Cause of Death: Woman

”All that I wish for, is that one of my

rapists will marry me.”

”Islam is unequivocally against

torture of women.”

”My father hit me with a belt that day. I was six years

old, I walked out the door and never went back.”

”Women are considered belongings, yes, like

pets. If your dog goes crazy, you shoot it, right?”

”The girls get used to the violence and don´t want

to part from it. This is a fact that has shocked us

many times.”

”I am not particularly brave, but I have learned to live with fear.”

”Now I feel like a true woman,

my genitals are complete.”

”Since honor violence has always exist-

ed, it has to be the natural way.”

”The day of my circumcision I was happy. I

knew that I was going to get attention and

brand new clothes, for the first time in my life”

”I am not brave, I’m scared - but I have to”

”I pray to God that not one more

girl will be born in Pakistan.”

”We woke up in a room filled with fire.”

”Machismo is everywhere. This is

what kills the women in Mexico.” ”For politicians feminicide is a reality that doesn´t ex-

ist. They simply just don´t care.”

”I am a doctor and a citizen of the United

States of America. It didn’t help. In the end

I was still nothing more than a woman.”

Did you know that domestic violence and rape injures and kills

more women between the age of 15 and 44, than cancer?

We will document women’s violent reality, and raise

awareness on all levels, ranging from students to politicians.

Through the eyes of ten killed women we will show the different expressions of gender-based

violence all over the world. Our journey will take us to ten different countries exploring the

reasons behind it, the effect it has on health, the economical consequences and how the police

and judicial system deals with the problem.

We will meet survivors in every country and present good examples of work being conducted

against the violence.

We will focus our documentation on 10 different countries

The first countries we have documented

Mexico

Pakistan

South Africa

Egypt

USA

Pakistan - Honour violence

USA - Domestic violence

Russia - Domestic violence and alcohol

South Africa - Rape / Corrective rape

Democratic Rep. of Congo - Violence in war

Egypt - FGM (Female Gentile Mutilation)

Mexico - Feminicide

Spain - Domestic violence

Brazil - Violence in the shanty towns

Sweden - Domestic violence

Different manifestations of the violence

Survivors & Changers

Survivor, Johannesburg, South Africa

Elizabeth’s boyfriend gave her the scars. They lived together for four years and have two sons. He

used to grab whatever he could find, a bottle or a knife or a whip. It always got worse when he was

drunk. She never got support from anyone, including her own mother. “Even your mother hates you

– how can anyone love you?” her boyfriend said

Changers, South Africa

SA-changers Changers, South Africa - Sonke Gender Justice Network fights domestic violence, rape

and other gender issues through engaging and educating men in society. 40 percent of the women in

South Africa are raped at least once in their lives, and more than 25 percent of the men admit to have

raped, one or several times

Survivor, Johannesburg, South Africa

Blessing’s uncle started abusing her sexually when she was 3. When she was 10 she was treated for

a sexually transmitted disease. She has been raped in total by 7 men, twice gang raped. One of the

attacks resulted in her daughter, and made her run from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg. The ordeals

made her a drug addict. Now she has been living at a shelter for a year, and she is clean. She never

looks up while we speak.

Changers, Maryland, USA

Domestic Violence is a priority area for the police force, with a special Lethality Assessment Protocol

– to identify women who are in real danger.

Survivor, Kansas City, USA

Lucille and her two daughters were drugged and raped by a neighbor. Her abusive husband blamed

her and when the story came out in the oldest daughter’s school Lucille and her daughters took

refuge in a shelter.

Survivor, Lahore, Pakistan

Shumaila was abused by her husband for 16 years, unable to divorce since the disgrace would make

it impossible for her younger sisters to find a spouse. When she finally managed to escape with her

six children, her oldest son followed his father’s lead and began to hit her. The son returned her to

his father who locked her up with her in laws that continued the violent circle.

Changers, Pakistan

The psychologist works as a volunteer at the only private shelter in Lahore Pakistan. It is run by two

sisters – the lawyers Hina Jilani and Asma Jahangir - who are the front figures of women’s rights in

the country. On arrival the psychologist is showered with hugs.

Survivor, Lahore, Pakistan

Gulnaz’s cousin wanted to marry her 20 years ago, but she married another man. The cousin re-

venged her with acid, a common injury along sides with gas burns. Women’s organizations file both

under the statistics of violence against women in Pakistan.

Survivor, Cairo, Egypt

Sara is 14, her father used to beat her with a log. He broke her leg and drove her to the streets. Now

she is pregnant after a rape.

Changers, Egypt

Better Life has worked in the villages surrounding El Minia for about 7 years, and managed to reduce

the rates of female genital mutilation from 90 percent to 10. The practice is more common in Egypt

than anywhere else in the world, but it is not strongly rooted in society.

