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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ‘Our Laws Are Antiquated’ By Lucia Engleton INCREASED awareness of violence against women causes some of us to wonder if it is getting worse. It is difficult to say, Since there has not been any recent documentation and whatever data _ that has been collected is incomplete. Besides, this worrying social problem is very complex. In what ways have women been violated? Until recently women were considered the property of men. They belonged to their fathers until marriage and then became the property of their husbands. And men had the right to their property. "She wears my ring to show the world that she belongs to me..." the song goes. The phrase "rule of thumb" came into use from a British law which gave a man the permission to beat his wife so long as the weapon was no thicker than his thumb. Violence against women was once restricted only to physical abuse. However another form of abuse has been identified, namely emotional abuse Physical abuse is the one known of because it is evident in the form of a black eye or broken bone or bruised body or corpse. Emotional abuse manifests itself in more subtle forms: A timid woman, a woman who no longer socializes with relatives or friends and/or loss of self-esteem. It may be so complex and bewildering it is difficult to name. If person is a victim of physical abuse or threats from her spouse she is also a victim of emotional abuse. The laws of Belize are greatly influenced by British Common Law and the right and obligation of a husband to discipline his wife was retained in this country. A woman seeking a _ seperation or divorce from her husband will not have difficulty if she was a victim of severe mental or physical cruelty such as when she ends up in aé_ “mental institution and/or is maimed. Anything less than that and she would Page 2 need to prove that she did not provoke the behaviour. The circumstances under which the trial takes place are not conducive to the abused woman. In this emotional state she is in need of support’ and sensitivity for what she is going through and policemen, judges, doctors, therapists and even relatives sometimes do not believe. It is no wonder that the abused usually does not admit to the abuse and generally withdraws altogether. Proverbs and poetry illustrate the historical acceptance of the idea that it is natural for man to control women and for male violence to support the concept of male superiority. An old English Proverb goes: "A spaniel, a woman ane a hickory tree, The more yu beat them the better they be." Trinidanian Calyposinian "The Mighty Sparrow" brags in one of his calypsos that "If a man doesn't beat you he doesn't love you. So black up she eye, bruise up e knee, then she will love you eternally." Although most societies have assumed that men must use violence to control women, we seldom hear of these violent actions because they are denied and hidden. It is sanctioned because men are people who control society -economically, legally, politically and culturally. "I had a fear of telling my husband that I was seeing a therapist. I explained this to my therapist. I had to manipulate it so that he would not suspect. I was afraid of his reaction to this. My therapist insisted that I call my husband and tell him where I was and explain to him our marriage would benefit if we both received counselling. Fortunately he left the room and allowed me to make the call in private. I did not follow his instruction," one woman said. (cont’d on page 8)