This document provides a summary of a project that aims to document and raise awareness of violence against women globally. It will tell the stories of 10 women who were killed as a result of gender-based violence by focusing on their lives and deaths in 10 different countries. The project will explore the various manifestations of violence women face, such as honor killings, domestic violence, rape, and sexual mutilation. It will also profile survivors and organizations working to combat violence. The documentation will be compiled into a website and print exhibition to educate people about the prevalence and impact of violence against women worldwide.

2. ”Women are considered belongings, yes, like
”All that I wish for, is that one of my
pets. If your dog goes crazy, you shoot it, right?”
rapists will marry me.”
”We woke up in a room filled with fire.”
”My father hit me with a belt that day. I was six years
”Islam is unequivocally against
old, I walked out the door and never went back.”
torture of women.”
”I am not brave, I’m scared - but I have to”
”The day of my circumcision I was happy. I
”Since honor violence has always exist- knew that I was going to get attention and
ed, it has to be the natural way.” brand new clothes, for the first time in my life”
”I am not particularly brave, but I have learned to live with fear.”
”I am a doctor and a citizen of the United
”I pray to God that not one more
States of America. It didn’t help. In the end
girl will be born in Pakistan.” I was still nothing more than a woman.”
”The girls get used to the violence and don´t want
”Now I feel like a true woman,
to part from it. This is a fact that has shocked us
many times.” my genitals are complete.”
”Machismo is everywhere. This is
”For politicians feminicide is a reality that doesn´t ex-
what kills the women in Mexico.”
ist. They simply just don´t care.”

3. Did you know that domestic violence and rape injures and kills
more women between the age of 15 and 44, than cancer?

4. We will document women’s violent reality, and raise
awareness on all levels, ranging from students to politicians.
Through the eyes of ten killed women we will show the different expressions of gender-based
violence all over the world. Our journey will take us to ten different countries exploring the
reasons behind it, the effect it has on health, the economical consequences and how the police
and judicial system deals with the problem.
We will meet survivors in every country and present good examples of work being conducted
against the violence.

5. We will focus our documentation
on 10 different countries

6. The first countries we have documented
USA
Pakistan
Egypt
Mexico
South Africa

7. Different manifestations of the violence
Pakistan - Honour violence
USA - Domestic violence
Russia - Domestic violence and alcohol
South Africa - Rape / Corrective rape
Democratic Rep. of Congo - Violence in war
Egypt - FGM (Female Gentile Mutilation)
Mexico - Feminicide
Spain - Domestic violence
Brazil - Violence in the shanty towns
Sweden - Domestic violence

8. Survivors & Changers

9. Survivor, Johannesburg, South Africa
Elizabeth’s boyfriend gave her the scars. They lived together for four years and have two sons. He
used to grab whatever he could find, a bottle or a knife or a whip. It always got worse when he was
drunk. She never got support from anyone, including her own mother. “Even your mother hates you
– how can anyone love you?” her boyfriend said

10. Changers, South Africa
SA-changers Changers, South Africa - Sonke Gender Justice Network fights domestic violence, rape
and other gender issues through engaging and educating men in society. 40 percent of the women in
South Africa are raped at least once in their lives, and more than 25 percent of the men admit to have
raped, one or several times

11. Survivor, Johannesburg, South Africa
Blessing’s uncle started abusing her sexually when she was 3. When she was 10 she was treated for
a sexually transmitted disease. She has been raped in total by 7 men, twice gang raped. One of the
attacks resulted in her daughter, and made her run from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg. The ordeals
made her a drug addict. Now she has been living at a shelter for a year, and she is clean. She never
looks up while we speak.

12. Changers, Maryland, USA
Domestic Violence is a priority area for the police force, with a special Lethality Assessment Protocol
– to identify women who are in real danger.

13. Survivor, Kansas City, USA
Lucille and her two daughters were drugged and raped by a neighbor. Her abusive husband blamed
her and when the story came out in the oldest daughter’s school Lucille and her daughters took
refuge in a shelter.

14. Survivor, Lahore, Pakistan
Shumaila was abused by her husband for 16 years, unable to divorce since the disgrace would make
it impossible for her younger sisters to find a spouse. When she finally managed to escape with her
six children, her oldest son followed his father’s lead and began to hit her. The son returned her to
his father who locked her up with her in laws that continued the violent circle.

15. Changers, Pakistan
The psychologist works as a volunteer at the only private shelter in Lahore Pakistan. It is run by two
sisters – the lawyers Hina Jilani and Asma Jahangir - who are the front figures of women’s rights in
the country. On arrival the psychologist is showered with hugs.

16. Survivor, Lahore, Pakistan
Gulnaz’s cousin wanted to marry her 20 years ago, but she married another man. The cousin re-
venged her with acid, a common injury along sides with gas burns. Women’s organizations file both
under the statistics of violence against women in Pakistan.

17. Survivor, Cairo, Egypt
Sara is 14, her father used to beat her with a log. He broke her leg and drove her to the streets. Now
she is pregnant after a rape.

