The Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women, in partnership with organizations from Senegal, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iran, and Sudan, has recently published a briefing paper titled “No Justice in Justifications: Violence Against Women in the Name of Culture, Religion, and Tradition.” The paper presents a general overview of discourses on culture, religion, and tradition that are used to justify violence against women in these focal countries, as well as local methods to counter such arguments.
While recognizing the importance of culture and religion to individual and collective identities, the briefing examines the ways in which these discourses have been misused to promote impunity for perpetrators and silence victims. The paper also provides recommendations for activists, scholars, and policy makers.
Compiled from: Shaina Greiff, “No Justice in Justifications: Violence Against Women in the Name of Culture, Religion, and Tradition” (Full PDF, 45 pages) (March 2010).