Activists, allies, and members of the general public walked through Valletta in a protest march organised by Moviment Graffitti, Young Progressive Beings (YPB), and MGRM. At the end, a powerful performance showcasing the poignant examples of violence was held in front of Parliament.
The protest march aimed to raise awareness of the pervasive culture of violence against women and girls, trans and non-binary people in our society.
The 25th of November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This year’s focus revolved around the theme of “Resisting the Culture of Violence”. Coined in the 1970s, the concept of a ‘culture of violence’ was forged to explain the normalisation of violence against women in all its forms: from physical and sexual to economic and psychological.
The grim reality persists nowadays—violence against women, trans, and non-binary individuals thrives within our society, disguised beneath the veneer of ‘jokes’ or ‘compliments’. From unwanted sexual attention to cyber harassment, from objectifying comments to stalking and more, these forms of violence infiltrate daily life, perpetuated by societal attitudes that excuse, dismiss, or worse, encourage such behaviours.
Never was this clearer than on Wednesday, when we remembered and honoured Bernice Cilia, who last year was murdered in cold blood, a victim of femicide. Our anger and disappointment at the culture and system which allowed her death to happen is still as present as ever. Even today, there are still well over 2,200 other domestic violence cases which are pending. What are we waiting for?
Resisting the culture of violence demands collective action, rejecting the notion that anyone should endure mistreatment or objectification based on gender. We need to unveil and continue to challenge the societal fabric that allows these injustices to persist.
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“Reżistenza għall-Kultura ta’ Vjolenza”: Attivisti femministi jorganizzaw marċ ta’ protesta għall-Jum Internazzjonali għall-qerda tal-Vjolenza kontra n-Nisa.
Attivisti, alleati tagħhom u membri tal-pubbliku ġenerali mxew fit-toroq tal-Belt Valletta bi protesta waqt marċ organizzat mill-Moviment Graffitti, il-Young Progressive Beings (YPB), u l-MGRM. Fl-aħħar tal-protesta, kien hemm preżentazzjoni qasira quddiem il-parlament fejn intwerew eżempji ta’ forom ta’ vjolenza li qanqlu ħafna emozzjonijiet.
L-għan tal-protesta kien li jissaħħaħ l-għarfien dwar din il-kultura ta’ vjolenza fuq nisa, bniet, persuni trans jew dawk li ma jidentifikaw mal-ebda ġeneru fis-soċjetà tagħna, kultura li hija mifruxa ġmielha.
Il-25 ta’ Novembru huwa l-Jum Internazzjonali għall-qerda tal-Vjolenza kontra n-Nisa.Din is-sena iffukajna fuq it-tema tar-”Reżistenza għall-Kultura ta’ Vjolenza”. Dan il-kunċett tal-kultura ta’ vjolenza beda jintuża fis-snin 70 biex jispjega kif il-vjolenza fuq in-nisa tiġi normalizzata, qisha mhi xejn, fil-forom kollha tagħha: minn vjolenza fiżika u sesswali sa’ dik ekonomika jew psikoloġika.
Din ir-realtà kiefra għadha mifruxa sa’ llum – vjolenza fuq nisa, persuni trans u dawk li ma jidentifikaw mal-ebda ġeneru hija evidenti sew fis-soċjetà tagħna, għalkemm ħafna drabi tinħeba wara ‘ċajt’ jew ‘kumplimenti’. Minn attenzjoni sesswali mhix mixtieqa, sa fastidju fuq l-internet, kummenti li joġġettifikaw lill-vittmi, sa stalking u ħafna eżempji oħra, dawn il-forom ta’ vjolenza jinfiltraw il-ħajja ta’ kuljum, u jibqgħu jissaħħu u jinfirxu minħabba l-attitudnijiet tas-soċjetà li jiskużaw dan it-tip ta’ aġir, ma jagħtuhx importanza, jew agħar minn hekk, jinkuraġġuh.
Dan ma setax kien iktar ċar milli kien nhar l-Erbgħa li għadda, fejn onorajna t-tifkira ta’ Bernice Cilia, li s-sena l-oħra sfat maqtula kiesaħ u biered, vittma tal-femmiċidju. L-għadab tagħna u d-diżappunt li ħassejna minħabba din il-kultura ta’ vjolenza u s-sistema vjolenti li ħalliet il-qtil tagħna jseħħ, għadu jinħass daqs qabel. Anki llum il-ġurnata għad hemm iktar minn 2,200 każ ta’ vjolenza domestika li għadhom ma nqatgħux. X’qegħdin nistennew?
Ir-reżistenza għall-kultura ta’ vjolenza teħtieġ azzjoni li teqred l-idea li persuna tkun trattata ħażin jew bħala oġġett abbażi tal-ġeneru tagħha. Jeħtieġ li nikxfu u nkomplu nisfidaw il-fatturi kollha soċjali u kulturali li jħallu dawn l-inġustizzji jkomplu jsiru.
