This year started with the most heinous crime. We were all shocked, we all cried, we all shouted “enough”, we all demanded justice. And here we are again, nearing the end of the year, shocked, crying, shouting “enough”.
Yesterday was the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Today, two young children are crying for their mother because her demands for help had fallen on deaf ears. Another victim of domestic violence, another bloody shameful blot on our conscience.
Despite all the tears, protests, declarations and column inches, despite the Istanbul Convention and amendments to legislation, we are still at the same point where we were a year ago.
We are left to answer questions. Why? Why did society fail Bernice Cassar? Why are we failing to protect women? Why was she not taken seriously when she asked the authorities for protection?
With public trust in the police standing at a mere 60 per cent, it is not too difficult to understand why women hesitate to report abuse. The laws in place are as good as empty words if not properly enforced.
One woman victim of violence is one person too many. They suffer mostly in silence, many too afraid to seek help for fear of reprisals against themselves or their children. Others wish to break free of the shackles of abuse but don’t know where to turn to for help. They fear being judged, they fear stigma, they fear it is their fault, they fear they have no self-worth, they fear they are voiceless and powerless.
A few – less than 40 per cent globally, according to the United Nations – file a report with the authorities. The lucky ones manage to move on, start a new chapter in their life.
They survive. They thrive, not in spite of the violence but because they choose not to let their past define their future. They do not want to be called heroes or survivors. They wish this never happened to them at all. They don’t need pity but unconditional understanding and an opportunity to live a life worth living. Above all, they need to be heard.
The statistics are distressing. The UN estimates that almost one in three women have been subjected to some form of violence, be it physical or sexual, in their life and, in most cases, the perpetrator is a current or former husband or intimate partner.
Violence doesn’t even have to be physical.
One in 10 women in the EU report they have experienced cyber harassment since the age of 15.
Domestic violence can happen at any socio-economic level but research shows that, globally, violence against women disproportionately affects those on lower incomes. Women who are not financially independent find it harder to move out and feel trapped within the walls of silent suffering.
Why did society fail Bernice Cassar? Why are we failing to protect women?- Sabine Agius Cabourdin
Many victims of domestic violence who are also on the poverty line live in state-provided emergency shelters for longer than initially anticipated. Some women have no choice but to go back to their abusive partner. And the cycle continues.
We do not need an inquiry to establish the blatantly obvious: the system is not working. Women are not being protected enough. They are not being protected at all.
Just listen to the women who complain of hours of waiting at the police station trying to file a report only to be told their complaints are “not enough” to warrant any charges against their perpetrator.
What is a woman meant to do while she’s waiting for her case against her perpetrator to be heard in two years’ time? How is it realistic to expect one single magistrate to deal with over 1,400 cases?
Speak to the survivors of domestic abuse, let them tell you what hell they go through when they try to seek help. Apart from better law-enforcement, it is evident that far more resources are required across the board to deal with this pandemic of misogyny and violence against women.
There should be no barriers for women to seek protection from the authorities. They are already victims. The state has a duty of care to ensure women are protected. Do not make them a victim a second time.
It begins in the classroom and the playground. Education is the key to eradicate misogyny at all levels. Children should be educated about the importance of respecting gender equality.
We need to teach our boys to grow into respectful men who understand that violence is never justified.
We need to teach our girls the importance of obtaining a sound education because that is their ticket to becoming a productive member of society, to be financially independent, to stand on their own two very capable feet and to walk away when necessary.
And when they do walk away, we need to be there to welcome them and support them.
Education empowers women to change their life. It is in our power to end this cycle of violence.
Sabine Agius Cabourdin is a lawyer and the founder of Fidem.