Today marks the 25th anniversary of the "International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women." The World Health Organisation states that "violence against women" (VAW) is a significant public health problem and a violation of women's rights. Global statistics indicate that 1 in 3 women are subjected to physical and sexual violence in their lifetime, with many women suffering silently within intimate partner relationships.[1]
When women experience violence and abuse at the hands of men who claim to love them, they can experience short-term and long-term impacts on their bodies, such as nightmares, sexually transmitted infections, chronic pain, stress-induced diseases, and trauma-induced brain injuries. Further to this, physical aggression, bullying, rape, controlling behaviours, and psychological abuse add to the deterioration of women's physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
At an inter-generational level, children who are exposed to their fathers beating their mothers or verbally abusing them, run the risk of having behavioural problems, impaired brain functions, learning difficulties, depression, low self-esteem, and can either become bullies or victims of bullying.
Here in Australia, 1 in 6 women experience domestic violence, with 75% of perpetrators being male.[2] Add to this the global prevalence of VAW, where one woman is killed every nine days (by a current or former partner), and the sad reality of what many women face in silence and fear is a disturbing fact that should usher in Christian advocacy; this is especially true for Catholics, who revere the role of women and mothers through the Blessed Mother Mary.
In 2023, Pope Francis stated that "domestic violence" was a poisonous weed that must be torn out at the roots, which grow in the dirt of prejudice, possession, and injustice. He highlighted that women who are violently treated as inferior objects, have their humanity and dignity diminished.[3]
St Joseph models for Christians the loving behaviour of a man towards a woman. When Joseph discovered Mary was pregnant after being betrothed to him, he knew that according to Jewish laws (Levi 20:10; Num 5:11-31) his next move would decide whether Mary and the child she carried either lived or perished. Yet the Gospel of Matthew says that Joseph, knowing his rights as a Jewish man, decided to let Mary go quietly to protect both her and the child:
"Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." (Matt 1:19)
Given the historical and current attitudes towards women and violence, how many men would have reacted the same way in this situation?
St Joseph's considerate and non-violent behaviour made him the saviour of the incubating Saviour inside of Mary's womb.
Women today are represented through our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, aunties, girlfriends, nieces, and female friends. If the statistics are correct, then 1 in 3 of the women we know have experienced gender-based violence.
So, how can we reduce the levels of violence against women?
Kim Chong, who is the Media and Community Liaison person at the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations, shares:
“In 2023, I coordinated an interfaith forum on domestic and family violence. I discovered that although a lot of domestic violence work (rightly) focuses on the victim, one of the interventions to help prevent violence against women is by involving men to discuss the roles they play as conventional perpetrators of violence against women in their unique faith groups.”[4]
The Interfaith Dialogue Forum and events like it allow for awareness and public discourse on the widespread nature of VAW. Women play a vital and nurturing role in the lives of their families and communities, so it is crucial to help eliminate violence perpetrated against women through the following practices:
- Listen to, support, and believe survivors
- Safely report incidents of domestic violence to police and emergency services
- Set good modeling examples for the next generation
- Educate and include men in the conversation on VAW
- Learn the signs of abuse and how you can help
- Know the data and statistics to have informed discussions
- Provide counseling for women and children
- Pray for women experiencing violence and for the souls of those who have been killed by domestic violence
Eliminating violence against women is a common goal that serves to benefit society through safe environments and relationships where women can thrive and develop their gifts and talents towards family, community, churches, institutions, and the workplace. As Christians, we are called to follow the example of St Joseph, the man who protected Mary and safeguarded the birth of our Lord and Saviour. May we, in the words of Pope Francis, “uproot the poisonous weeds” of violence against women so that women around the world may receive the fullness of life that is promised through Christ (John 10:10).
Let us pray: Loving God, we pray that all those affected by violence may find safety and healing. We pray that women will find freedom from violence and that their children will be protected from witnessing their mothers suffer. We pray for young men, that they may find good role models, like St Joseph, who nurture respectful relationships and reject the violent and demeaning images of manhood that perpetuate violence in our families and communities.
Adi Mariana Waqa is the Partnership Coordinator at the Columban Mission Centre in Essendon.
