Marxist-Driven Domestic Violence Programs See Major Setbacks

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Mike Buchanan

Telephone: +44 7967 026163

Marxist-Driven Domestic Violence Programs See Major Setbacks

January 29, 2024 – Domestic violence programs based on Marxist principles have faced two major setbacks in recent weeks. Both events arose from efforts to propagate the European Union’s Istanbul Convention (1), the controversial policy that seeks to curb domestic violence.

Common experience shows that domestic violence often involves female perpetrators. In a recent case, Marquita Kershaw, 40, was tried for stabbing her former partner in the chest with a large kitchen knife. Her victim, Wayne McCloud, suffered a stab wound “deep enough to have grazed his liver” (2). Indeed, research shows women are as likely as men to commit domestic violence (3).

But inexplicably, the Marxist-driven Istanbul Convention (4) denies the existence of female abusers. In the words of Christine Anderson, Member of the European Parliament, the Istanbul Convention is based on “gender theories with no scientific basis” that “generates prejudices against men…due to its partial, biased, and discriminatory nature.” (5)

The first setback to the Istanbul Convention happened last week in the Czech Republic. After the Czech Senate scheduled a ratification vote on the policy, the Traditional Family Association launched a national petition that charged the “Istanbul Convention primarily deals with the implementation of gender ideology” and the “protection of women from domestic violence is only a pretext to achieve this goal.” The petition was signed by over 146,000 persons (6).

During last Wednesday’s debate, opponents to the proposal emphasized the Convention had not reduced violence in the countries that had ratified it. After seven hours of heated debate, a majority of the senators voted in opposition to the divisive policy (7).

The second setback arose from a European Union effort to export the Istanbul Convention around the world, representing the most ambitious attempt ever to address domestic violence on a multi-country basis. The Spotlight Initiative was conducted in Africa (8 countries), Latin America (6 countries), Caribbean (6 countries), the Pacific (4 countries), and Asia (3 countries). (8)

Launched in 2017 with an impressive budget of nearly 500 million euros, the Initiative sought to reshape entire countries according to the feminist model:

1) Target inequitable laws and policies

2) Strengthen institutions

3) Challenge harmful social norms

4) Strengthen services, access to justice and referral systems

5) Strengthen data and tracking systems

6) Support civil society and movement building

But the program said nothing about addressing female-perpetrated violence, tackling the root causes of domestic violence such as alcohol abuse, or offering couples counseling.

No surprise, an evaluation conducted by the European Court of Auditors revealed the program was a failure. The Auditors summarized the fiasco in a single sentence: “There is no evidence of violence against women and girls having decreased in the various countries covered by the Spotlight Initiative” (9).

History is replete with efforts to impose sweeping changes on societies based on the Marxist vision. In every case, the program was a social, cultural, and economic failure (10).

Now, we can add the EU’s Istanbul Convention to the list.

The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance – DAVIA — consists of 122 member organizations from 34 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. DAVIA seeks to ensure that domestic violence and abuse polices are science-based, family-affirming, and gender-inclusive. https://endtodv.org/coalitions/davia/

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