Femicide

Until recently I had no idea that a word called Femicide exists. A UK based campaign group recently coined this term to keep track of no of women killed by men. This is an extremely progressive idea and one that will go a long way in addressing male violence against women.  Nothing quite like the power of statistics to drive the point home.

So, let’s look at some stats.

1.         In Australia, 57 women were killed through male violence in 2014.
2.          In Britain, 126 women killed through male violence in 2012, 143 in 2013 and 150 in 2014.
3.          In the USA, 1/3^rd of female homicide victims were killed by intimate male partners.

In the US alone, 18,000 women were killed by men over a period of ten years (2003 – 2012). Femicide is the oldest genocide on earth.

The laws seem to have little impact on these perpetrators. The only way we can hope to reduce these numbers is by decreasing gender based violence. It is abuse and rape that lead to murder in most cases.  

So what motivates the perpetrator to abuse and kill? The popular theories include – jealousy, sexual passiveness, proof of masculinity, etc. But in most cases of homicide it is usually violence and abuse gone too far.

The only way to end this cycle, is for law enforcement authorities to sentence convicted perpetrators to life with no parole.

This comment from Violence Policy Center USA, Legislative Director, Kristen Rand sums it up for me,

“Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act 20 years ago, the federal government and many states and communities have taken heroic steps to reduce domestic violence.Yet today, far more remains to be done to stop the epidemic of violence against women. The rate of women murdered by men in the United States is tragic and unacceptable.”

                    

Like A Girl

The Always #LikeAGirl campaign was certainly an eye opener for me. I myself have used the phrase Like A Girl as an insult several times, without actually realizing the underlying meaning that it has for my gender.

It was a moment of great self realization for me when I watched the original video by Always. I would have behaved exactly the same way the older girls did when asked to run like a girl. Its amazing how the younger generation needed to teach us what it means to be a girl.

Today, when I attend an interview I proudly admit that one of my best qualities is that I am bossy. The best part? I was amazed how the interviewers - male and female respected me so much more for saying it.

This leads to me to an interesting question - are some types of discrimination just in our heads? Why do we women talk ourselves down?

Its time for women to challenge the status quo. Its time we raised our hands and voiced our strengths instead of hiding behind the stereotypes of society. While rape and domestic violence are more social problems that require a collective multi pronged effort, issues such as gender stereo typing and segregation can be addressed individually.

We just need to be willing to change the rules. Case and Point -  Olympian Hilary Knight weighs 180 pounds and is the first Woman to practice with the NHL. Why should women athletes be size zero?

We have all been told not to do something Like A Girl at some stage in our lives. Its time for us to own the things we do Like A Girl. Thanks to the #LikeAGirl video I am not afraid to say I cry like a girl, I write like a girl, I am bossy like a girl.

Wage Inequality

Patricia Arquette raised a valid concern at her Oscars – Wage Inequality. This is a universal problem. Women do not get paid the same amount for the same job, as men do

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While the Sri Lankan laws protect wage inequality in the public sector, this still does not guarantee performance based promotions.  Studies conducted by ILO indicate that men have a higher chance of getting promoted to certain positions and are also more likely to reach the top of the corporate ladder.

Glass ceilings and brick walls are prohibiting women from diverse job roles and reaching the top.

Interestingly, in 2012 the unemployment rate of women was 6.6% and if the education level was higher – the unemployment rate was higher. 3.5% with an education level of Grade 10 and below, 8.8% - General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level (O/L) and 10.8% - GCE Advanced Level (A/L). 

The private sector has no laws prohibiting wage inequality. Although women make up 45% of the workforce, gender segregation in occupation is quite prevalent and so is wage inequality.  Even though management studies have indicated that women in leadership positions, increase productivity organizations have still not made the jump.

I personally know of many prominent women in Sri Lanka, who have been paid almost 70% less than a man for the same job, even though they had more experience for the role. The reason for this is the male is still seen as the “primary provider”.  Companies also don’t want to make allowances for the woman’s responsibilities outside of the company.

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Dr. Dileni Gunewardena, lead author of Gender Wage Gaps in Sri Lanka: Glass Ceilings or Sticky Floors? says, “the evidence is that women are being paid less than they should be, given their characteristics, rather than that women are lacking in certain productive characteristics. This indicates the importance of policies that promote gender equity in the workplace and combat discrimination. Such policy options may include programmes that reduce gender stereotyping of roles, the introduction of day-care centres and crèches at the workplace, parental leave etc.”