[psych-hr] Eradicating the Root Causes of Domestic Violence: A Call for Input

Dear Colleagues,

We at the International Center for Alcohol Policies would like your
input.

Violence, including against women and girls, and particularly in the
home, comes up frequently in the course of our work.  We are deeply
concerned about those situations where abuse of beverage alcohol appears
to be a factor in domestic violence.  Yet, we have noticed with interest
the following statement made by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence
against Women, Radhika Coomaraswamy, in her 1999 Report to the UN
Commission on Human Rights on Violence against women in the family
(E/CN.4/1999/68):

"Many States continue to make the erroneous link between alcohol and
violence. While alcohol does in many cases exacerbate violence, alcohol
does not itself cause violence against women. The focus on alcohol or
drugs, rather than on male patriarchal ideology, which has as its
ultimate expression male violence against women, undermines the
anti-violence movement. Further, resources that should be allocated for
support, training and systems' development in respect to family violence
against women, [are] instead allocated to combat alcohol and drug use
and provide services to alcoholics and drug-abusers. While such services
may be necessary, they should not detract from resource support for
violence against women programming."  (Para. 31)

In the same report, the Special Rapporteur underlines the importance of
promoting the empowerment, rights and reason of women -- over
paternalistic measures -- in an effort to eradicate the root causes of
violence against women, instead of simply palliating their consequences.

Yet, in 1997, UNESCO's Expert Group on Male Roles and Masculinities in
the Perspective of a Culture of Peace
(http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/oslotoc.htm) warned that
"[t]he maintenance of hegemonic masculinity requires disrespect" --
not just for women's empowerment, but also for "other forms of
masculinity".

The mission of the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) is
two-fold:

1) to help reduce the abuse of alcohol worldwide, and

2) to promote understanding of the role of alcohol in society by
encouraging dialogue and pursuing partnerships involving the beverage
alcohol industry, the public health community and others interested in
alcohol policy.

ICAP is supported by twelve major, international alcohol beverage
companies.  We work in cooperation with intergovernmental organizations,
such as the World Bank and the World Health Organization, as well as
with governments and nongovernmental organizations in both the
developing and developed world.

Given its mission, ICAP supports the prevention of alcohol abuse,
including where domestic violence is involved. Like Ms Coomaraswamy,
however, we find that alcohol can be used to deflect attention from the
more complex and deeply rooted cause of violence against women and
girls: male patriarchal ideology ("masculinism", "machismo") and its
consequences for women's status in all aspects of life.  Where this
happens, not only are the root causes of violence against women and
girls not addressed, but society's understanding of the role of
alcohol in the home and community is distorted as well.

In an effort to minimize this confusion and distortion, ICAP is
exploring ways that the international beverage alcohol industry can
support the empowerment of:

1) women and girls to live lives free of discrimination and
violence, whether or not beverage alcohol is involved; and

2) men and boys to resist this ideology by not discriminating against
women and girls, or partaking in reckless activity often erroneously
blamed on beverage alcohol -- activity the roots of which can be found
in the expectations and sense of identity derived from male patriarchal
ideology.

We have some ideas of our own on how to proceed, but would also
appreciate receiving from you, or colleagues who you can recommend:

1. best practices for eradicating such *root* causes of domestic
violence;

2. information -- including examples or case studies -- regarding the
use of alcohol as a "smokescreen" for avoiding the question of male
patriarchal ideology in addressing violence against women in the home;
and

3. suggestions of how the commercial sector can add its voice, actions
and resources to international efforts to prevent violence in the home;

Input marked "confidential" will be treated as such.  If a meeting would
be helpful, we are based in Washington, DC, but will be in Geneva -- and
quite possibly Paris -- for this project during the week of 9 April
2001.

Until we are in touch, please accept our thanks for your time and
attention, as well as our best wishes for your work.  (Also, apologies
for any cross-posting.)

Yours truly,

Eleni Houghton                             Courtney Mireille O'Connor
Director of Social Policy                  (Consultant to ICAP)
International Center for Alcohol Policies  International Jurist &
1519 New Hampshire Avenue, NW                Operations/Policy Advisor
Washington, DC 200036  USA                 2506-1/2 Cliffbourne Pl., NW
tel: +(202) 986-1159                       Washington, DC 20009-1512 USA
fax: +(202) 986-2080                       Tel. +(202)588.1383
www.icap.org                              Fax: +(202)588.0638