The media and police have put the family members of the missing women in the untenable situation of being expected to be critical of the police, yet they are made entirely dependent on the same police for information about the investigation and the fate of `their woman.’ Police-controlled victim services workers have reportedly warned family members about jeopardizing the investigation by speaking with media and non-police agencies (read feminist).
We have become skillful at making sure the mothers and children and the poorest of the volunteers and workers have access to gift giving for their beloved.
Over the last 5 years I have seen the term "wife beating" change into "domestic violence", "husband" or "boyfriend" into "partner" or "spouse". People at all levels of power co-operate with this obscuring of who has power and who suffers the violence.
There has been a great push toward methods of professionalism in our work in the transition houses and it will take every effort on all our parts to fight back and hold onto our practice of feminism.
We recognize that these women have taken a huge risk in the hopes of a better life, a life that is widely promoted by developing nations. It is easy for traffickers to promote and sell to these women – their lives offer few alternatives. Our government has colluded with these traffickers by applying tremendous pressure with other first world nations to demand that third world countries conform to the western market ideologies hidden in calls for freedom and democracy.
Rohypnol is only the latest drug men use to commit rape. Attention focuses on Rohypnol, but men who rape continue to use alcohol, prescription medication, marijuana, and cocaine. Women are bombarded with warnings to modify their behaviour to keep themselves safe from Rohypnol, yet the number of women calling us to report the use of drugs or alcohol as a factor in the violence done to them remains constant.
The conference was unique. It brought together grassroots activists who run rape crisis centres, women who had used rape crisis centres, anti-poverty workers, prisoner advocates and women who had done time in prison, supreme court judges, and some of the most brilliant feminist legal minds in the country. We found that we agreed with each other far more than we disagreed.
In September of 1999, feminist frontline anti-violence workers and some of our allies from equality seeking women's groups met to discuss and debate and determine what critical issues related to violence against women are facing in British Columbia.
We require the police and crown councils to do their jobs. When we come to you, do not treat us like inconveniences. Treat us with respect and investigate our cases. Charge him appropriately. Do not treat our advocates and support system with suspicion. Understand that we require each other’s presence until we can be 100% sure of your good will and action on our behalf.
On April 4th, the Coalition of South Asian Women Against Violence called a press conference to remember Rajwar Ghakal and eight members of her family who were all murdered in Vernon, BC by her estranged husband Mark Chahal (on April 5, 1996). The Coalition called the press conference to raise awareness about violence against women, making clear that the Vernon massacre was not an isolated incident and that there could be many other Vernons simmering and ready to explode.
