Global Report on Human Settlements 2007 - PoA-ISS

102
Urban crime and violence
In some parts of the
world violence
against women
appears to be deeply
etched in society;
but it is also clear
that there is growing
pressure for this to
be ended
The process of
tackling domestic
violence requires
long-term commitment
since it often
seeks to address
cultural habits and
practices that are
deeply ingrained
nature. For example, in 1995 the Colombian government
launched two Casas de Justicia (Houses of Justice), which
are based on face-to-face meetings between parties in
conflict and which include the provision of access to legal
services for low-income families.
Strategies aimed at reducing risk factors
The main elements in strategies designed to achieve the
reduction of risk factors appear to be measures to tackle
violence against women, programmes to prevent youth
(particularly young males) from slipping into a life of crime,
as well as programmes to help people in both of these groups
who have become victims of crime.
■ Focusing on violence against women
In some parts of the world violence against women appears
to be deeply etched in society; but it is also clear that there
is growing pressure for this to be ended as part of securing
basic human rights for women. One publication seeking to
offer practical advice to this end in Eastern and Southern
Africa notes:
The call for an end to violence against women is
growing ever louder. Increasingly, women’s
rights are seen as a cornerstone in the promotion
of human rights and the realization of
social justice. Clearly, women cannot live free,
safe and dignified lives when violence, or the
threat of violence, pervades their public and
private experiences. Without the basic right to
live free from fear, all other gains are compromised…
The challenge for activists now is to
translate these visions of women’s rights into
practical projects and activities that promote
meaningful change in the lives of women, men,
families and communities. 67
The approach suggested for tackling domestic violence
against women has five phases:
1 Community assessment: gathering information about
attitudes and beliefs, and beginning to build relationships
with community members.
2 Raising awareness: increasing awareness of domestic
violence and its consequences, not just among the
community at large, but specifically with various governmental
and professional sectors.
3 Building networks: encouraging and supporting community
members and professional sectors to begin
considering action and changes that uphold women’s
right to safety.
4 Integrating action: making action against domestic
violence part of everyday life and of the policies and
practices of institutions.
5 Consolidating efforts: strengthening activities in order
to ensure their sustainability, continued growth and
progress. Such actions might well include gathering
data to provide evidence of what has been achieved
since positive evidence of this nature can of itself
provide a stimulus to further action. 68
This is just one example of an initiative to offer practical
advice and support in tackling domestic violence in a part of
the world where this is a major problem. The process of
tackling domestic violence requires long-term commitment
since it often seeks to address cultural habits and practices
that are deeply ingrained. This requires committed leadership
and the ability to keep going in the face of setbacks. An
important element that has been promoted widely and
increasingly by both activists and municipalities is the development
of partnerships and joint initiatives, in which
voluntary work, institutional support and access to networks
and infrastructures is facilitated by pulling together
resources and capacities. One of the trends during recent
years in this context has been that what were often previously
isolated initiatives of this kind have not only been
supported by international organizations, but have also been
able to link with other groups in other parts of the world for
advice, support and encouragement. Initiatives of this nature
are much facilitated by the development of electronic
communication, including the internet, 69 and by the ability
of groups to come together at major world events to
exchange experiences. 70
■ Women’s safety audits
A starting point for many projects that seek to tackle
violence against women is the use of women’s safety audits.
Essentially, these involve exploratory walks by groups of
three to six people, mainly women designed to identify
specific problems in the local environment from a woman’s
safety perspective. At each specific site, participants identify
where the potential for crime is high or where women, or
others, may feel unsafe. This helps to suggest appropriate
corrective action. Women’s safety audits not only provide
valuable information, but also increase awareness of violence
against vulnerable groups, and help decision-makers to
understand how men and women experience their environments.
71 Box 4.9 summarizes the experience of Durban in
this regard. 72
■ Grappling with youth crime
The fact that cities as different as Port Moresby (see Box 4.5)
and Toronto (see Box 4.7) both recognize the need to pay
particular attention to youth crime is suggestive of the
ubiquitous nature of this problem. A significant proportion
of the crimes that occur in cities across the world are perpetrated
by young males. 73 In many instances, this is because
they have few options. Consequently, strategies designed to
show young people that there are better alternatives and to
encourage them to experience employment opportunities or
engage in sporting or cultural activities in preference to a life
of crime are increasingly becoming popular. The value of
such strategies can be seen in both their short- and longterm
effects. In the short term, strategies of this nature can
deflect young people away from criminal activities and therefore
can positively affect one of the groups most prone to
crime. There are examples of short-term successes of this