IN GOD’S SHADOW: UNVEILING THE HIDDEN WORLD OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OBSERVANT RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
Author: Michal Gilad
In recent years, the phenomenon of domestic violence has been elevated to the unreputable status of a global epidemic infesting our society. Despite continuous efforts by law and policy makers to combat this adverse phenomenon affecting one in every three women around the globe, the problem persists to thrive among us. This article provides a rare insight into the world of domestic violence victims in religious communities and the vital importance for legal professionals and law makers to understand and account for the unique challenges these vulnerable victims face in the path towards safety. Through this particular case study, this article aims to highlight the indispensable importance of complementing legal knowledge with comprehensive cultural and social awareness, as an integral part of the use of legal instruments to combat urgent social problems in our diversifying modern society. Absent such an inherent interdisciplinary approach by legal practitioners, researchers, and lawmakers, the law is doomed to lose its power as an effective instrument in the combat against modern social ailments.