Global fight to protect women in Bahrain

However, she said there were steps that could be taken to at least reduce violence against women.

In Bahrain, she suggested that educating imams, who could in turn educate worshippers, would have a major effect on reducing domestic abuse.

She also said there was a need to educate the police and judges, who turn a blind eye to domestic disputes.

"While humans are there, we can’t end violence but we can resist violence and educate through the mosque – for example the Friday sermon is a good opportunity," she said.

"But we need to educate those giving the lecture."

Dr Bu Zaboon’s comments were made at a UN Press conference yesterday, in which Bahrain’s decision makers were called upon to support its campaign to end violence against women by 2015.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and women’s rights activists backed the call during the Press conference at UN House, Manama.

They also urged the government, private sector and the media to offer their support, which is also in line with the Millennium Development Goals.

The new campaign was launched earlier this week by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intensify the fight to protect women.

Dr Bu Zaboon, a clinical psychologist and women’s rights activist, said women were often forced to stay in abusive relationships because they felt they had no alternative.

Abuse

She said when they try to report abuse to the police, they are usually told to go home on the excuse that the issue is a family matter.

"We need to educate the police. I started giving them workshop on this, but we need more," said Dr Bu Zaboon, who is also the president of the Batelco Centre for Family Violence Victims.

"We need workshops and education for judges because most don’t even give women the chance to complain because the very fact they are women is a stigma."

She said there was no way to end violence entirely, but added it could be resisted and reduced through education.

Dr Bu Zaboon called for imams to be educated on domestic violence issues and for them to pass the message onto the public during Friday sermons.

"We need to teach this subject in schools, from kindergarten, emphasising that both sexes have equal rights," explained Dr Bu Zaboon.

"The media still focuses on the women’s body and not her mind. This also needs to be changed.

"By doing all these things, we can at least reduce the number of women victims of violence in all societies."

Supreme Council for Women general-secretary Lulwa Al Awadi said the council had initiated a campaign calling for a Family Law, which would grant rights to women and children involved in domestic disputes.

However, she said it had been met with political and religious resistance.

But despite the problems she said the council had initiated several initiatives in support of women and there had been some good outcomes, such as the creation of an alimony fund for women.

Procedures at the

have also been revised to allow family cases to be dealt with urgently.

"We want to improve the civil procedures law and the council is taking initiatives to improve the

procedures," said Ms Al Awadi.

"We want to create a modern law that absorbs part of this (Family Law), but that doesn’t create resistance or have a backlash."

UN resident co-ordinator Sayed Aqa said the UN system in Bahrain had been working with the council and several NGOs to empower women, and was committed to doing more in the coming months.

"We at the UN firmly believe that sustainable human development cannot take place without the meaningful engagement of women," he said.

"On the other hand, experience and studies have proved that violence against women has a direct negative impact on their participation in social and economic development."

He referred to a US survey that found 60 per cent of senior executives considered domestic violence as having a harmful effect on their company’s productivity.

Awareness

According to the American Institute on Domestic Violence, intimate partner violence victims lose nearly eight million days of paid work each year, which is the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs and almost 5.6m days of household productivity.

"The international community, regional organisations and national governments must act more decisively to end this tragedy," he said.

"Awareness is one effective tool to help end violence against women.

"Economic and political empowerment are practical ways to ensure gender equality at all levels.

"The UN calls on all decision makers in the government, as well as the private sector, to allocate more resources to correct gender imbalances and ensure that all gender based discrimination – implicit or explicit – are ended."

The UN will hold several activities in Bahrain to mark Women International Day on March 8, including an event on Investing in Women and Girls. UN Information Centre director Nejib Friji, Bahrain Business Women Society follow-up and information committee head and board member Afnan Zayani and Bahrain Jurists Association general-secretary Mai Mattar also attended the Press conference.