Economic growth and rape . vandana shiva

I am increasingly hearing voices that link economic growth with the rise in rapes .  Someone being interviewed by  the BEEB  was actually cut off when he pointed out that link and talked about the  higher number of rapes in  the developed world. 

And while we intensify our struggle for justice for women, we need to also ask why rape cases have increased 240% since the 1990’s when the New Economic policies were introduced. We need to examine the roots of the growing violence against women.

Could there be a connection between the growth of violent, undemocratically imposed, unjust and unfair, economic policies and the growth of crimes against women?

I believe there is.

Economic reforms based on the idea of limitless growth in a limited world, can only be maintained by the powerful grabbing the resources of the vulnerable. The resource grab that is essential for “growth” creates a culture of rape – the rape of the earth, of local self reliant economies, the rape of women. The only way in which this “growth” is “inclusive” is by its inclusion of ever larger numbers in its circle of violence.

I have repeatedly stressed that the rape of the Earth and rape of women are intimately linked, both metaphorically in shaping worldviews, and materially in shaping women’s everyday lives. The deepening economic vulnerability of women makes them more vulnerable to all forms of violence, including sexual assault, as we found out during a series of public hearings on the impact of economic reforms on women organized by the National commission on Women and the Research Foundation for Science,Technology and Ecology.

A privatized corporate state must rapidly become a police state.

This is why the politicians must surround themselves with ever increasing VIP security, diverting the police from their important duties to protect women and ordinary citizens.

The victim of the Delhi gang rape has triggered a social revolution. We must sustain it, deepen it, expand it. We must demand and get speedy and effective justice for women. We must call for fast track courts to convict those responsible for crimes against women. We must make sure laws are changed so justice is not elusive for victims of sexual violence. We must continue the demand for blacklisting of politicians with criminal records.

And while do all this we need to change the ruling paradigm which is imposed on us in the name of “growth”, and which is fuelling increasing crimes against women. Ending violence against women includes moving beyond the violent economy  shaped by capitalist patriarchy to nonviolent peaceful, economies which give respect to women and the Earth.

http://www.zcommunications.org/violent-economic-reforms-and-the-growing-violence-against-women-by-vandana-shiva