dia fnaish on "Rebuilding civil society in Sierra Leone"

dia fnaish — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:07:59 +0000

Hi there
My name is Dia Fnaish and I would like to share some information about the crimes against women. I came across this while researching statistics and thought it might be of interest.

The victimization of women is a special area of concern, and both the NCVS and the UCR contain data on gender as it relates to victimization. Statistics show that women are victimized less frequently than men in every major personal crime category other than rape,72 is The overall U.S. rate of violent victimization is about 25 per 1,000 males age 12 or older, and 18 per 1,000 female 73

When women become victims of violent crime, however, they are more likely than men to be injured (29% versus 22%, respectively).74 Moreover, a larger proportion of women than men make modifications in the way they live because of the threat of crime.75 Women, especially those living in cities, have become increasingly careful about where they travel and the time of day they leave their homes—particularly if they are unaccompanied—and in many settings are often wary
of unfamiliar males.

Date rape, familial incest, spousal abuse, stalking, and the exploitation of women through
social-order offenses such as prostitution and pornography are major issues facing American society
today. Testimony before Congress tagged domestic violence as the largest cause of injury to American women.76 Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop once identified violence against women by their partners as the number one health problem facing women in America.77 Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS) reveal the following78:

■ Physical assault is widespread among American women. Fifty-two percent of surveyed
women said that they had been physically assaulted as a child or as an adult.
■ Approximately 1.9 million women are physically assaulted in the United States each year.
■ Eighteen percent of women experienced a completed or attempted rape at some time in their lives.
■ Of those reporting rape, 22% were under 12 years old, and 32% were between 12 and 17 years old when they were first raped.
■ Native American and Alaska Native women were most likely to report rape and physical assault, while Asian/Pacific Islander women were least likely to report such victimization. Hispanic women were less likely to report rape than non-Hispanic women.
■ Women report significantly more partner violence than men. Twenty-five percent of surveyed women, and only 8% of surveyed men, said they had been raped or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or date.
■ Violence against women is primarily partner violence. Seventy-six percent of the women who had been raped or physically assaulted since age 18 were assaulted by a current or former husband, cohabiting partner, or date, compared with 18% of the men.
■ Women are significantly more likely than men to be injured during an assault. Thirty-two percent of the women and 16% of the men who had been raped since age 18 were injured during their most recent rape; 39% of the women and 25% of the men who were physically assaulted since age 18 were injured during their most recent physical assault.
■ Eight percent of surveyed women and 2% of surveyed men said they had been stalked at some time in their lives. According to survey estimates, approximately 1 million women and
371,000 men are stalked annually in the United States.

Civil society in Sierra Leone, Jane Gabriel

Jane Gabriel — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:21:19 +0000

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As civil society is slowly rebuilt in Sierra Leone following the civil war, women are successfully using international legislation to make sure that they are represented at all levels of society. They are assessing the implementation of Resolution 1325 and calling the government to account. They are educating women nationwide about the three new Gender Bills passed by the government last year on customary marriage, domestic violence and property rights for women, and they are encouraging women at grassroots to stand in the forthcoming local elections.

Hussaina Abdullah, a member of the Pathways of Women's Empowerment research consortium spoke to Jane Gabriel about building a critical mass of women who can negotiate with governments at all levels.

You can listen to other podcasts and read articles and blogs about other aspects of the Pathways of Women's Empowerment work here.

open Democracy News Analysis - Civil society in Sierra Leone, Jane Gabriel - Comments

dia fnaish on "Rebuilding civil society in Sierra Leone"

Civil society in Sierra Leone, Jane Gabriel