Religious leaders unclear on how to help

Published Nov 25, 2008

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Religious leaders can play a key role in efforts to end violence against women, says Patrick Godana of the Sonke Gender Justice network.

They should help women who are victims of domestic abuse with any religious concerns and explain that their partners' violence has broken the marriage covenant.

What religious leaders should not do, he says, is react with disbelief or disgust, blame the woman, encourage her to forgive her partner and take him back, recommend counselling or send her off with a prayer.

Instead they should believe what they are told by the woman who has suffered abuse, reassure her that it is not her fault, and offer her practical advice, while respecting her right to make her own decisions.

But very few religious leaders know how to play a useful role in the lives of women, children and men involved in domestic violence, says Elizabeth Petersen, who wrote her master's thesis in social work at the University of the Western Cape on the topic.

"Religious leaders should guarantee a woman suffering abuse at home a safe space where she is able to share her deepest emotions and concerns, without the fear of being judged or not believed," says Petersen, a former head of St Anne's shelter in Woodstock who is now on a scholarship programme in the United States.

"Chances are that she knows what she wants to do in the situation. If this is in conflict with her personal beliefs, she will need support on getting clear."

Petersen says many ministers, priests, rabbis and imams are very concerned about domestic violence.

"Most of the time their advice or support is given clouded with their own lack of understanding about domestic violence.

"There may be general codes of conduct when doing counselling, but we still need a lot of work in each faith community to create guidelines and training support for intervention. Some extensive work has been done in other countries in this respect."

Where they do intervene, it is usually as a response to the victim.

"Very few religious leaders are prepared to engage men who abuse their partners," Petersen says.

"Countless women with faith are trapped in domestic violence without the help of the people they would most like to turn to."

- Staff Writer

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