The Pixel Project VAW e-News Digest: Edition 13

Welcome to the 13th edition of The Pixel Project’s VAW e-News Digest. As usual, we have the latest and most relevant news from the past fortnight concerning violence against women around the world.

For most people around the world, the World Cup is associated with football superstars, cheering fans, a spirit of competition and an all-round sense of festivity. For those of us who are aware of the pervasiveness of violence against women around the world, the World Cup – as well as other similar sporting events – is associated with the rise of licensed rape in the form of sex trafficking, and for some, intimate partner violence.

Entertainment is cathartic. It allows us to escape into a world only slightly different from ours, and enables us to leave our problems momentarily behind before we return to the ‘real world’. But the real world never quite leaves us, and what we take in as entertainment (whether it is in the form of books, movies, or sporting events) can have real-life consequences.

In this edition of the VAW e-News Digest, we take a look at comments and reactions surrounding the controversial film The Killer in Me, which featured a graphic depiction of violence against its female characters. We also highlight (an admittedly dated, but nonetheless relevant) discussion concerning the recent trends in young adult literature aimed at girls that perpetuate rape culture by glorifying heroes who commit violence against women.

And of course, we cover the concerns expressed by various parties related to the rise of sex trafficking during the World Cup.

Let us know if you have any news about violence against women and efforts at eradicating it from where you live. Contact us and we’ll feature it in the upcoming Pixel Project VAW e-News Digest. You can send the news to our archivist at catalina@thepixelproject.net.

If you’d like to follow us on up-to-the-minute news concerning violence against women and efforts at addressing them globally, you can follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pixelproject.

Warm Regards,

The Pixel Project Team

General Violence Against Women

Attempts at establishing an International Violence Against Women Act receives opposition from an unexpected quarter: the people of India. Read more about the controversy.

Should you go watch a critically acclaimed movie that features graphic violence done against two female characters? Natasha Walter asks: “Why is there so much movie violence against women?”

The Killer Inside Me: can the violence be justified? Two critics, a writer and an actor on whether the violence was excessive

Old but good: What do YA books like Twilight and the more disturbing Hush, Hush tell us about the novels produced for female teenagers? Blogger Aja points out that these books promote rape culture. Follow-up reads include this entry by Parametric and “Why the Young Adult genre needs to change”, part 1 and part 2.

Sierra Leone: President unveils action plan that is expected to address violence against women

Sudan: Crimes against civilians, in particular violence against women, are continuing in Darfur refugee camps

Timor-Leste: UN envoy highlights need for dialogue to address violence against women in Timor-Leste

United States: Fearing deportation, immigrants in the United States are afraid to report sexual or physical abuse

Domestic / Intimate Partner Violence

Childhood obesity linked to domestic / intimate partner violence, study shows

Ghana: Competition on domestic violence held among schoolchildren

Ireland: Domestic violence helpline under ‘severe pressure’ due to potential cut of funds

United Kingdom: Chris Brown denied visa to the United Kingdom over intimate partner violence

United Kingdom: Women’s groups fear surge in domestic violence during World Cup season

United Kingdom: Across the United Kingdom, police are set to handle issues of domestic violence in anticipation of the World Cup season

United States: Violence Against Women Act now extends to gay couples