Have you ever heard the words “Domestic Violence” or “DV”? DV is the violence committed by one spouse or partner on the other. The victims are usually women. This violence occurs in the privacy of the home where outsiders cannot easily interfere. DV tended to be considered as “a bad quarrel between spouses” or “a family problem”. As a result police did not intervene. However, this is a serious mistake. DV is a crime.
Men are usually good husbands when their wives are what they want them to be, but some men get violent when they are not. Sometimes men vent their discontent and pent up stress from work and society violently on their wives. At the same time serious emotional scars are left on the hearts and minds of children who have seen their loving mothers being beaten.
Foreign women living in Japan who are victims of DV often experience further hardship because; they are not living in their own country, have no family to ask for help, have few friends, do not know where to look for help or advice and can’t speak Japanese well. Visa problems can also make matters worse.
The women who are being beaten are not the problem. The problem is the men who beat them. There is no need to suffer alone. Get advice or help at a center for women or a foreigner’s support center near you. Your decision will be respected and privacy protected.
Centers in Kobe:
* W.S. Hyogo
Tel & Fax: 078-251-9901
Consultation Available: Every Thursday 12:00-17:00
* Asian Women’s Empowerment Project [AWEP]
Tel & Fax: 078-735-6131
Consultation Available: Every Wednesday 11:00-17:00
Languages: English, Portuguese and Tagalog
* NGO Foreigner’s Assistance Network Information Hotline [GQ-net]
Tel: 078-232-1209
Languages: English, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese
Wednesdays 14:00-20:00 & Saturdays 11:00-17:00