Kuwait: Women, who are subjected to various kinds of violence, should put an end to it, said a Kuwaiti psychotherapist on Tuesday.

This is the first step towards eliminating physical abuse of women a wide-spread phenomenon in the Arab countries and around the world Altaf Al Sultab told Gulf News on the sidelines of a two-day conference on the status of women.

"But I don't like to look outside. We in the Arab world are used to looking outside for reasons [for our problems]. I don't like to do so," said UK-educated Altaf.

"I like to look inside the person. Because, if a human being did not build himself or herself properly, even the talk from outside would not have any impact," she added, citing the example of a highly educated woman who used to be beaten by her husband since 1985.

"The last time I saw her I asked: 'Have you counted how many times you were beaten?'

"'No', she replied. I asked her, 'Is it possible for both of us to count them?' Again, she responded by saying 'no'. Had she counted the number, she would have left the house," said Altaf.

She said the abused woman "surely" blames the man. "I also blame the woman for accepting this ... I blame the woman for accepting to live in a degrading condition."

Several activists from Kuwait, Gulf countries and the UN took part in the conference organised by the seven-member Human Rights Committee at the Kuwaiti parliament to mark Women's Day.

The meeting, which concluded yesterday, discussed several issues to improve human rights record, with special attention on women. Violence, women's rights, correction centres and the role of media were among the issues discussed.

"I was the first Bahraini women and lawyer to realise that in the seventies there was a difference between religious rulings and what is being implemented," Lulwa Al Awadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Women in Bahrain, told Gulf News.

"The problems are the same [worldwide], but they differ in ratio and vary according to economic, social and cultural factors," said Lulwa.

"The solution is in a comprehensive frame ? in legislation, media, economic and social," she said.

Statistics
Psychological and physical violence

A paper presented by Maha Naji Ghanam, a Kuwaiti adviser in social development issues, quoted statistics worldwide:

  • More than 4 million American women subjected to physical and psychological violence from husbands or friends.
  • Every 18 seconds, there is a wife beaten by a husband in the US.
  • 28 per cent of British women were attacked by husbands and friends.
  • 172 crimes were committed by men against women in Egypt during last six months in 2005.
  • Average victims of 'honour crimes' in Jordan: 23 women a year.
  • At least 400 crimes against women in the name of honour committed in Yemen in one year.
  • 62 per cent of 350 Bahraini wives beaten by husbands.