Nazrana Hurroo
Hug day, kiss day, chocolate day and the ongoing list! Every couple in the world gets excited for Valentines’ Day. Roses and chocolate shopping,
lunch and dinner dates, and everywhere is RED, which is also the color of blood. Scary isn’t it? Every year, women get covered in the colour, some with roses and some while getting beaten up, being raped and getting killed out of LOVE! It is no longer shocking to hear about “crimes passionnels” nowadays. Is violence against women a never-ending pandemic?
Domestic violence is not only physical, it is also sexual, emotional and psychological. The latest World Bank Report (2022) on Gender data says that 30% of women have experienced “intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence”, this percentage represents 736 million women around the world (World Bank, 2022).
Now, welcome to Mauritius! If we focus on the official statistics of domestic violence cases registered per year, it is clear that the numbers shown are only the tip of the iceberg. The publication of the “Gender Statistics” 2021 edition released in July 2022 shows a decline in reported cases of domestic violence against women. For the year 2021, there are a total of 1434 reported cases of domestic violence against women compared to 2116 in 2020. What about the unreported cases? When asked about the most important women’s rights issue in the latest Afrobarometer Survey (2022), domestic violence tops the list from 34% of Mauritian respondents (L.A.Darga & Nazrana Hurroo,2022).
Talking about unreported cases, again the Afrobarometer Survey (2021) reveals that 45% of Mauritians agree that domestic violence “is a private matter that needs to be handled and resolved within the family”. This also brings us to think of the myth about domestic violence that exists. The myth that only unemployed women and housewives are the victims. But, domestic violence has no barriers. Whatever the educational and professional qualifications, a woman can be a victim of domestic violence.
Cases of feminicide have been increasing, becoming a trend in our small island developing state, (it is not necessary to cite the examples of these horrendous crimes as the public clearly remembers). Some cases have left a lifetime impact on many!
Looking at the official statistics provided by the Ministry will only give a picture perfect of the harsh reality that prevails in the country. Today, social media is the biggest proof one can ever have. A support group for women on Facebook is the witness for many women’s suffering. Women always narrate their stories; on cheating husbands, violent husbands, toxic surroundings, there are cases where they are even seeking for urgent help as they are on the verge of ending their lives themselves. This is the harsh reality of this society right now.
So many policies, so many Acts, so many “table ronde” over the years and will continue to be so in the future but so far, how have these protected and saved the lives of women? In the coming days, the International Women’s Day will be celebrated, valorising the value of women, giving equal chance to them, eradicating violence against women, again, again and again. It is high time to take REAL actions to protect the women of this country. There are people who are actually fighting against domestic violence but again, it is the policy makers who have to give a big push and not only sweet words every year. Domestic violence will continue to be a never ending pandemic if the fight against it is not strong enough.
The fight should not be only about the protection of women. How about a little focus on the perpetrators themselves?