18. Changers, Egypt
Better Life has worked in the villages surrounding El Minia for about 7 years, and managed to reduce
the rates of female genital mutilation from 90 percent to 10. The practice is more common in Egypt
than anywhere else in the world, but it is not strongly rooted in society.

19. Survivors, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
Susanas husband convinced her that his highest wish was to see her sleep with other men, as well
as with his 14 year old stepdaughter. In the mean time he charged the men for the service. Susana
had enough when she discovered that he had sexually abused their 6 months old daughter and re-
ported him to the police. They considered her an accomplice and put her in jail for ten years.

20. Changers, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
It is commonly named the most violent city in the world with 10 murders a day. Some are so called
femicides, characterized by kidnappings, rapes and mutilations like cut of breast. But the women’s
movement is strong, which they visualize by raising a pink cross wherever a body is found.

21. Survivor, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
One day Lizzie felt she’d had enough and took her five children and ran away. Her husband wounded
her ribs so badly that she had to wear a corset. For that he spent three days in prison.

22. Five dead women

23. Samia Sawar - Lahore, Pakistan Badour Shaker - El Minia, Egypt Maggie Wardle - Kalamazoo, USA
Cause of death: Honor violence Cause of death: Female genital mutilation Cause of death: Dating violence
Susana Chavez - Ciudad Juarez, Mexico Eudy Simelane - Johannesburg, South Africa
Cause of death: Femicide Cause of death: Gang rape and stabbing

24. Samia Sarwar
Cause of death: Honor violence
(Lahore - Pakistan)
... The five visitors climb the 49 steps that lead to the entrance of the lawyers’ office. They pass two polished
signs reading ”Asma Jahangir, lawyer, Supreme Court. Hina Jilani, lawyer Supreme Court”. At first, they all
walk without any effort, but as they close in on the office door, the woman who is Samia’s mother begins to
limp. She has hurt her foot, she says, and leans on the bearded man for support. The armed policeman guard-
ing the entrance, Basharat Aziz, allows the group to pass.

25. Samia Sarwar (Lahore - Pakistan)
Facing the reception of the lawyers’ office, the group introduces itself. The staff know that Samia and her law-
yer is awaiting the mother, but asks the older man, who later turns out to be Samia’s uncle Younus, to wait at
the front desk. The mother introduces the tall bearded man as her caretaker, and claims that she needs help to
walk because of her injured foot. The second couple just follows them, and no one objects.
When the door leading into Hina Jilani’s office opens, Samia rises from her chair and turns towards it smiling.
”Mother!” she calls out, and takes a few steps in the mother’s direction. As soon as the elderly woman has sat
down, the ”caretaker” pulls out a gun and shoots. Three bullets pierce through Samia’s body and she falls to
the floor. ...

26. Our work will result in:
—A website containing texts, photography, audio an video material. It will include a print on
demand exhibition and dialogue material available to anyone. The website will be launched
in spring 2012 at www.causeofdeathwoman.com
Right now Swedish readers can follow our work through our blog at the same address.
—An inlay in the biggest Swedish daily Aftonbladet. We are also working on the possibilities
of publishing an extensive hard cover book in English.
—A series of articles in Aftonbladet, and publications in various media outlets.
—We are in discussion with exhibitors regarding an extensive traveling exhibition for big venues.
—We are planning journalist workshops in various countries, initially in Georgia.

27. Cooperation and oranizations
—To attain a wide spread of our material we are cooperating with a variation of organiza-
tions that will use our material. Amongst others we are working with the international net-
work for women’s shelters through a Swedish shelter organization (SKR), European Wom-
en’s Lobby, SIDA, Amnesty, Save the Children, Red Cross, RFSU and Aftonbladet. The UN
representative on sexual violence in conflict Margot Wallström and the Swedish Foreign
Ministry are involved as supporters of the project.

28. Who are we
Karin Alfredsson has written articles, debate books and novels on
violence against women all her life, several of them from an international
perspective. Visit www.karinalfredsson.se to know more.
phone: +46 (0) 70 887 87 57 e-mail: karin@kajanne.se
Kerstin Weigl compiled a unique and award-winning investigation together
with Kristina Edblom, for Aftonbladet in 2009. Exhuming all mortal
violence against women in Sweden, during the 21st century.
phone: +46 (0) 70 714 55 49 e-mail: kerstin.weigl@aftonbladet.se
Linda Forsell is a photojournalist and produced an exhibition discussing
the gender issue, which traveled throughout Sweden. She has worked
abroad in countries like Israel and Palestine, Georgia and East Africa. See
her work at www.lindaforsell.com
phone: +46 (0) 73 036 48 09 e-mail: linda@lindaforsell.com

29. Umbrella organisation of the project
The Swedish Association of Women’s Shelters and Young Women’s
Empowerment Centres, SKR (www.kvinnojouren.se).
Official sponsors
SIDA - Swedish International Development Agency
Moggliden AB - The Stieg Larsson Family Trust