Violence against women is not confined to one country, culture, or community, or even to one gender.

From the United States to India, South Africa, Nigeria, and Pacific Island nations, women face physical, sexual, and system-ic aggression. Understanding these global experiences not only expands our aware-ness but also provides insight into strate-gies for action and advocacy that can work anywhere and can be implemented in a legal framework.

In the context of UN CSW70, I have ex-plored cross-cultural examples, the role of media in highlighting systemic failures, and lessons for women seeking empower-ment and justice.

1. When Legal Protection Falls Short

Across the world, legal systems often fail to protect people adequately, even when laws exist. In India, for instance, survivors of sexual assault can wait years to see justice. A high-profile case involved a mother and her daughter who endured a decade-long legal battle after a brutal attack. While laws were on their side, the implementation gap—slow courts, bu-reaucratic hurdles, and societal pressure—made legal protection almost symbolic.

Similarly, post-apartheid South Africa has laws against domestic violence and sexual assault, but systemic inequalities, social stigma, and community distrust mean that survivors often cannot rely on timely or effective justice.

Even in today’s New Zealand, Indigenous and Pacific Island women face compound-ed challenges: colonial legacies, cultural marginalization, and under-resourced le-gal support structure, all of which leave survivors without an understanding of available recourse.

Laws alone are not enough. Women and many men everywhere need support networks, advocacy groups, and com-munity allies to make legal rights mean-ingful.

2. Cultural Barriers and Social Norms

Violence is deeply entwined with cultural and social norms. In many communities, silence is expected; speaking out is stigmatized, as a result, women and men are actively discouraged from defending themselves, reporting crimes, or seeking help.

• In South Asia, women may fear honor-based retaliation or family ostracism.
• In certain African contexts, post-colonial power structures perpetuate gen-dered violence and limit access to justice.

Among Pacific Island commu-nities, tradi-tional hierar-chies and in-tergenerational trauma complicate the response to do-mestic violence.

Global awareness can help US audiences understand that victim-blaming and stigma are universal, and that solidari-ty, rather than judgment, is critical. We are watching a significant, but in many ways disconcerting change taking place as the Epstein files unfold. Will there be a backlash, or can this be parlayed into a permanent change?

3. The Power of Storytelling and Film

Cinema and media have become powerful tools for exposing systemic failures and in-spiring action. Beyond documentaries like The Hunting Ground (see Secretary arti-cle pX), international films depict the struggles and re-silience of women:

• India: Damini (1993) shows a woman fighting the legal system after witness-ing a rape, while Uyare (2019) explores a survivor reclaiming life after an acid attack, and Thappad (2020) critiques domestic violence and cultural indifference.
• Nigeria/Nollywood: Dry (2014) depicts child marriage and sexual assault, and Code of Silence (2015) highlights reporting challenges and societal backlash.
• Southeast Asia: 27 Steps of May (Indonesia, 2018) portrays trauma after political violence, while Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017) explores revenge and empowerment in a patriarchal setting.

These films illuminate systemic fail-ures, inspire advocacy, and normalize speaking out, offering global audiences relatable frameworks for action.

4. Lessons for U.S. Women

Even though these examples are interna-tional, the lessons are just as relevant at home. How many of us assume all women in the US know their rights, forgetting that many, born here to immigrant families, are subject to more stringent rules than their parents faced growing up.

Legal protection is only as effective as its enforcement

Knowing your rights is vital, but it’s equally important to build community and institutional support.

Cultural norms influence response.

Recognize that silence is often en-forced socially, not just legally. Advo-cacy, storytelling, and allyship can shift norms.

Media and storytelling matter.

Films and documentaries can provide validation, education, and strategic in-sight into action steps.

Support networks save lives.

Whether local NGOs, hotlines, or peer networks, forming a safe-ty net is crucial.

5. Action Without Risk: Global-Inspired Principles

Global examples rein-force the principles we discussed in the U.S. context:

• Safety first: Across cultures, immediate sur-vival and avoiding escala-tion are key.
• Document evidence safely: International NGOs encourage careful documentation as a bridge to justice.
• Seek allies: Survivors in South Africa, India, and the Pacific Islands often rely on advocacy groups or extended family networks to navigate legal systems.
• Empowerment over retaliation: Across contexts, effective action focus-es on regaining agency rather than re-venge.

In all these cases, informed, supported action—not silent endurance—is the path toward empowerment and long-term sys-temic change.

6. Why Global Awareness Matters

US audiences can benefit from a global perspective because it has been imported, and it:

• Highlights systemic similarities: Legal loopholes, victim-blaming, and institutional inertia exist world-wide.
• Inspires creative solutions: From community watch programs to media campaigns and advocacy groups, international strat-egies provide models.
• Builds solidarity: Women realizing they are not alone, even across continents, strengthens resilience and advocacy net-works.

Seeing women in India, Nigeria, or Indonesia act despite risks encourages US women to use their own resources, allies, and legal rights confidently.

7. Takeaway: Action Transcends Borders

Violence against women is universal, but so is resilience. Global examples show that laws are necessary but not sufficient, and action—careful, informed, and supported—empowers women while challenging systemic failures.

Films, documentaries, and advocacy stories provide lessons, not just for awareness but for tangible strategies: speak out, document, connect with support systems, and re-claim agency.

Even in environments with legal protection, but difficult social norms or cultural pressures, taking action responsibly is possible. Silence is safe for systems—but deadly for women and many men.

Across continents and cultures, the message is consistent: empowered action saves lives and challenges injustice.

Further Resources

• International documentaries & advocacy: India’s Daughter, Fighting the Silence
• NGOs with global reach: Amnesty International Women’s Rights Program, Global Citizen, UN Women
• Films for awareness and discussion: Damini, Uyare, Thappad, Dry, Code of Silence, 27 Steps of May, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts

Nermin K. Ahmad
Chair Women on the Move
womenonthemove@nfbpwc.org