visuomenės sveikata: literatūros apžvalgos, 2(57), 8-15.
Aurika Šataitė
The issue of violence received public attention at the global level in the 1996 World Health Assembly, when a resolution adopted declared that violence was a violation of human physical, social and spiritual health and a violation of human rights and freedoms (Stonienė, Aguonytė, Narkauskaitė, 2012).
ReplyDeleteViolence against women is very common in today’s society. Violence against women and girls is rooted in gender-based discrimination, social norms and gender stereotypes. They often experience moral, psychological, physical abuse. The victim often forgives the abuser, so the police are not interested in paying more attention to every case of violence. Women’s motivation to talk about the violence they experience is often hampered by financial dependence, internal attachment, public perceptions of divorced single women, and so on. Violence against women is very common in today’s society. They often experience moral, psychological, physical abuse. The victim often forgives the abuser, so the police are not interested in paying more attention to every case of violence. Women’s motivation to talk about the violence they experience is often hampered by financial dependence, internal attachment, public perceptions of divorced single women, and so on. The exact statistics of violence are not known, as most women are afraid and ashamed to tell about the violence they have experienced (Gustainienė, 2005).
In Lithuania, we did not experience terrorist attacks and massive persecution but even so we face a lot of violence against women and girls. The Law on Protection from Domestic Violence adopted in Lithuania in 2011 does not distinguish between the gender components. It emphasizes that domestic violence can be experienced by any member of the family in a marital, partnership, marriage or other close relationship, as well as by a person living together (Stonienė, Aguonytė, Narkauskaitė, 2012).
When it comes to preventing violence, there are two issues: how to stop the violence that is already happening in the family, and how to stop the violence that may be happening. It is a very difficult and responsible way for social workers to help women and girls escape from abuse and persecution and provide the necessary emotional support. If a person is already experiencing violence, one effective way could be to organize self-help groups where women are encouraged to talk about what they are experiencing and get support from other women in a similar situation. In such groups, the social worker should remain highly empathetic and sensitive to the woman’s experience, be able to manage the group, have an unconventional and non-oppressive attitude. However, in order for women and girls not to experience these problems, social workers should work in a comprehensive way. Social worker prevention about violence should start early in children life, by educating and working with young boys and girls promoting respectful relationships and gender equality. Working with youth is a “best bet” for faster, sustained progress on preventing and eradicating gender-based violence. In order to prevent violence, the social worker can also seek to improve cooperation and exchange information on the prevention of violence with other institutions, and monitor compliance with international treaties, laws and other mechanisms that protect human rights. One of the important tasks of a social worker is to combat the disappearance of stereotypes in society that undermine women's rights.
References:
Stonienė, L, Aguonytė, V., Narkauskaitė, L. (2012). Smurto prieš moteris paplitimas ir priežastys. Visuomenės sveikata, 2 (57).
Gustainienė, M. (2005). Smurto prieš moteris priežastys ir prevencija. Sociologija. Mintis ir Veiksmas, 01:110-121.
AGNĖ JURKEVIČIENĖ
ReplyDeleteI saw Nadia Murad speech of a Nobel Peace prize, Its was a very sensitive speech. Nadia started her speech by saying that in this speech she will be the voice of those women who have been victims of violence. As Nadia Murad spoke about her and others ’Yazidi life experiences, a deadly silence prevailed in the hall. People surrounded in tears. I will not hide the fact that I myself felt sad when she says how the genocide led to the expulsion, flight and effective exile of the Yazidis from their ancestral lands in Upper Mesopotamia. Thousands of Yazidi women and girls were forced into sexual slavery by ISIL, and thousands of Yazidi men were killed, she telling it with the endless pain in her eyes.
