Violence Against Women 2000

Taught by Berkman Fellow Diane Rosenfeld.

The two most striking features of international violence against women are first; that male violence against women is a cultural constant--it happens in different contexts and under different guises in all cultures all over the world, and second; that the international study of these problems reveals the complicity and systematic toleration of violence against women by governments all over the world. That said, international collaboration on addressing violence against women is crucial in building effective, wide-ranging responses that can strengthen women's rights wherever they may live. From girls seeking educational opportunities in the Taliban, to female infants snuffed out before they even have a chance to speak, to girls whose genitals are mutilated long before they even know what is happening to them, women and girls are subject to an intolerable amount of debilitating violence. The goal of this Module is to increase awareness of these issues, and to formulate possible responses and collaborative thinking. Click here to begin!

 

Click HERE to attend the Catharine MacKinnon Lecture on March 21 at 3:00 p.m. EST.

February 13, 2000
Violence Against Women on the Internet:

Click HERE to attend the Catharine MacKinnon Lecture on March 21 at 3:00 p.m. EST.

This week's module explores the traditional debate surrounding the regulation of pornographic materials -- looking both to the social constructs supporting and resulting from the creation and consumption of pornography and also to possible legal paradigms for regulation. We will then analyze the same problem in a new context -- the context of pornography and violence against women on the internet. Click here to begin!

February 13, 2000
Language of Violence: : An Overview of the Problem

Welcome to the Violence Against Women Lecture and Discussion Series! In our first Module (this week's lesson), we consider the implications of the gender differences in the use of violence as a language. We hope you enjoy this exploration, and that it causes you to rethink many issues that we tend to take for granted.


Click here to begin!

Summary of Module 1 Discussion.

February 22, 2000
Laws and Policies: : Judicial, Prosecutorial and Law Enforcement

In this module, we will examine laws and policies that have been developed to address the gender bias inherent in crimes of violence against women.

Click HERE to begin!

Summary of Module 2 Discussion.

February 28, 2000
Advocating for Battered Women and Their Children:

This week we offer a look into the life of a battered woman and her children -- focusing on the issues and obstacles that she faces in trying to leave an abusive relationship. Then we consider a new law enforcement alternative that would radically redistribute the rights and responsibilities imposed by the criminal justice system on perpetrators of domestic violence.

Click here to begin!

March 8, 2000
Sexual Assault:

This week we explore the issue of sexual assault. We hope to focus our attention beyond the *context* of rape and instead look at the violence of rape in every context. Why does our culture permit such high levels of sexual assault against women? How can we change the status quo?

Click HERE to begin!

April 10, 2000
Culture Change:

This week we explore ideas for changing cultural and societal constructs related to violence against women.

Click HERE to begin!