National Initiative to Stop Teen Dating Violence

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) just announced that Blue Shield of California Foundation and the Family Violence Prevention Fund will join with RWJF to help communities combat and control teen dating violence. The initiative called Start Strong targets kids aged 11 to 14 and the budget is big -- $18 million. However, this budget will be divided between 11 communities in the country.
If this sounds somewhat familiar it may be because you read my Society & Health post a few months back on the Teen Dating Violence Forum that was held by the Boston Public Health Commission (remember the Rihanna/Chris Brown event that put dating and intimate partner violence in the fore front of everyone's minds?).
Boston will be one of the communities funded for this initiative. And boy do we need it! I think every shooting and stabbing I hear about in this city (and I hear about it way too much...) is either gang-related or a case of intimate partner violence. I know...I should be scientific about this, but you can check out the stats at the BPHC website if you are interested.
The leadership of Start Strong in Boston seem up to the challenge before them. I am excited to see what kind of impact it has on the city and among young people. Maybe it will affect the same kids who hit me with an egg while I was riding home from work this week. (I had to throw that in there...true story.)

Respect for Others: A Universal Principle

The gender-neutrality of the need for respect is articulated beautifully in an article by Perri Klass in the Health Section of yesterday's New York Times. Respect is not just an issue for men -- the oft acknowledged perpetrators of violence -- but also for women. Respect is not just meant to be towards the elderly, it is to be targeted toward peers and parents.

Learning how to genuinely respect others is a lesson that can be applied in so many spheres of life, from riding the bus to marriage. Is respect a rare commodity these days? How far have we strayed from the "Yes, Sir" and "Yes, Mam" days -- and what does it take to instill those values in our children? How do we progress toward a more empowering understanding of both men and women -- so as to not always paint men as the aggressors and women as victims?

What you can do:

Read the NYTimes article. Talk to a young person about respect. Practice respect towards those around you -- whether in your home or on your way home.

Outrage Over Afghan Law

A law pending in Afghanistan appears to limit women's rights by actually legalizing marital rape and leaving the house without a male's permission was illegal. The wording is what struck me most, that it is the right of the man to have sex with his wife every fourth night (shown on CNN tonight). The idea of sexual and reproductive rights is one that warrants strong consideration. For example, the 1995 Beijing Conference (cited here) produced a Platform for Action stating

[t]the human rights of women include their right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence.

International human rights language makes clear that a woman has the right to decide when and how to use her body, not a man and not a relative. Furthermore,  it acknowledges "shared responsibility for sexual behaviors and its consequences." 

The Afghan law makes explicit that the desire of a husband to have sex trumps the rights of a wife to not want to have sex, this has enormous implications for legitimizing trauma and sexual violence (yes -- rape does happen within marriage -- no always means no), as well as has long term implications for family planning.

This case illustrates the enormous variability in conceptualization of sexual and reproductive rights and decision-making in different contexts. An essay on intimate partner violence (IPV) from the Peaceful Families Project highlights that in Muslim culture 'marital rape' is considered a contradiction in terms.  And while this Afghan law aims to politically legitimize the practice, it is important to note that many women and girls experience sexual violence and will continue to regardless of this legislation. It will take a social movement to eliminate these horrid practices. Much like the women's movement in the US served to overturn laws in US states that  exempted spousal rape as a crime until the 1970s.

More must be done to empower girls and to oppose those who impose barriers. Obama and other international actors have spoken out against this legislation that comes with the signature of our Afghan ally (he signed it at the end of last month). The result of this international pressure is yet to be decided.

Salons to Stop Domestic Violence

Domestic abuse, also known as intimate partner violence or IPV, affects approximately 600,000 women in the United States each year (this number rises exponentially when you include emotional and psychological forms of abuse). Social norms promoting male "masculinity" and toughness are often stumbling blocks when it comes to correcting such behavior. Women are often hesitant to leave because they are afraid of what might happen (often with good reason), they believe he will change or that she deserved it, or they lack the skills, social support, or safety net to provided needed care and economic resources.

How can we in public health prevent such horrible abuses from taking place? There is an interesting phenomenon taking place around the country. NPR has talked about it and so has the New York Times. 

It is the use of hairstylists as advocates for women in abusive relationships.

In the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, and in other communities nationwide, government agencies are helping to train the trusted hairstylists at beauty salons. Given the stigma associated with experiencing IPV it can often be difficult to identify women in violent relationships. That is where this intervention really adds value. By training these women who hear stories of abuse to know what organizations and services are available to help victims they can become advocates on their behalf. They will no longer just be a shoulder to cry on, but rather a powerful community ally. 

More innovative programs like this are needed. Ones that capitalize on the social networks and bonds already established in communities. Now if only we had a rigorous evaluation of the program's effectiveness!

Gender-based Violence in Darfur - New Website

Physicians for Human Rights recently announced the launch of a new website, DarfuriWomen.org. The website will be used to share stories and images of Darfuri refugee women and discuss how their lives have been affected by violence. 

Life in the camps has been anything but easy. The website's homepage describes how in June 2008 seven women in the Farchana camp were publicly tied-up, beaten, whipped, and humiliated after being accused of engaging in sex outside of marriage. A video entitled "Life in the Camps" can be found here. Check out this website. 

If you are interested in learning more about the violence in Darfur visit the Save Darfur website.