WaHI Magazine
Remember the Butterflies During the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women 
25 November 2003
Note: Today, November 25th, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which also marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women.
There is no country in the world, including our own, where women are safe from gender-based violence. Whether it has its origins in the laws of governments, the doctrines of religion, or societal values, whether it is inflicted by strangers or partners, women worldwide and in our own communities suffer as a result of gender-based violence, and either you or a woman you know has been a victim. In recent years, there has been growing recognition and awareness of violence against women, and the response to eradicate it has gained momentum on both a local and global level.
In Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Peru, and Uruguay, a man who rapes a woman is free from prosecution if he afterwards proposes marriage to her and she accepts. Things might not be that bad in the United States, but women in this country still live in fear of violence. A survey conducted by the Center for the Advancement of Women found that 92 percent of American women rank domestic and sexual violence among their main concerns.
Their concerns are not unfounded. About one-third of the women murdered in this country are killed by their current or former husband or partner. And according to a study by the American Psychological Association, one-third of women in the United States experience at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood. Of the roughly 700,000 incidents of domestic violence that occur each year, women account for 85 percent of the victims, while men account for only 15 percent.
Domestic violence is not just a women’s problem. The children of women with violent intimate partners are also at great risk. Between 50 and 70 percent of men who abuse their female partners also abuse their children, and more than 3 million children between the ages of 3 and 19 are at risk of exposure to parental violence every year.
The effects of domestic violence extend beyond the family in which it occurs. Recent studies have shown the huge economic cost to employers through the absenteeism and loss of productivity that result from domestic violence.
Sarah Crawford Banda, who has been a Domestic Violence Project Coordinator for five years at the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, stresses the importance of seeing domestic violence as more that just a women’s problem. “It’s typically viewed as a women’s issue, but as much as it is an act of violence targeted towards women, it should be considered important to everyone, including men, and also employers and doctors. I think we really need to try to reach out to groups who don’t think it affects them personally.”
Only by seeing domestic violence as a community problem can the community begin to take responsibility for eliminating it. As Banda says, “There has to be a social sanction against it, not just a criminal sanction in family court. There really has to be a change of attitude on the part of society so that it becomes less and less acceptable to everyone.”
In the past decade, violence against women has gained recognition as a global problem that needs to be addressed by the global community. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly resolved “that violence against women is a violation of the rights and freedoms of women” and called on individual countries and the international community to commit to its elimination.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women Campaign, initiated in 1991, emphasizes that violence against women, whether perpetrated in the public or private sphere, is a violation of human rights. The 16 days appropriately start on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and end on December 10, International Human Rights Day.
The history of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women goes back to 1960, when the Mirabel sisters, three women from the Dominican Republic were violently assassinated by the Trujillo government for their political activism. The sisters, who came to be known as the Unforgettable Butterflies, became a symbol of the crisis of violence against women in Latin America, and November 25th was the date chosen to commemorate their lives and promote global awareness of the problem. The date has been observed in Latin America since the 1980s, and in December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared the day as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Here in our own community, victims of domestic violence were remembered in the Family Violence Hurts Everybody Walk for Peace, which took place on October 15. The walk, organized by the Washington Heights/Inwood Coalition Against Domestic Violence, was held in commemoration of domestic violence awareness month. Melissa Sanchez, a local resident found dead in her apartment in January of this year, allegedly killed by her boyfriend, was among those remembered.
The walkers, many holding pictures of Sanchez and dove symbols of peace, started out at the emergency room of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, and walked about 30 blocks through upper Manhattan, stopping at 600 West 183rd Street, the address where Sanchez lived and was killed. Members of the Sanchez family took part in the walk, as well as Sanchez’ coworkers. Sanchez, 24, was a health educator with the Medicaid managed care organization Health Plus, and was responsible for teaching free health education workshops, informing the public on serious health topics, including domestic violence.
The walk concluded at Highbridge Park at Amsterdam Avenue and 174th Street with a small closing ceremony at which the names of all the people killed in the city so far this year as a result of domestic violence were read off. There were 46 names.