Survivors, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Susanas husband convinced her that his highest wish was to see her sleep with other men, as well

as with his 14 year old stepdaughter. In the mean time he charged the men for the service. Susana

had enough when she discovered that he had sexually abused their 6 months old daughter and re-

ported him to the police. They considered her an accomplice and put her in jail for ten years.

Changers, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

It is commonly named the most violent city in the world with 10 murders a day. Some are so called

femicides, characterized by kidnappings, rapes and mutilations like cut of breast. But the women’s

movement is strong, which they visualize by raising a pink cross wherever a body is found.

Survivor, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

One day Lizzie felt she’d had enough and took her five children and ran away. Her husband wounded

her ribs so badly that she had to wear a corset. For that he spent three days in prison.

Five dead women

Samia Sawar - Lahore, Pakistan

Cause of death: Honor violence

Badour Shaker - El Minia, Egypt

Cause of death: Female genital mutilation

Maggie Wardle - Kalamazoo, USA

Cause of death: Dating violence

Susana Chavez - Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Cause of death: Femicide

Eudy Simelane - Johannesburg, South Africa

Cause of death: Gang rape and stabbing

(Lahore - Pakistan)

... The five visitors climb the 49 steps that lead to the entrance of the lawyers’ office. They pass two polished

signs reading ”Asma Jahangir, lawyer, Supreme Court. Hina Jilani, lawyer Supreme Court”. At first, they all

walk without any effort, but as they close in on the office door, the woman who is Samia’s mother begins to

limp. She has hurt her foot, she says, and leans on the bearded man for support. The armed policeman guard-

ing the entrance, Basharat Aziz, allows the group to pass.

Samia Sarwar

Cause of death: Honor violence

Facing the reception of the lawyers’ office, the group introduces itself. The staff know that Samia and her law-

yer is awaiting the mother, but asks the older man, who later turns out to be Samia’s uncle Younus, to wait at

the front desk. The mother introduces the tall bearded man as her caretaker, and claims that she needs help to

walk because of her injured foot. The second couple just follows them, and no one objects.

When the door leading into Hina Jilani’s office opens, Samia rises from her chair and turns towards it smiling.

”Mother!” she calls out, and takes a few steps in the mother’s direction. As soon as the elderly woman has sat

down, the ”caretaker” pulls out a gun and shoots. Three bullets pierce through Samia’s body and she falls to

the floor. ...

Samia Sarwar (Lahore - Pakistan)

—A website containing texts, photography, audio an video material. It will include a print on

demand exhibition and dialogue material available to anyone. The website will be launched

in spring 2012 at www.causeofdeathwoman.com

Right now Swedish readers can follow our work through our blog at the same address.

—An inlay in the biggest Swedish daily Aftonbladet. We are also working on the possibilities

of publishing an extensive hard cover book in English.

—A series of articles in Aftonbladet, and publications in various media outlets.

—We are in discussion with exhibitors regarding an extensive traveling exhibition for big venues.

—We are planning journalist workshops in various countries, initially in Georgia.

Our work will result in:

—To attain a wide spread of our material we are cooperating with a variation of organiza-

tions that will use our material. Amongst others we are working with the international net-

work for women’s shelters through a Swedish shelter organization (SKR), European Wom-

en’s Lobby, SIDA, Amnesty, Save the Children, Red Cross, RFSU and Aftonbladet. The UN

representative on sexual violence in conflict Margot Wallström and the Swedish Foreign

Ministry are involved as supporters of the project.

Cooperation and oranizations

Who are we

Karin Alfredsson has written articles, debate books and novels on

violence against women all her life, several of them from an international

perspective. Visit www.karinalfredsson.se to know more.

phone: +46 (0) 70 887 87 57 e-mail: [email protected]

Kerstin Weigl compiled a unique and award-winning investigation together

with Kristina Edblom, for Aftonbladet in 2009. Exhuming all mortal

violence against women in Sweden, during the 21st century.

phone: +46 (0) 70 714 55 49 e-mail: [email protected]

Linda Forsell is a photojournalist and produced an exhibition discussing

the gender issue, which traveled throughout Sweden. She has worked

abroad in countries like Israel and Palestine, Georgia and East Africa. See

her work at www.lindaforsell.com

phone: +46 (0) 73 036 48 09 e-mail: [email protected]

Umbrella organisation of the project

Official sponsors

The Swedish Association of Women’s Shelters and Young Women’s

Empowerment Centres, SKR (www.kvinnojouren.se).

SIDA - Swedish International Development Agency

Moggliden AB - The Stieg Larsson Family Trust