Paper: Religion and Violence of Women against Women

Abstract

While feminist scholars have extensively studied gender-based violence, the religious dimension has been relatively overlooked, possibly due to the perception of inherent patriarchal elements in global and local religions. Building on the foundational work of scholars like Nancy Nason-Clark and Marie Fortune, who have explored gendered violence within religious contexts.

This paper delves into a less-explored aspect of violence within the #MeToo movement—instances where women perpetrate violence against other women, both directly and indirectly. By drawing parallels with the biblical figures of Sarah and Hagar, it aims to examine layers of oppression through feminist intersectionality, studies of masculinity, and postcolonial feminist perspectives on Hagar as a symbol of female suffering in patriarchal societies.

To comprehend the anthropological phenomenon of violence among women, I will shortly present cases of polygynous unions in African countries, drawing parallels to the experiences of Sarah and Hagar in terms of cohabitation, resource-sharing, and partnership dynamics showing instances where oppressed women cooperate for a common goal and cases where subordinates direct violence against their superiors.

The primary objective of this paper is to elucidate the influence of Jewish and Christian religions, particularly the Hebrew Bible, on violence perpetrated by women against other women within the #MeToo movement, which advocates for solidarity among women.