Each day, the New York Police Department responds to an average of 600 domestic violence incidents. The actual number of domestic violence incidents is probably much higher because it is estimated that only one in seven domestic assaults come to the attention of the police. In 2002, 222,492 domestic violence incidents were reported.
The rate of domestic violence in the Washington Heights/Inwood community is one of the highest in the city. In an average year, the 33rd and 34th precincts respond to a combined total of 5,000 DIRs (domestic incident reports).
The prevalence of domestic violence in our community drew a lot of attention in 1999 with the gruesome murder of Gladys Ricart, a 39-year old Dominican woman and resident of Washington Heights. Ricart was murdered in her wedding dress on her wedding day, by her abusive ex-boyfriend, Agustin Garcia, while her groom-to-be waited at the church for her.
Ricart had just finished taking photos with relatives at a home in Ridgefield, NJ, and was about to step into a Rolls Royce limousine that would have taken her to the church in Flushing, Queens, when Garcia showed up, opened the briefcase he was carrying, and pulled out a 38 caliber revolver. He shot her three times, including once in the head at point-blank range. About 40 family members and friends were at the home when she was shot.
The murder was even more shocking because Garcia, 47, was a prominent Dominican businessman, and very active in the community. He was president of the Hispanic Federation of Chambers of Commerce and founder of the Dominican Chamber of Commerce. Ricart had broken off her seven-year relationship with him several months before the killing and was planning to marry accountant James Preston Jr., 36, whom she had met the July before she was killed. Ricart had a 20-year-old son.
When Ricart’s murder came to the attention of Josie Ashton, a Dominican woman working in the Miami District Attorney’s office, she got permission from the family to walk in Ricart’s memory. Wearing a wedding dress, Ashton walked from the New Jersey home where Ricart was killed to Florida, spending nights in numerous domestic violence shelters along the way.
Ashton’s month-long walk inspired the “Brides’ March,” which has taken place every year since then on September 26, the day Ricart was killed. The six-mile march is organized by New York Latinas Against Domestic Violence (NYLADV), a coalition of community organizations that defend women’s rights. Their purpose in organizing the march is to pay tribute to Ricart, as well as to disseminate bilingual information to the Latino community on the issue of domestic violence and the services available to victims. The organization hopes to inspire communities nationwide to organize similar marches in their own neighborhoods memorializing all women killed as a result of domestic violence.
This year, nearly 150 people, many wearing wedding dresses or dressed in black, took part in the march, which started in Washington Heights and continued through the Bronx, Central Harlem, and East Harlem. Josie Ashton was there, walking in her own wedding dress. Also taking part were City Councilmembers Margarita Lopez and Miguel Martinez, Commissioner of the Human Resources Administration (HRA) Verna Eggleston, and Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence Yolanda Jimenez.
According to the people who work with victims of domestic violence, it’s not uncommon for a batterer’s violent behavior to escalate following a breakup, as it did with Garcia. Amairis Pena-Chavez, a lawyer with Sanctuary for Families Legal Center for Battered Women explains that batterers spend a lot of time trying to gain control of their victims, and when they lose that control they find it extremely frustrating and can become even more violent as a result. Chavez says that because of this, women should be very careful about how they leave an abusive relationship and should seek help to get through the process safely.
If leaving is likely to prompt the abuser to take extremely violent or fatal actions against his victim, Pena-Chavez says that relocation sometimes can be necessary. “When she decides to leave it has to be done in a way that he won’t be able to find her, either moving to another state or country.”
One of the worst cases Pena-Chavez has seen was a five-year relationship where the violence became so extreme that the abuser pulled the woman’s nails out. When she fled to Ecuador, he sent someone down there to threaten her.
“This guy had her up against the wall and was choking her, telling her ‘If you take him to court, next time I come will not be a warning.’ He choked her until she passed out. And that was only the warning,” says Pena-Chavez. “The woman thought her abuser was coming to Ecuador, so she fled back to New York, but he was still in New York.”
Chavez says the case took about a year to resolve because the batterer didn’t show up in court several times, but that it ended successfully for the woman. “She got everything she wanted: custody of her child, he didn’t ask for visitation, and she got a final order of protection. She relocated, so he has no idea where she is, and she has moved on with her life.”
