A young woman drops in at a government social relief shelter
with her child, begging not for money, but for food. The
experienced staff, trained in handling domestic violence cases, see
the fear in her eyes and are quick to detect the inconsistencies in
her statements. Thanks to their patience and persistent but
sympathetic questioning, out comes a sad tale.
That happened a year ago in a town in east China's Shandong
Province. Today, the woman, surnamed Dong, works as a translator in
Xuzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province. She is proficient both in
Russian and Korean. And most importantly, she is free - from her
husband's regular beatings and the constant fear she used to live
in. Her main concern now is to give her child the good life that it
deserves.
How did this miracle come about? After listening to her tale of
torture, the employees of the Shandong social relief shelter, part
of a pilot national network for domestic violence victims,
contacted their colleagues in Xuzhou. They made all the necessary
arrangements for Dong's rehabilitation there, giving her a chance
to start life anew.
The two shelters in the neighboring provinces are blazing a new
trail in protecting the rights of women and children. According to
Xuzhou Anti-Domestic Violence Shelter program chief Ma Li, their
"pioneering" work is part of an ongoing national program. What's
more, the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) is considering
introducing the domestic violence intervention scheme in 1,200
social relief shelters across the country.
Government social relief shelters usually offer those seeking
help -most of them beggars - a few free meals, a few nights' free
lodging and a free train ticket back home. But victims of severe
domestic violence - most of whom are women and children - need not
have to return home. And since they are likely to continue living
in fear in shelters in their home towns, they are shifted to other
places.
In the past 15 months, the Xuzhou shelter has received 196 woman
victims, and the employees have helped four of them find jobs and
start a new life in another city. Apart from providing lodging and
medical care, the shelter also offers psychological counseling and
legal help to the victims.
Sometimes providing a free ticket back home is like depriving
them of the chance to learn to deal with domestic violence, Ma said
on Friday on the sidelines of a forum supported by the United
Nations Development Fund for Women.
This is just the first step in a noble mission, he said. "So
many women are in need of help." A survey sponsored by All China
Women's Federation revealed violence was part of about 35 percent
of the 270 million families in China, with most of the victims
being women. The nature and severity of the violence varies,
though.
Also, surveys conducted in different places in the past two
years have shown that at least 20 percent of divorce cases stem
from family violence.
Xuzhou's pilot program is funded jointly by the MCA and China
Gender Facility, set up in 2004 to meet the UN's millennium
development goals (MDGs) and reduce gender inequality in the
country. Initiated by the UN Theme Group on Gender (UNTGG), the
China Gender Facility comprises UN, multilateral and bilateral
development agencies and international NGOs.
Since its launch, the program has provided funding for 16 pilot
programs, such as the one in Xuzhou. It has reviewed the condition
of women suffering from HIV/AIDS, migrant workers and senior
citizens.
The innovative and catalytic projects aim to enhance awareness
and knowledge of the people and advocate policy change. "The size
of the task ahead of us is daunting," Constance Thomas,
director/representative of International Labor Organization and the
UNTGG chair, said at Friday's forum. According to UN Development
Program, China is 81st on the list of 177 countries in the global
Gender Development Index.
Participants at the forum were told that despite the past couple
of decades of high economic growth and significant progress in
poverty alleviation, gender disparity is still a problem in China.
In fact, it's a major "stumbling block" toward achieving the
Millennium Development Goals.
"But we gain courage and confidence from the valuable
experiences and good practices already achieved and the
partnerships the UN has built through the China Gender Facility,"
Thomas said.
Hopefully, the work being done by shelters like the ones in
Shandong and Jiangsu will be emulated across the country and build
the momentum toward achieving gender equality in China.
(China Daily July 16, 2007)