But until that transformation is possible, we must become more conscious of the profound violence presently affecting the lives of countless women around the world. The problem is so ubiquitous that one could say the fish does not know it is wet. We are all a part of a culture of violence that dominates every aspect of our lives. Present-day society is saturated in the degeneracy of subjugation, which prevents women from fully participating in society as social equals. How can any serious discussion of breaking the cycle of abuse be considered anything other than useless rhetoric, when even in so-called developed countries, women do not receive an equal pay of respect? What is it in the value structure of society that allows overt injustice to exist generation after generation, with people paying almost no attention to the obvious disparity? What does this say about the society, and us as its members? If society allows this, what else does the society allow? These are the basic questions we must all ask. It is the socially determined norms and traditions of gender roles and perceptions which must be challenged, and challenged with vigor.