Many women in the world suffer from violence. Violence is one of the most painful and pressing societal problems in the world. The problem of violence against women is extremely complex and multifaceted. Every day, many women around the world experience physical, psychological, economic or political violence, and this is not only a crime against women, but also a violation of human rights. Women are often abused, assaulted, raped and beaten. In Lithuania, domestic violence is most often talked about in the way that women experience from their intimate partner and not every woman admits to the world that she is being exploited. I believe that women feel fear and shame, they do not dare to admit publicly that they are being abused.
Violence depends on culture, values, social norms, which is one of the main reasons why violence has long been ignored as a societal problem.
The legacy of the Soviet Union is still felt in Lithuania and the greatest value at that time was marriage no matter how unsuccessful it may have been. Women could not resist their husbands at the time because men were the head of the family, if a woman was sexually abused at home it was not a man’s shame. To this day these attitudes still prevail in many families and values being passed down from generation to generation. I personally have had to deal with a woman who has experienced domestic violence and she believes that no one could ever known that because the offender is her husband, she needs to be in silence. Imagine how many women in the world should feel safe in their families but are exploited instead. How many women in the world are victims of sexual crime, beaten and psychologically exploited?
DeleteThe problem of violence against women is a complex, one that requires the involvement of many institutions and most importantly each of us must be intolerant of violence against women and violence in general. Social workers need to raise the issue of violence to a higher level. Education must start at the school bench, girls and boys must know that they are equal, that no case of violence is tolerable women have the right to respect love and identity. Social worker must know and be able to distinguish between a person who has experienced violence or any form of violence, provide him or her with help and help to receive all kinds of help from other institutions. Social worker must work more effectively with victims of violence. Encourage the establishment and development of non-governmental organizations, public institutions and crisis centers throughout Lithuania, especially in smaller towns and rural areas. Improve their working methods to ensure quality and effective assistance to people suffering from violence. Cases of violence must be registered and dealt with immediately. Legal and psychological assistance is needed to provide the victim of violence, and disciplinary measures are available to the perpetrator if the interview is not sufficient.
References:
1. Devries KM, Mak JY, García-Moreno C, et al. Global health. The global prevalence of intimate partner violence against women. Science 2013; 340: 1527–28.
2. Krupskienė, A., Narkauskaitė, L., Povilaitis R., Smirnova, K., Šidlauskienė, A., Vaicekauskaitė, L., Vileikienė, E., Pajarskienė, B., Baliulytė, V., Pačiauskaitė, I. Smurto paplitimas ir jo prevencija Lietuvoje. Išleido Higienos institutas. ISBN 978 – 9986 – 457 – 33 – 6.
When you talk about Nadia Murad, you are not only talking about Nadia Murad, but you are talking about a global issue that Nadia Murad carries to the world, she talks about the strength and perseverance of women, she talks about the attempt to exterminate her people and her entire religion on the face of the earth just because they are a different minority, she talks about her call for peace Despite all the sexual and physical torture she suffered and the killing of her family members in front of her and her placement in the slave market. Nadia began to show her story to the world before she recovered from the psychological, physical and sexual trauma she was exposed to. You can watch her speech before the UN Security Council, in the United Kingdom, in the United States of America, in France, in Israel, in Italy, in the Netherlands, in Sweden, and in many other countries where you call for the liberation of women and children captured by ISIS in Iraq, and this is a very difficult thing for a woman who has suffered from all the burdens of torture. And Nadia Murad is not the only one who has suffered this suffering, but there are hundreds of stories similar to hers.
ReplyDeleteListening to her speech, I could see the fatigue and suffering in her eyes, her voice, and even her body language. Nadia focused on two main things in her speech, which are achieving justice and peace.
Nadia thanked the organizing committee for the Nobel Prize for giving her this valuable award, but she mentioned that the biggest prize is achieving justice and I mentioned that I appreciate your sympathy with me, but sympathy alone is not enough to stop the extremist terrorist waves and achieve justice, so we need action on the ground.
I also talked about peace and that peace can only be achieved if we are together.
