Survivor Injustice

Journalist and Jezebel staff writer Kylie Cheung exposes the insidious--and often unseen--connections among domestic abuse, state-based violence, political disenfranchisement, and the carceral state. "An astonishingly original, powerfully honest vision for true survivor justice." —Kirkus, starred review For readers of The Revolution Starts at Home, Feminism for the 99%, and Good and Mad. Incisive, urgent, and written exactly for our post-Roe times, Survivor Injustice is the feminist frame-changing read we need now--for each of us, and for all that’s at stake. With an abolitionist lens, journalist and Jezebel staff writer Kylie Cheung shows how domestic abuse and state violence are systemic and interconnected. She shatters the harmful and convenient narrative that abuse is a “private matter” perpetrated by individual bad actors--and situates popular understandings of domestic abuse in an indictment of the racism, misogyny, and carcerality baked into U.S. culture and politics. Cheung explores: The links between capitalism and domestic abuse: how late-stage capitalism colludes with the state to incentivize forced birth and reproductive coercion Intimate partner violence as a tool of political silence and social control America’s tacit acceptance of sexual assault, from the home to the White House The interplay of race, power, gender, and sexuality in state-based violence How the United States runs on carcerality, and what that means for victims The way we view survival crimes, and our complicity in defining which acts are “violent” and whose actions are “criminal” How white feminism and carceral feminism fail us all Cheung plainly names all that goes unsaid when we, as a culture, talk about abuse: How state and society criminalize women, girls, and gender-oppressed people of color. That what happens behind closed doors affects whose voices we hear at the ballot box. What it means when we put predators--from every party--up for vote. That sex workers are more likely to be victimized by law enforcement than “saved” by them. That this is all by design. And that ultimately--with organizing, abolition, and beyond-the-ballot action--we can change it all for good.

Nepal, a country emerging from armed conflict and with a strong base of patriarchy and feudalism at its roots, has institutionalized the norm of violence as portrayed in social values, political criminalisation and impunity. The practice of routinely subjecting women to various forms of violence from the womb to the grave is pervasive. Socially, the sanctity of marriage remains a key structure through which the liberty of women is hampered. Thus, the inter-linkages of women’s chastity with their sexuality wherein any breaches are considered to be contaminating norms have contributed to situate rape as the crime shrouded in secrecy, giving rise to a pervasive and prevalent culture of silence among the survivors. Rape is a heinous human rights violation that infringes upon the sexual autonomy and integrity of an individual. Nepal committed herself to uphold the international human rights norms as stipulated in the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); Convention on the Rights of the Child; International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); as a State party to international law. In addition, with the UNSCR 1325 and 1820 which are clear on promoting women’s participation and working towards combating sexual violence, it is mandatory for the Government of Nepal to put in place mechanisms to actualize its commitment to women’s rights. It is within this mandate that WOREC-Nepal and Isis-WICCE set out to examine the extent to which survivors of rape and sexual violence access justice and the efficacy of response mechanisms, in an effort to inform and draw the attention of decision and policy makers, activists, development workers, legal practitioners, and academic practitioners, to this critical development concern. Based on 55 in-depth interviews with survivors, 114 key informant interviews, 33 focus group discussions as primary sources; and media review (MR) of 201 cases and analysis of 723 documented cases WOREC xvii by organizations (OR) as secondary sources, the research team covered the 10 districts of Morang, Dhanusha, Kailali, Udayapur, Kavrepalanchowk, Kathmandu, Baglung, Dailekh, Dolakha and Darchula. Major findings i) Prevalence and magnitude of rape The findings show that the reporting and documentation of rape cases is still very marginal. An average of 443 cases in a year1reflects a high prevalence of rape if systems are conducive for survivors to report. The analysis further indicates that rape is a deeply entrenched national problem that transcends class, caste, ethnicity, age, economic, educational, geographical and religious status. From the regional perspective, Terai/Madhes was rated at (46.5% -MR and 45.1% -OR); and Jhapa (43-OR) district as having the highest rate of rape. According to the media review, the most affected group was in Hill Janjati (39.3%); and as per organizations’ documentation review, Brahmin/Chhetri and Hill Dalit (24.5% for each) followed by Hill Janjati (23%). The groups of minors (62.8%-OR, 63.6%-MR and 65.9%-police), students (67.9% -MR and 62.5%-OR) and unmarried women (79.4%-MR and 88.3%- OR) were the most vulnerable and affected. Though it is a fact that rape within marriage exists, it remains a taboo subject which is kept well hidden and institutionalized within the family structure. It was therefore difficult to identify and document marital rape related cases.

Men and women embarking on the study of systematic theology quickly find themselves awash in a sea of unfamiliar theological terms, historical names, and philosophical "-isms." The Survivor's Guide to Theology is both a life preserver to help stay afloat and a compass to help navigate these often unfamiliar waters. While many books on systematic theology provide introductory material, still the reader is often forced to dive right into actual theology without adequate framework for understanding. Resources for building this framework are available but scattered. This unique book brings them together in one place. The Survivor's Guide to Theology is ideal for both introduction and review/reference. - The first part deals with the question, "What is Theology?" It addresses issues, categories, theory of knowledge, and more. - The second part surveys nine major theological systems. For each, the author provides history and background, overview of content and theological distinctive, and a critique. - The final part provides the reader with biographical sketches of significant theologians, a brief dictionary of common theological terms, and an annotated bibliography of major theological works.

First Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.