How Nations Are Tackling Domestic Violence.

Published on March 12, 2012 by TheNEWS   ·   No Comments

Across the globe, governments, working in tandem with concerned agencies, are strategising to save their citizens from harm resulting from violence perpetrated by their partners.

•The United States: There are multiple approaches undertaken to check the rise in domestic violence. Apart from government legislations, the country’s body of lawyers, the American Bar Association, ABA, has a special committee, The Commission on Domestic Violence, which provides support to victims through the its attorneys.

•United Kingdom: Domestic violence in the home among partners is rife in the United Kingdom. The Home Office is proposing Clare’s Law, a scheme which seeks to grant intending couples the “right to ask”, to ascertain the past record of the would-be partner pertaining to molestation and traces of criminal tendencies.

•Russia: The country has no independent law that forbids domestic strife. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNCHR, notes: “Domestic violence is not recognised as a separate crime in Russia. There is no legal definition of domestic violence in Russia.”

•Angola: African societies too are steeped in the domestic violence malaise. In Angola for example, worried by the spate of gender abuse, the government, civil societies, the media and faith-based organisations are collaborating to create awareness on the subject.

Until recently, there was no rule prohibiting spousal battery in Angola. Things will however change soon. According to gender analyst, Louis Redvers, a new law is due to be passed this year to discourage people from ill-treating people they profess to love.

•Kenya: If projected figures of victims of violence in other climes draw sympathy for women, the case of Kenya is a spectacular irony. Men are at the receiving of end of partner maltreatment in that country. The men organised a hunger strike to protest against the scandalising ratio of husband bashing in the country.

Through their registered NGO, Men Against Women Excesses, they are developing measures to insulate themselves from the anguish they suffer. Having lost the power of superintendence over their homes, some of the men have reportedly found exit valves in excessive liquor consumption.

A piece of legislation is being debated to address all gender-related misdemeanors. Titled Sexual Offences Bill, when passed by the Kenya legislature, it will confront rape, including marital rape and violence in the home against children and couples.