We see today in the wars of Ukraine and Russia, where innocent people were subjected to killing, violence and displacement from their homes. This also tells us that without freedom and peace, it is not possible to live and justice cannot be achieved. I see that non-governmental humanitarian organizations, as mentioned in "Ethical Dilemmas and International Human Rights", are suitable for such cases due to the lack of capacity of government organizations in such cases. And also social workers can focus more on working with women's crisis centers that provide temporary shelter and assistance to women who have experienced violence. I think it is important to educate the general public on how to build peace and not infringe on the freedoms of others. It also teaches children in schools to understand peace and avoid terrorism.
1_Guide of Promising Practices / Long term protection for trafficked persons. (2021). LEFÖ Intervention Centre for Trafficked Women.
2_World Health Organization. (n.d.). Female genital mutilation. World Health Organization. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation
3_United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Violence against women is very common in today’s society. They experience moral, psychological, physical abuse, abuse of their spouse, life partner, father in their families. In addition, violence against women is common in society. There is a great deal of media coverage of this, but the public is not sufficiently aware of the scale of violence against women and its consequences. The victim often forgives the abuser, so the police have no interest in investigating each case more closely. When I think of the women and girls who are experiencing violence in my country, I think there is very little talk about it and it is not a topic for everyone. Because it is all hidden and often for women, girls are threatened with violence not only in the immediate environment. As a result, women and girls often remain silent about it and perpetrators go unpunished and continue to do so. Women and girls often face the inability of others to hear and understand their experiences of violence. Because they do not receive the help they need from other people, there is a lack of information about possible help, so they do not talk about the violence they have experienced and often solve their own problems. Without leaving the circle of violence, women try various strategies to alleviate conflict, seek to prevent recurrent violence, in other words, adapt to the situation and adapt. Most try to escape for a short time until the situation subsides, obeying the abuser. It is important to mention that perpetrators often threaten women with exploitation of children and their well-being, so women remain intimidated in relationships and do not run away. The escape from the abuser is sudden, although there are long preparations, a lack of determination, and women are too intimidated and hopeless. In each history of domestic violence, three stages can be distinguished: social vulnerability in childhood, the cruel routine of violence and its consequences, the rehabilitation stage, and expectations for a secure future. Experiencing brutal psychological, sexual, physical and economic violence, women feel constant fear, helplessness, unwillingness to live. Such a permanent condition affects their mental health. Living in a violent environment, women feel isolated and experience psychological consequences related to changes in thinking, behavior, and emotional state. In order to understand the experiences of these women, it is necessary to delve into the entire history of their lives. Only then is it possible to understand the patterns of behavior and thinking of such women. By helping women and girls who have experienced violence, the social worker could help to get rid of the trial for the incident, as the woman can blame herself and take the blame, so the support of the social worker is needed in this case. It is also important that women who have experienced violence feel the help and support of a social worker, that they are not alone in the problem and that they are given all the help they need. The most important thing for them would be to understand that they are being heard and given all the help they need to know what is missing and how to help them survive the painful events. To help women and girls develop self-confidence and not blame themselves for what has happened. The help of a social worker should make women feel safe.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
1. Gustainienė, M. (2005). Smurto prieš moteris priežastys ir prevencija. Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas, 1, 10-21.
