THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTION IS FROM MIRIAM MENKITI, NIGERIA.

- What measures have proven effective for the prevention of violence against women?

Let me share this experience. The women of Ugwogo -Nike, Enugu, Enugu State, South-East Nigeria work as a group to tackle violence against women in their community.Several women's organisations such as Women for Women International, Nigeria, Women Information Network (WINET) and Civil Resource Development and Documentation Center(CIRDDOC) have worked in this community and sensitized the women on how to deal with domestic violence in their homes. When a man beats his wife, she reports to the group and on an agreed date the women go as a group to see the man and warn him to desist form the action. The men now feel ashamed that the whole village has heard the story. As a result,many men have stopped beating their wives.

- How can we change people's attitudes about violence directed towards women? For example, what are the most promising interventions at the community level for altering discriminatory attitudes and violent
practices?
Since this is a practice which has been on for decades, it will take a long time to change peoples (especially men's) attitudes about violence.
Advocacy and education have to be on-going because it is usually difficult to
change behaviour. The Ugwuogo example can be adapted to other communities, while women in other communities can think of /strategies/what will work in their areas.

- To what extent, and on what basis, is it possible to measure changes
in the prevalence of violence?
When an assessment of the number of reported cases of violence is made, one will begin to compare figures over a certain period of time to know whether the trend is increasing or decreasing.

Thanks
Miriam Menkiti
winet@rbow.net

As the women's law forum here we hung posters and quotations by women we consider pioneers of human rights, and against gender violence. I have been pleased to note positive reactions and an openness to discussion which I had not expected (on a fairly conservative campus)from men as well as women.
Thanks so much to those who share their stories - I believe there is immense power in saying it in our own words and in our own time. The courts and often those who wish to help (out of pity often or out of a need to categorize) take these decisions out of our hands. However, it was important to me NOT to leave my marriage until I had decided that he absolutely was not going to change. (I did not want to later second guess my choices or resent my parents/etc for pressuring me) And I very much wanted to be able to make him sit down and listen and let him know how much he had hurt our children and myself. The public/private distinction and the desire to protect the victim do us some disservice in expecting/allowing us to keep silent. Camus says something about the innocent being forced by this age to speak out and rebel. Part of this is allowing ourselves the time to figure out what combination of factors in our own lives and societies brought us into our relationships and back out - very often the protective mother love of children. Part of it is finding the right note which reflects what we really feel - less often anger then sadness and less weakness than incredible strength. And part of it is venues like this one which allow us to speak.
So I want to propose two things. One, that we remember how long it has taken/is taking us to figure out and name whats going on in our relationships and our countries, and that we commit ourselves to patiently, firmly, and with understanding opening the eyes of others, and two, that we find some way to continue this connection we have begun - and see and share the fruits of our labour, as well as carry the challenges together.

Heidi Tabata, Canada