Dr. Rona M. Fields’ ‘Against Violence Against Women: The Case for Gender as a Protected Class’ fuses psychology, sociology, anthropology and womens' studies to examine cases and causes of gender based atrocities around the world. Dr. Fields uses an abundance of real-world case studies to demonstrate how disparate cultures and societies evolve formal institutions in which extremist ideologies rationalize irrational oppressive behavior. Critics hail the work as groundbreaking, stating that “No better advocate could be found for women who suffer violence than Rona M. Fields”.

Washington, DC -- (SBWire) -- 10/01/2014 --Domestic and international violence against women continues to dominate global news agendas, but few are aware of the origins of sanctioned violence against women and the true nature of its epidemic. Dr. Rona M. Fields has dedicated her life to working with women who have become victims and survivors of conflict, and her game-changing new scholarly book exposes the problem in a shocking yet vitally-important new light.

‘Against Violence Against Women: The Case for Gender as a Protected Class’ gets to the root of sanctioned violence, while making plausible and authoritative arguments for the creation of new international anti-discrimination laws that would incorporate gender protection as a human rights class.l.

Book synopsis:

Against Violence Against Women is a journey through time and across the globe to bring to light the roots of sanctioned violence against women. Rona M. Fields utilizes an interdisciplinary approach combining psychology, sociology, anthropology, and women's studies to examine cases and causes of gender-based atrocities in Afghanistan, Sudan, China, India, Siberia, and Europe. Fields reveals how these disparate cultures and societies have evolved formal institutions in which extremist ideologies (both left and right) politicize religion and other belief systems to rationalize irrational, oppressive behavior. Against this long history of institutionalized femicide, this volume investigates the potential of non-governmental agencies and international courts to provide a forum for the protection of human rights, and for the prevention of gender-based violence.

“Everyone is used to seeing stories in the media , recently about campus and military sexual abuse, but fail to realize that the human ecology in these instances is essentially the same. The struggle for justice for women transcends any one sub-section of society and is prevalent everywhere,” explains Dr. Fields, whose previous books on violence and terrorism have already become authoritative classics. “Violence continues to happen because authorities in virtually every nation fail to prevent it or punish the perpetrators. That’s why I argue for the inclusion of Femicide as a sub class of genocide in the UN genocide conventions.”

Continuing, “Non-governmental agencies and international courts urgently need to provide a forum for the protection from and prevention of gender based violence. It seems like a tall order but it’s must be achievable. My book explains why and how in a way that is highly readable and empowering.”

Since its release, the book has garnered a string of rave reviews. Lindy Myeza, President of the Ecumenical Women Movement in South Africa, comments, “Rona Fields could have not come up with any better issue to highlight from her research. The findings are spot-on, well-illuminated, and empowering explanations of how the global community can support the liberation of womankind. I applaud Fields' work."

Raymond C. Helmick, Professor of Conflict Resolution at Boston College, adds, “No Better advocate could be found for women who suffer violence than Rona M Fields. All her life she has been working with people who are victims of the many conflicts in the world, from Northern Ireland to the Middle East and beyond. As a woman professor and as one who lives a life of great independence, she has personal experience of the inequities and all too frequent violence suffered by women. Her book is most eloquent.”

Finnish Broadcaster, Karmela Belinki, sees global potential for the author’s arguments. She adds, “Rona Fields' exposition on the Bedouin of the Negev provides a new and fresh insight into what can be accomplished through enforcement of gender equality laws. These need to be applied universally as she makes clear.”

‘Against Violence Against Women: The Case for Gender as a Protected Class’, published by Palgrave Macmillan, is available now: http://amzn.to/ZQF171.

For more information, visit the author’s official website: http://drronamfields.org.

About Rona M. Fields
Rona M. Fields has served as a Professor of psychology, sociology, anthropology and women's studies in the US and abroad and now provides clinical and consulting services through Associates in Community Psychology, of which she was Founder thirty years ago. Dr. Fields is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a licensed clinical, forensic and neural psychologist.