Iveta Pudžemytė
Part 1
ReplyDeleteAccording to I. Michailovic (2017), gender stereotypes is one of the reasons of violence against women. Even though we can see significant number of women in Lithuanian government, however according to Lithuanian scholars such as M.A. Pavilioniene (2011), Bučaite-Vilke (2012), Tereskinas (2014) gender stereotypes are prevailing in the country. Besides, according to Eurobarometer data (2017), Lithuania is one of the countries where people are most prone to gender stereotyping (it included data about 28 EU countries). However, as a social construction, gender can be contested, reworked and even potentially transformed toward greater equality and livability (Bianco, M. E., Lombe, M., & Bolis, M. 2017). I, personally, believe that trying to solve a problem such as violence against women or to make situation better, one of the most important focus should be its reasons. Working on a problem’s reasons instead of consequences gives an opportunity to solve it from the ruts and decrease intensity of its existence. In this case, focus should be on transforming gender stereotypes toward greater equality in our society. Those are reasons why I am focusing on education which can play an important role by fighting violence against women. Nadia Murad (2018) during her speech at Nobel Peace Prize lecture said that “Education plays as essential role in nurturing civilized societies – that believe in tolerance and peace. Therefore we must invest in our children. Like a blank state they can be taught tolerance and co-existence instead of hatred and sectarianism.” Through the education we can integrate tolerance and co-existence instead of stereotypical behavior that causes serious problems such as violence against woman. Sociologist A. Giddens (2005) says that school is one of the places where kids learns how to shape their behavior and mindset.
Having in mind these arguments I see social workers as educators in Lithuanian schools who could be responsible for trying to integrate, adapt or in some even create schools’ culture based on inclusiveness that one of priorities is gender equality. By saying educators I mean more as advocates for inclusiveness. Having in mind that children in schools spend most of their time with teachers, one of examples how to create schools’ culture where children would be learning in a tolerant environment that provides awareness about socially sensitive groups of people, could be organizing workshops for teachers that include discussions about gender stereotyping, its consequences, violence against woman, awareness of this phenomena, how to observe control your own behaviour that could be based on stereotyping, how to include these topics into curriculum; organizing workshops for pupils where they could have an opportunity to get knowledge, to participate in discussions about tolerance, inclusiveness, socially sensitive groups of people’ experiences. In other words, social workers in Lithuanian schools could help for teachers and pupils to build an empathy for people in general and to be aware of social problems that exists such as violence against woman. These days Lithuanian schools focus on math, physics and languages instead of creating environment for children to grow up as a socially responsible persons, so I believe that social workers could play an important role by trying to modify schools’ focus.
Dovile,
DeleteI agree with your position on education as a way to transform the social landscape, particularly for women. Here in the United States, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) has begun to be integrated into the curriculum of K-12 schools across the nation, which teaches students 5 core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness, and relationship skills. Alongside the technical studies you mentioned (math, physics, and languages), I think your mindset on integrating SEL into Lithuanian schools would be the next logical step in line of thinking.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteReferences:
1. Michailovič, I. 2017. „Smurtas prieš moteris kaip diskriminacijos dėl lyties forma ir lyčių stereotipų pasekmė.“ Informacijos mokslai 80: 50-60.
2. Pavilionienė, M. A. 2011. Viltys ir nusivylimai. Vilnius: Petro ofsetas.
3. Bučaitė-Vilkė, J., Purvaneckienė, G., Vaitkevičius, R., Tereškinas, A. 2012. Lyčių politika ir gimstamumo ateitis. Kaunas: vytauto didžiojo universitetas.
4. Tereškinas, A. (2004). Tarp norminio ir subordinuoto vyriškumo formų: vyrai, jų seksualumas ir maskulinizmo politika šiuolaikinėje Lietuvoje. Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas 3: 28–38.
5. Giddens, A. 2005. Sociologija. Kaunas: Poligrafija ir informatika.
6. Bianco, M. E., Lombe, M., & Bolis, M. (2017). Challenging gender norms and practices through women’s entrepreneurship. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship.
