In Closed Spaces: How Tradition And Social Norms Normalize Domestic Violence

In 2023, the United Nations (2024) estimated that 736 million women -about one in three- have experienced physical or sexual violence. Most cases are by current or former partners, with over 640 million women aged 15+ experiencing intimate partner violence. Another striking statistic is that, in the same year, approximately 51,100 women and girls were killed by partners or family members, representing a daily average of 140 deaths globally. Domestic violence is often connected to tradition and social norms. They give one partner power over another and therefore normalize violence and abuse. In many cultures, survivors cannot speak out or leave, and community behaviors that excuse or ignore abuse also keep victims trapped in this cycle. In Elif Shafak’s novel “Honor,” the “mother” tells her daughter-in-law: “No daughter of mine will abandon her husband. If she does, I’ll beat the hell out of her, even if I’m dead by then. I’ll come back as a ghost!”. When culture stays silent, who speaks for survivors?

Join us for a discussion led by 2nd year MA student Yaprak Eris!