Changing cultures?

In one rural Indian village, 62% of the women agreed that wives should be battered when they fail to obey their husbands, according to a poll cited in Half the Sky. Also in that book, authors Kristof and WuDunn acknowledge the role women play in the use of rape as a weapon of war in Sierra Leone.

Sexism is so deeply embedded in certain cultures that women often contribute to the plight of women. When it comes to gender violence, I wonder, does the West put too much emphasis on changing laws, rather than on changing cultures?

Laws, as well as the often teethless UN declarations and resolutions and blah blah, don't do shit for people who live outside of the capital cities of developing countries, away from international supervision, out of reach from laoshi West's yardstick.

I don't dispute the claim that local solutions are most sustainable, but what about the behemoth of local culture that takes offense at any sort of reform, labeling such change as cultural imperialism???

Can imperialism ever be a good thing, if it is used for a good cause?
As long as we have different understandings of "good," imperialism's negative connotations will stick. HOWEVER, I think ending gender violence is a good enough reason to step on a few toes, a good enough reason to attack the sexist part of cultures everywhere. Hegemony or not, call it what you want, I think it's vital that we woo the world into changing its culture of gender oppression.

This is where law can come in handy. If nothing else, let it be the starting point (NOT the ending point) for advocacy and cultural change.
http://www.womenthrive.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=366&Itemid=121
The International Violence Against Women Act:
- Introduced by Biden and Lugar in 2007, and re-introduced every year since
- If passed, the US will commit $175M a year in foreign aid to organizations working to prevent honor killings, bride burnings, genital cuttings, acid attacks, mass rapes, and domestic violence.
- It will also create an Office of Women's Global Initiatives in the State Department

**Taken from an IVAWA FAQs sheet:
Isn’t this the United States trying to impose its culture on other nations?
"The I-VAWA does not try to impose the cultural mores of the United States on other countries;
rather, it seeks to support the work of local indigenous women and communities who have long
been advocating for an end to the violence and abuse experienced by women and girls. In
addition, it recognizes that much of U.S. efforts to help countries address problems such as
HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality, poverty and conflict are aided by addressing violence against
women. In fact, these other efforts will only be successful if concurrent efforts to support
women’s education and empowerment are also taking place. "



So, perhaps it's a dangerous mistake to think that condemning gender violence is solely a Western cultural more.