Violence is the act of coercing one person or group of people against another person or group of people for any benefit or satisfaction. An act or omission is an intentional physical, psychological, sexual, economic or other effect on a person that causes physical, material or non-pecuniary damage. Violence usually takes place in the immediate environment. Domestic violence, especially against women - everyday life in Lithuania and the world, widely covered in the media (Jurkšaitė ir Butkutė, 2013). The most common causes of violence against a woman (Miškinis, 2013; Purvaneckienė, 1999):
ReplyDelete1. Mental factors: inability to control one's instincts, frustration, aggression, alcoholism;
2. Violence can be an expression of spontaneous anger. However, not necessarily at the time of manifestation, but also because of the humiliation, abuse, and childhood abuse experienced. The perpetrator is not born, but becomes a victim, because he learns from the environment. It can be family, friends, institutions;
3. The perpetrators often experienced or witnessed childhood violence themselves. About 80% of parents beat their children, and beating incites child cruelty;
4. Patriarchal values support and strengthen the lower position of women in the family, at work and in society in general. In the patriarchal family model, a man is considered an authority over a woman. Men treat women as subordinate to themselves, consider them inferior, inferior to themselves;
Lithuania is one of the countries in the world where people are still experiencing fundamental social changes. Modern economic changes, taking place in the rhythm of a fast-paced life and affecting many areas of society together, affect a person and his environment (family) (Milkintaitė and Marcinkevičienė, 2013). Violence against women is a very complex and widespread societal problem affecting one in three women worldwide, not just in Lithuania. Women experience physical, psychological or sexual violence throughout their lives. An EU-wide survey found that 33% of women had experienced at least one form of violence in their lifetime. The results of a survey conducted in Lithuania revealed that according to the definition of violence and its characteristic behaviors, 15% of married women experience violence, but as many as 56% of women do not assess these experiences as violent (Bakaitytė, 2019). Another important aspect, given today's brutal context in the world, when we have a war in Ukraine, where the aggressor ruthlessly not only kills everyone in a row, but from a women's point of view, things are incomprehensible when women are already sexually abused, exploited and often killed, I can in no way comprehend such horror. It is very important to help women because sexual exploitation is a trauma that leaves a wound for life.
Help: I think first of all, there is a need to increase the dissemination of information about help, because there are really many women who do not know where to go for help in the event of violence. Research shows that women do not always want to publicize problems, feel afraid to seek help, and justifying violence also makes it harder to help women who have experienced violence. BTI assistance: information, psychological assistance, psychotherapy, accommodation, social workers, legal assistance. It is very important to provide comprehensive assistance to women who have experienced violence, women are very often afraid to seek help, because men often persecute women, provoke, do not give peace, it is very important to provide them with a safe environment and provide comprehensive assistance. (Aguonytė, Beržanskytė, Stanonienė and ect., 2013).
Inga Kuzminaitė answer:
ReplyDeleteViolence is the act of coercion of one person (group of people) against another person (group of people), with any benefit or satisfaction (Kučinskas 2000 144; Kučinskienė 2000; 144). Violence is used to force a victim to suffer and thus gain special power over him or her - to acquire humility, obedience, devotion, forgiveness, to give him / her unpleasant experiences, injuries, ill health or loss of life. It is severe coercion, physical and emotional suffering, the purpose of which is to force one's victim to suffer and thus gain special power over it (Miškinis 2003; 308). Finally, violence is seen to maintain and preserve one’s “me” and to show one’s strength in a situation where it has been questioned” (Gilligan 2002; 33).
As a person who studies social work but lives under very privileged circumstances, I had to use search engines on the internet to find an accurate answer what is “violence”. It is naïve to believe that at my age I wouldn’t had any sort of experience from this description and here I am, realizing that my memories of someone being not as nice to me as I thought they should be is nothing even remotely close to what women and girls experience every day as a true act of violence.
Nadia Murad’s speech has touched me deeply as probably most of the people who heard the story of genocide in the XXI century, but at the same time it empowered me to believe that even if the change is small, it is till happening and moving to the right direction. Only a little than a century ago, women didn’t have a right to vote in most countries. We took a long way forward until women have entered politics, business and science fields as equals to men, and even up this day we experience wage inequality and sexual discrimination in areas such as work. How did it change? How change happens on a micro and macro levels in societies? Education is an answer. We fear unknow, and it’s in our DNR. Unfortunately, in modern society it doesn’t serve a purpose as it did back in the day of human existence, but our brains didn’t manage to change that much.