The woman recently contacted Pena-Chavez with a progress report. She is continuing with her counseling, has a new apartment and job, and is going to school. Her daughter is also doing well.
According to Banda, a victim’s departure is not the only thing that can cause a batterer’s violence to escalate. If the batterer has threatened his victim, has access to guns, or is chronically unemployed, a victim is also at greater risk. The risk is also high if the batterer has a history of mental illness, or substance or alcohol abuse. Batterers with multiple violations of an Order of Protection are particularly dangerous because for them incarceration is not a deterrent.
Despite the fear women feel while in violent relationships, many are afraid to leave. Often it is for economic reasons. As Anna Hunter, from Sanctuary for Families, which provides services for women and children, points out, “The abuser might be supporting her and her children financially, and often the husband’s extended family provides childcare.”
For a woman with children to consider, making the choice to leave can be even more difficult, especially if she is out of the workforce and has limited resources at her disposal. And batterers often use child custody as a way to threaten their victims. As Pena-Chavez explains, “By no means is the batterer interested in getting custody, but they know that it’s a way to really torture the women. When women win custody, they feel they can start a new life.”
Immigrant women are particularly vulnerable as many depend more than others on their abusers and their families for support. Many illegal immigrants do not speak English fluently and have fewer opportunities for income because of their illegal status. Also, many fear that if they come forward to report the abuse, their illegal status will be discovered and they will be deported.
Sanctuary for Families, which deals annually with between 700 and 800 clients seeking legal assistance, 80 percent of which are immigrant women, report that none of their clients have ever been deported and encourage immigrant women to seek the help they need.
Hunter from Sanctuary explains, “They are eligible for city services and help. And if they have kids who were born in this country, they are eligible for public benefits based on the number of kids. Batterers will often use deportation as a threat, but women should know that there are options out there.”
With a staff that speaks a total of 19 languages, Sanctuary is well equipped to help immigrant women, who account for forty percent of the women staying in their shelters.
Finding shelter is a primary concern for domestic abuse victims who are considering leaving, particularly in New York City. As Hunter says, “It’s tough to be homeless and when you go into shelter it means you need to find a new place to live and the housing market in New York is very tough. It can be very hard to jump through all the hoops you need to in order to get safe and affordable housing and public benefits.”
The link between domestic abuse and homelessness is seen in the “1999 Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities.” The report states that 57 percent of cities surveyed identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness, and that up to 50 percent of all homeless women and children are fleeing domestic violence.
While these are disheartening figures, it is encouraging that there are more sources of support today than in the past. In 1970, there was no such thing as a battered women’s shelter. Today there are over 2,000 shelter and service programs throughout the country. Women’s advocates say that one of the first steps a woman in an abusive situation should take is to talk to a domestic violence agency to develop a safety plan and to find out what her options are as far as shelters.
Another important step, according to Pena-Chavez, is to file for an Order of Protection because if a batterer threatens, harasses, stalks, or hits his victim after she has this, it becomes a graver offence. “He can be arrested, and more than just overnight. We can then advocate with the DA to prosecute the case because it’s not the first time.”
Chavez also recommends that a woman make contact with the nearest precinct to let them know she has an Order of Protection. “Every precinct has a domestic violence police officer that focuses on domestic violence. This is a key person to know. Build a relationship with then and keep them abreast of what is happening.”
A buddy system is also crucial, according to Pena-Chavez. A woman should have someone who will check in with her on a regular basis to make sure that she is OK.
It’s vital for abuse victims to reach out and get help from the resources that are available. Hunter says a lot of women may be scared to seek help because they may have preconceived ideas that someone might try to make them seek shelter or press charges against their batterers.
She explains that this isn’t true: “No one is going to tell you that you need to get out right now and uproot yourself and take your kids to shelter. That may be something that a woman wants to do, and she may reach that point, but women should know there are a lot of good people and good programs out there to work with them no matter what stage they’re at.”
