Intersectional Approach To Violence Against Women

Throughout the history of colonialism, colonizers claimed themselves as the superior culture. As the superior culture, they opposed any other culture, race and custom. The colonial practices and how they collectively affect women experiences in relation to gender and race highlighted the intersectional approach that plays a role in the violence against women. Therefore, to address the root causes of violence against women one must explore in-depth these colonial practices, which are formed by other “dimension of their identities, such as race and class” and women social experiences and relationships (Crenshaw, 1991). Race, class and gender are interlocking experiences, which affects all aspects of a person’s life. In addition, social institutions, policies, and norms increase the vulnerability of women to violence and threaten their ability to obtain basic human rights. Gender violence will be used interchangeably with sexual and domestic violence throughout this piece to show how the dominant culture with strong patriarchal outlooks that …show more content…
These approaches have unintended consequence of increasing control of marginalized women. Smith states, “As a result of this systematic and long-term abuse, sexual and other forms of gender violence have been internalized within African American and Native American communities” (p. 44). Internalized oppression continues to objectify, disempower, and exploit women. In addition, it creates cultural myths and a silent environment that in a way coerces women from reporting any violence against them. Smith states, “Communities of color, meanwhile, often pressure women to remain silent about sexual and domestic violence in order to maintain a 'united front' against racism” (151). These cultural myths not only affect the victims, but also the perpetrators on how it is handle by the criminal justice