How many more women will it take?

The term femicide is a fairly recent addition to our vocabulary, despite the fact it describes a hate crime that has been prevalent in society for millennia. It refers to one of the most severe forms of gendered violence in the world. There are a number of definitions owing to the fact that one cannot define it in broad legal terms, but the definition is a consequence of political and academic discourse.

The late South African feminist activist and scholar, Diana Russell, is known for popularising the word in 1976, in hopes to rally activists behind the fight to protect women. In fact, the word femicide or femicidio, was widely adopted in Latin America in the wake of an alarming escalation of very violent murders of women and girls in the 1990s.

Femicidio, as it was called, is not merely a word to describe the intentional killing of a woman by a man because she is a woman. It was introduced to also capture the impunity and systemic violence present in society at the time. It points to the lack of accountability and adequate response on the part of the state when such killings occur. The term, therefore, indicates state complicity.

For instance, Russell’s definition of femicide also includes covert forms of the killing of females, such as when patriarchal governments and religions curtail women’s reproductive rights. Thousands of pregnant women die every year as a direct consequence of back-alley abortions. Similarly, many women also die when AIDS-infected males refuse to wear condoms to protect their sex partners and those they rape.

Violence against women is not something that happens out of the blue, in a fit of blind rage or incapacitation. It is the result of a deeply ingrained and pervasive attitude of disdain, a complete misunderstanding (or even disregard) of the woman and how she fits into society. It is the reflection of a patriarchal culture based on gender stereotypes, which are socially constructed and conditioned.

This is why many women, men, and activists expressed their anger and frustration at the patriarchal system manifested most recently by the Malta Police Force.

In a press conference on the 13 January, ahead of the arraignment of Abner Aquilina, the Malta Police Force stated in unequivocal terms that the violent rape and murder of Paulina Dembska was not related to her gender in any shape or form. In a feeble attempt to vehemently deny any relation to gender, they failed to recognise that subsequent developments in the media stating that the perpetrator was “sexually conflicted” and that he attacked – but not raped and killed – two men before murdering Paulina (allegedly, of course), make the notions of gender and sexuality even more pertinent, and not less.

Such statements, presented by three male members of the Malta Police Force, mirrors society’s lack of knowledge and awareness about issues related to gender and sexuality, not least about gender-based violence, which in this case culminated into yet another rape and murder of a woman. The fact that such misogynistic mentalities are also held in the ranks of the authorities should alarm us all. Police are often the front-liners sought after to defend women facing threats of violence, and their response to pleas for protection and justice has a great weight in determining the fate of events. The stories of women being turned away, belittled, blamed, and embarrassed have damaged our faith in the functionality of this system, and we have unfortunately seen how costly misinformed action could be. To add insult to injury and drive the most unfortunately ironic point home, mere hours after the press conference, a woman from Żabbar was stabbed multiple times in her home.

In the past two weeks, we have learnt that women are unsafe in the park; they are unsafe in the streets; they are unsafe in their own homes. Where, if anywhere, are women safe?

A number of organisations working in the field of human and women’s rights came together for a demonstration on Saturday, 22nd January in front of the Police Headquarters in Floriana.

We are calling for more accountability by authorities; concrete action in all spheres of society to address gender stereotypes, misogyny and the patriarchy which is normalised, dismissed, trivialised and its existence denied; proper sex and relationship education in schools; an end to victim-blaming; and to take reports of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape more seriously.