The Tribune

By NOELLE NICOLLS

Tribune Features Editor

nnicolls@tribunemedia.net

Police officers in the US played a pivotal role in efforts to tackle domestic violence, said a US State Department representative, speaking about the US experience at the Bahamas Crisis Centre’s Peace Conference, yesterday.

Anita Botti, Chief of Staff and Principal Deputy in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, US State Department, said domestic violence advocacy efforts ultimately culminated in success because police officers became resolute about the seriousness of the problem.

“Law enforcement people said enough, we can’t continue,” said Ms Botti, stressing the need for a collective effort in addressing gender based violence. Ms Botti participated in a number of different fora during the first two days of the conference, praising the efforts of the Crisis Centre and its volunteers.

She said the passage of the landmark Violence Against Women Act of 1994 in the US, was a major milestone for a journey that took some 20 years. Advocates and legislators had to overcome the one time pervasive belief that domestic violence is a private issue.

One of the key players in the early advocacy was an attorney general, who saw a spike in the number of serious crime cases involving women and children being tried as adults, said Ms Botti. As the attorney general dug deeper into the files, she realised in more cases than not, “they were domestic abuse cases left untreated”. The attorney general partnered with then Senator Joe Biden to do something.

Today, Ms Botti said there is another challenge for advocates. People have become desensitised to the reality of sexual violence. Sexual violence is a violation of an individual’s human rights, a violation of an individual’s dignity, and yet, many people when they hear about the indignity simply check the box and move on to the next issue.

Having now made significant progress, the US has placed gender based violence at forefront of its diplomacy, development and defense, said Ms Botti, recognising that gender based violence undermines economic stability, public health and national security.

Important areas for action are: citizen security and social justice, involvement of men and boys, economic empowerment for women and the inclusion of health providers and religious leaders of all faiths, said Ms Botti.

Speaking to the conference, “Peace at Home, Peace in the Community”, Ms Botti said “cultivating peace at the level of the individual” was also an important pillar. “If violence begins in the home, then peace does too,” she said.