Abeer Mezher Discusses With Nasawiya “Conjugal Violence”
This Wednesday, the 19th of August at 6:30 PM, Nasawiya hosted a talk in its new office in Ashrafieh, by the social worker Abeer Mezher.
Abeer’s talk centered around the mechanisms to protect women from partner violence. She stressed on the difference between using the terms domestic, family and conjugal violence.
Abeer’s power point presentation included discussion on preventive measures for violence, intervention methods, awareness versus laws, compensations, and more.
Abeer focused on the need to create a violence free space through:
- Awareness about violence and its different forms.
- Classification of violence as a crime, and not as a personal issue that ought to be addressed differently, as it is in lebanon and a big section of the Arab world,
- Training doctors and police me/women in a way to help them realize the dangers of violence to be able to report it properly.
Abeer also talked about the process in which conjugal violence is being applied:
- Taking the violent partner to jail.
- Taking the woman directly to a safe space, and the kids, in case there were any.
- How the laws are applied.
Abeer then moved on to discuss the secret centers where women are taken in, away from the violent partner until there is a trial, or finding solution for the situation,
stressing on the feminist approach of having these centers, by empowering woman to fight and protect themselves against violence, and eventually become productive
and empowered instead of jobless, so they can feel the power to be independent even if the decision has to do with their violent partner.
Abeer as well talked about the trials and the level of violence in which the level of verdict is decided upon, either by sending him to jail or by sentencing him for public social work,
or restriction order, or deprivation of custody, or a counseling follow up through anger management classes. It is worth noting that more than 80 to 90% of violent partners do not change
their violent behavior or abuse, but find their ways around into giving it different shapes, even after facing their first sentences.
Abeer also mentioned that based on statistics, 95% of conjugal violence, is from men to women, male to female partner, while only 5% of partner violence is woman against partner or male against other male partners.
Nasawiya would like to deeply thank Abeer for her impressive, educative, and pleasurable talk and hope for further cooperation. The power point presentation can be uploaded upon request and is in Arabic.
Category: Events and Actions, General News
