Women in Iran are often too scared to speak about domestic abuse – now a podcast gives them a voice. This new podcast in Iran spotlights the voices of survivors who come forward with their experience of domestic violence in a society that largely encourages women to keep quiet.
Iranians are traditionally deeply private people and private issues usually remain behind closed doors. Women in Iran are encouraged to remain “loyal” and avoid speaking out abuse and because of this, Domestic Abuse has become Native in Iran. Since the start of this podcast, many more women have come forward to share unflinching accounts of their experience of domestic violence and have been encouraged to use the medium as a platform to break their silence, challenging traditional societal taboos.
As well as personal stories, the podcast also examines the issue of the systemic lack of protection for women suffering violence, particularly domestic abuse. The London-based human rights group Amnesty International said in a 2013 report on Iran that women in the country “faced discrimination in law and practice in relation to marriage and divorce, inheritance, child custody, nationality and international travel”. There is an issue in the lack of systematic protection for women suffering violence.
Statistics carried out 16 years ago, showed that two-thirds of Iranian woman had experienced domestic Abuse at least once. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani recently demanded a speedy review of the bill on the protection of women from violence after almost a decade since it was Last drafted. The bill recognizes physical violence towards women as a crime and, for the first time, also assigns punishment for harassment in public and on social media.
We applaud victims of domestic violence that are brave enough to come forward with their experiences on Abuse in a society that shuns women. We encourage more to keep voicing out and be the strength for those that feel threatened.
Source: CNN