As a social worker I feel a huge responsibility to educate everyone who is willing to listen that equality is nothing to be feared of but rather to embrace it. I feel like with every minority in our or any other society we know very little about them and then on a subconscious level we are scared that their existence is a threat to our current and comfortable presence, so we tend to suppress them. I hugely believe that only person, who never experienced unconditional love, family values, support from society and close social circle can cause harm to others intentionally. We are not born this way; we learn it from others around us. The more we teach each other that there is a choice, there is a way to live differently the more people will carry this message across the world and change will happen.
The last thing I would like to say in this matter – education is not only math, history, and language. By saying that education could bring peace to the world I risk undermining all the violence women and girls experience in the higher class of society where education is accessible. By education I mean teaching our girls and boys form an early age that we have gender differences, but we have more in common when it comes to feeling, experiencing, understanding, and living in this world. Teaching our kids that despite one person being different from the other it doesn’t make anyone better or worse, that by appreciating other for who they are we become closer, stronger and it creates roads for everyone’s development and happiness.
Before watching Nadia Murad’s speech, I did not know who the Yazidi people were, nor that they were experiencing genocide. According to the Middle East Research institute, the Yazidi community is “one of the largest minority groups in Iraq,” and are “one of the oldest [ethnoreligious] communities indigenous to the Middle East” (MERI). Being the second-largest religious religious minority in Iraq, after Christianity, Yazidism believes that the choices of individuals are the determinants of good and evil, and the representative of God, the archangel Melek Taus (Peacock Angel), acts as a guide to humanity. There are parallels to Melek Taus to Lucifer or Iblis/Shaitan (Satan); when God instructed all archangels to obey Adam, Melek Taus disobeyed. Yet, rather than an act of betrayal, in Yazidi culture this action is seen as an act worthy of praise in the eyes of God, reinforcing the central concept of choice. Revering Melek Taus for choosing ‘goodness,’ the Yazidi people believe that it is up to human beings to choose either good or evil. There is no evil equivalent/partner to God; good and evil both coexist in the descendants of Adam (humanity).
ReplyDeleteMurad comments on the inaction and inefficacy of the international community for failing to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even as the declaration celebrated its 70th anniversary. Though each article would provide protections for the Yazidi people, there were three in particular that stuck out to me: Article 3, Article 18, and Article 28. Article 3 states that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person,” Article 18 says, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance,” and finally Article 28 says, “Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized” (United Nations).
Murad points out that the education of women and children play a crucial role in the development of peaceful, functioning communities, and research conducted by the United Nations Population Fund scientifically reaffirms this notion by saying “not only does education for girls have the greatest payoffs for the empowerment of women, but it also pays off throughout their lives in ways that benefit society as a whole” (UNFPA 2005). The tangible payoffs include, but are not limited to, reduced deaths due to childbirth, lower mortality rates, and higher rates of human capital. In the United States there is much deliberation on poverty, but in the general sense, it seems that the impacts of poverty on women and girls is understated. Patriarchal hegemonic norms continue to be deconstructed, and I believe that targeting women and girls and decreasing barriers to education should be paramount. As social workers, I believe that empowering women and girls/children, and helping them to develop their sense of entitlement (to actively manipulate their surroundings to suit their needs), would be a start to initiating a virtuous social cycle.
United Nations–Division for the Advancement of Women (2005). Creating an enabling environment for girls’ and women’s participation in education. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/enabling-environment2005/docs/EGM-WPD-EE-2005-EP.8%20%20A.pdf
van Zoonen, Dave, and Khogir Wirya. “The Yazidis: Perceptions of Reconciliation and Conflict on ...” United States Institute for Peace, Middle East Research Institute, Oct. 2017, https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep13635.3.pdf.
Mason Garcera