Domestic Violence in Moldova - The Advocates for Human Rights
Domestic Violence in Moldova - The Advocates for Human Rights
Domestic Violence in Moldova - The Advocates for Human Rights
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Many people, particularly government officials, began <strong>in</strong>terviews with detailedexplanations of patriarchal cultural norms <strong>in</strong> Armenia. Some began by stat<strong>in</strong>g thatArmenian men respect women and would do noth<strong>in</strong>g to harm them. One prosecutor saidthat mothers, wives and daughters are “sacred.” 144 Notably, <strong>in</strong> almost every case, thesesame people gave compell<strong>in</strong>g examples of serious abuse and <strong>in</strong>jury that Armenianwomen experienced at the hands of their husbands and boyfriends. Other officialsrecognized the patriarchal culture as a cause of domestic violence. For example, arepresentative of the M<strong>in</strong>istry of Internal Affairs stated, “if women are assaulted <strong>in</strong> theirhomes, it is not considered a crime. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Armenian tradition, a man has a rightto beat his wife <strong>in</strong> his home.” 145 Another government official expla<strong>in</strong>ed that when menprovide f<strong>in</strong>ancially <strong>for</strong> their families, they “set the rules.” 146 <strong>The</strong> men who set the rules <strong>in</strong>their families ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> control <strong>in</strong> a variety of ways, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g physical violence. 147 Somemen will attempt to control all aspects of women’s lives, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g money, time, dressand even visits to parents and friends. 148 In a few extreme cases, men who killed theirwives expla<strong>in</strong>ed that they were try<strong>in</strong>g to punish them <strong>for</strong> not obey<strong>in</strong>g. 149Patriarchal norms also discourage women from report<strong>in</strong>g crimes committedaga<strong>in</strong>st them to the police and other authorities. When women do report violence, family,friends and neighbors often try to persuade them not to pursue their cases. <strong>The</strong>re is nosocietal support <strong>for</strong> women who leave their husbands. 150 When women do leave, they areoften blamed <strong>for</strong> break<strong>in</strong>g up the family.Many people <strong>in</strong>terviewed focused on the behavior of women rather than on thecrim<strong>in</strong>al conduct of abusers. For example, some people said that women provokedomestic violence by be<strong>in</strong>g “too demand<strong>in</strong>g” of their husbands. 151 An Armenian writerma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed that women’s behavior was the ma<strong>in</strong> cause <strong>in</strong> domestic violence cases he hadencountered: “When the overly jealous wives . . . would attack their tired husbands asthey arrived home . . . the husbands could not bear it . . . and [it] would end with femaletears.” 152 In an <strong>in</strong>terview conducted by M<strong>in</strong>nesota <strong>Advocates</strong>, a mental healthprofessional reported that he told a patient whose husband hit her that she was “too144 Interview, February 17, 2000 (prosecutor, Yerevan).145 Interview, February 16, 2000 (M<strong>in</strong>istry of Internal Affairs official, Yerevan).146 Interview, February 15, 2000 (M<strong>in</strong>istry of Justice official, Yerevan).147 Id.148 Interview, February 19, 2000 (sociologist, Yerevan).149 Interview, February 18, 2000 (crim<strong>in</strong>ologist, Yerevan).150 Interviews, May 3, 2000 (judicial clerk, Yerevan); May 3, 2000 (lawyer, Yerevan).151 Interview, February 22, 2000 (police chief, Yerevan).152 Grigor Em<strong>in</strong>-Derian, supra note 13.M<strong>in</strong>nesota <strong>Advocates</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong>, <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> <strong>in</strong> Armenia, December 2000 26