According to Hunter, “One of the most important things for women to know is that there’s more than one path out of an abusive relationship.” Below are some resources that help women find their path.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINES
New York City’s Domestic Violence Hotline
24 hours, 7 days a week, multilingual
1 (800) 621-HOPE (4673)
1 (800) 810-7444 TDD
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1 (800) 799-SAFE (7233)
New York State Spanish Domestic Violence Hotline
1 (800) 942-6908
HELP FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Alianza Dominicana, (212) 795-4226. Alianza’s Project FAITH provides non-residential services to victims of domestic violence in Manhattan.
Dominican Women’s Development Center, (212) 740-1929. Offers an array of services to victims of domestic violence and their children including, counseling, group sessions, and housing assistance.
Dove Program, (212) 305-9060. Provides domestic violence counselors at Columbia Presbyterian’s emergency room 24 hours, 7 days a week.
New Destiny Housing Corp., (646) 472-0262. Provides information on affordable housing options for survivors of domestic violence seeking safe permanent housing in New York City.
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, (212) 822-8319. Provides numerous services to victims of domestic violence, including counseling, pro-bono attorneys to represent women in family court for orders of protection, as well as help acquiring job skills, training, education and job placement.
Safe Horizon (Washington Heights office), (212) 740-7446. The largest victim assistance program in the country, running 80 programs throughout the city. Support provided for domestic violence victims includes one-on-one counseling, group counseling, crisis counseling, safety planning, assistance with finding shelter, referrals to Safe Horizon programs or other organizations, advocacy with the police, court assistance, technical assistance, and replacement of locks for victims of crimes.
Sanctuary for Families, (212) 349-6009. Provides counseling, support groups, legal representation and specialized services to victims of domestic violence and their children.
Washington Heights/Inwood Coalition Against Domestic Violence, (212) 822-8300. Provides victims of domestic violence with advice and referrals to any needed services.
HELP FOR ABUSERS WHO WANT TO STOP ABUSING
New Start Batterers Intervention Program, (212) 252-2298.
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Readers’ Comments
I’m writing from Lebanon. I would like you to know that rapists get prosecuted here, and they often purge heavy sentences. Now if the woman agrees to marry a criminal, that’s another story. Why would any sane woman want to marry a man who raped her? Probably because of social pressure; fear of having a child withou being married, and how society will look at her. You’re right, I must say you have a point. (Posted by anonimoss on January 16, 2004 10:41 AM.)
But maybe that’s what the women wants. This law was probably passed with the women in mind, because, in the archaic parts of the Lebanese society (like remote rural areas), a non-virgin women is very unlikely to get married, even less if whe has a child. She wouldn’t have a chance of marrige if it wasnt from this law. So the aim of this law is to give the woman a chance to fulfill her goal in life, which is, in the traditional arabic mentality (and NOT in my opinion!), marriage. I’m not defending this law, but just explaining it. I agree that a rapist must not get immunity in any way. But wait, there is worse, and its called a “crime of honour”. There is “crime of honour” when a man kills a woman from the same family because he caught her having pre-marital sex. By practicing pre-marital sex, the woman spoils the honour of the whole family, hence the motive of the murder. I’m not sure whether criminals who prove a “crime of honour” get a lighter sentence or no sentence at all. I’m not even sure that the law still exists, it may have been removed recently (wich makes sense!). These laws are based on concepts of family and marriage deeply rooted in arab culture, and they will need time to go away. But I can say that here in Lebanon, progress is made in the right direction. (Posted by anonymoss on January 16, 2004 11:16 AM.)
Exerpt from the Human Rights Report for Lebanon from the US Department of State website (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/nea/800.htm):
The legal system is discriminatory in its handling of so-called “honor crimes.” According to the Penal Code, a man who kills his wife or other female relative may receive a reduced sentence if he demonstrates that he committed the crime in response to a socially unacceptable sexual relationship conducted by the victim. However, in 1999 the law was amended to increase the severity of the sentence for perpetrators of “honor crimes.” Several instances of honor crimes are reported in the media every year.
(Posted by anonymoss on January 17, 2004 11:41 AM.)
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