From 25 to 45 Years Old
Domestic violence happens throughout the word, especially in developing countries. Cambodia is one among others, which has high rate of domestic violence. Most victims from are women who are 25 to 45 years old according to many researches by MoWVA, PADV, and other NGOs. Why are women more likely to suffer abuse?
The traditional social order within the family units assigns different roles and responsibilities to men and women. The men are traditionally the heads of household – ideally protecting the safety of his family, family property, and providing the resources including income and heavy labor to support the family. The women are traditionally the household managers – ideally maintaining the smooth running of house and all its resources, caring, producing children, and saving money. The traditional code of conduct for the women (Chbab Srey) stated that the women should respect and serve their husband, always speak sweetly and softly. Moreover, Chbab Srey reinforces this inequality reminding women, "To avoid posing yourself as equal to your husband... and never above him who is your master" (Cathy and Erin 22). When this interdependency is disregarded by one party the responsibilities of the heads of household and the household managers become clash. This causes each party to defend their position and try to re-establish a balance in order to fulfill their differing responsibilities. The men are perceived as using physical power to re-establish this order. For example, they use physical power against the women to affirm their authorities and to punish the women's non-fulfillment of socially assigned responsibilities and conduct. Within the survey of MoWA, UNDP, and UNICEF showed that 9% of domestic violence came from these ideal roles and responsibilities (21). Furthermore, an act of not serving good food, or an act of insubordination, such as challenging a decision made by the men or questioning their actions are admissible excuses for violence.
In contrast, now many women are the sole or equal contributor to household incomes, this provider responsibility no longer rests solely on the men. Therefore, the heads of household have potentially less control of the household because the women are now less dependent on them, and they are sure to claim that they experience this as a threat to their traditional role. The only resource available to regain this control is their physical power. The men, by spending or taking money for themselves when there is not enough for the family, are not fulfilling their traditional responsibilities as providers. Moreover, they blame and punish their wives for failing to fulfill the wives’ responsibilities in order to shift, blame, or dishonor from themselves to their wives.
Moreover, the years of war have blurred the clear distinction of traditional gender roles and responsibilities. An increased number of women become the heads of household as a result of husband's death of long absence due to military actions. Now men are returning to this adapted order within the family and are trying to re-establish their position as the heads of household which often resort to the use of physical power. Social pressure is not restricted just to women; it can be argued that men too will be judged by the society if they fail to be seen as functioning effectively as the head of household. The war that prolonged has destroyed family and there are no morals or understanding.
Furthermore, poverty as a result of prolonged civil war was consistently mentioned as a major cause of domestic violence. The war caused poverty, but we assume they are referring to the destruction of the education system; many boys become soldiers at very young age and have no skill and few employment opportunities upon leaving the army. Those people do not have enough food because they have small incomes and it causes disputes and violence.
Lack of moral education as well as general education among both men and women were perceived to cause domestic violence. Many women and men lacked the capacity to reconcile differences through discussion and lacked awareness and understanding of laws and human
rights. The husband lacks tolerance and forgiveness to his wife as a cause of domestic violence in families.
Not only are there causes above, but also the Traditional Code of Conduct of Men called Chbab Phroh, instructs the men to stay away from the three forms of madness, such as drinking, sexual intercourse, and gambling. According to the latest survey of MoWA and UNDP in 2001 showed that there were 40 % of these three forms madness caused domestic violence (22). Gambling will lead to destruction of family, wealth a loss of possessions, will lead to arguments and violence, and break the rules of society. Making sexual advances to other women will lose blessing from god, lose good counsel from the monk, and will have irritability and an happiness with wives and children. It is interesting that one or more of the three forms of madness were mentioned above as causes of domestic violence. These are the issues that women would often challenge and advise their husbands because of their negative effects on the family economic and health on them and their children.
On the other hand, domestic valence happens in all family levels, but it is rarely showed in a rich or high education family because it can injure their authorities and rank. Moreover, many men regard their wives as slaves. They nearly don't allow their wives to communicate with other people, especially with other men, even though those communications related to the business. Those men usually look for their wives, and they
are jealous of their wives. A 1999 report by PADV, USAID, and TAF showed that there were 5% of domestic violence came from jealousy (10).
Besides the levels of education, some men threat their wives in order to ask for some money to go to brothel. They learned many bad habits from outside and then when they come back home they act out experiences they have learned. Their sexual needs cause them to threat their wives who may be sick to serve their passionate needs.
Also, present law doesn't include a specific law against domestic violence yet, so it allows authorities to ignore it. The police, court, and authorities consider that beating up the women is an internal issue. Moreover, the government does not have enough news public media or mass media in order to share to people about domestic violence in Cambodia.
In short, domestic violence which has been considered as an internal issue mostly happens by drinking, gambling, infidelity, poverty, illiteracy, less family responsibilities, considering the wives as slave, war, jealousy, refused sexual intercourse, the absence of specific law, lack of news public media, and natural factor. It is extremely an impact on society in negative ways, so a specific law should be enacted soon in order to protect the right of women. NGOs and government should provide more training courses to both men and women and concentrate on it.
Bibliography
C.Zimmerman, E. Nelson, Household Survey on Domestic Violence in Cambodia, PADV, Phnom Penh, 1996.
C.Zimmerman, Plate in a Basket Will Rattle, Cambodia, 1994.
C.Zimmerman, Violence Against Women, Second edition, Phnom Penh, 2002.
MoWA, PADV, The Domestic Violence Survey in Cambodia, Phnom Pen, 1997.
MoWA, UNDP, Workshop on Draft Law on Domestic Violence, Phnom Penh, 2001.
MoWA, UNDP, Workshop Proposed Legislation on Domestic Violence, Phnom Penh, 2001.
PADV, USAID, TAF, Workshop to Release the Result of Study on Domestic Violence Through Cambodian Newspapers, Phnom Penh, 1999.
PADV, UNDP, UNICEF, The Study on Domestic Violence, Phnom Penh, 1995.
W. Sue, Domestic Violence in Cambodia, A Study of Health Care Providers Perceptions and Response, Phnom Penh 1999.
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