The Hindu : National : ‘Women worst affected in conflict zones’

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Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
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‘Women worst affected in conflict zones’

Special Correspondent

Religious fundamentalism adversely affects rights of women

HYDERABAD: Prohibiting the use of contraceptives, banning abortions and guarding women against non-reproductive sex in the name of family honour are various methods of religious fundamentalism that adversely impact the reproductive and sexual health and rights of the women across the world.

Religious fundamentalism or exceptionalism as participants in one of the sessions of the Fourth Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights, preferred to describe this activism as, has influenced the United States President also.

The denial of rights to women by “distorted” interpretation of Koran and the examples of violation of women’s bodies during communal rights in Gujarat by majority groups were cited as some of the examples of religious fundamentalism.

According to Kalpana Kannabiran of the ASMITA Centre for Women, women were worst affected in conflict zones in the form sexual assaults, kidnapping, forced marriages and unwanted pregnancies. This often occurred in post-conflict situations. She said violation of women’s dignity belonging to the minority community allegedly by the majority community during the Gujarat riots and the silence over rejection of women by their families during Partition were some known examples of religious exceptionalism.

Elizabeth Aguiling-Parigalangan, an activist from the Philippines, said the government in her country perpetuated the Catholic doctrine by denying women the right to divorce. This often resulted in unhappy marriages and any relationship outside marriage amounted to adultery. Government policies discouraged the use of artificial contraception that had strained intimate relationships between men and women. There is excessive entanglement of religious dictates with politics.

Hindu fundamentalists, Jasodhara Dasgupta of the SAHAYOG, said women’s bodies were considered to be sites of “community and family honour” and attempts were made to discourage non-reproductive sexuality. There was also opposition if women exercised choice of sexual partner, more so if the relationship was outside the community.

The concept of same sex relationship was a taboo and opposition invariably based on religious grounds.

Talking of widows, Ms. Dasgupta said they were often sent away to homes and desexualised. At the same time there was sexual exploitation of this vulnerable section. When it came to adolescent education, imparting information was opposed in the belief that it would result in unnecessary indulgence.

Zaitun Mohamed Kasim from Malaysia said there was distortion in the interpretation of Koran by some self-styled groups, who believed in pleasing men and policing women. People did not speak about Islam and we were heading for a time when only a few people would speak on behalf of the entire community, he said.

“In politicisation of Islam, it is women who pay the price,” she said.

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