Transcript Gender-Based Violence and general guidelines for effective

Sexual Gender-Based Violence
&
HIV and AIDS
Dr. Asia Abdulkadir
Regional HIV and AIDS workshop of
Handicap International
Bujumbura, February 22, 2011
Objectives of the orientation training
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To understand the differences between ‘Sex’
and ‘gender’.
To Explore social and cultural expectations
for males and females, and illustrate the
difference between those based on sex and
those based on gender.
To identify the many forms of gender-based
violence.
Objectives of the orientation training
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To understand the causes and consequences of
gender-based violence.
To highlight the linkage between Gender and
HIV/AIDS.
To help participants understand the key
indicators related to SGBV.
I Introduction to the term Gender
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What do we know about the difference
between “Gender” and “Sex”?
What is “Gender” and What is “Sex”?
The Meaning of Gender and Sex
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Gender is the concept used to identify a
human being as male, female.
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Usually it is used to highlight the social
distinctions between men and women; for
example the positions they occupy the
roles they play and the social status they
have are socially constructed and
allocated.
The Meaning of Gender and Sex
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Gender is distinguished from sex, which
is biologically determined. Because
gender is socially constructed, it is
affected by many factors.
All of us are gendered – this means we
are socially conditioned to take on roles
and responsibilities allocated as given to
men and women.
The Meaning of Gender and Sex
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The meaning and roles expectation can change
over time – it can be both progressive and
regressive.
In war and conflict situations, women are
likely to experience more restrictive practices
relating to gender expectations than during
peace time (women have to be protected; men
have to be the protectors).
The Meaning of Gender and Sex
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Women often become head of families for a
long time during war periods and they might
have to expand their activities both within and
outside of the home. This sometimes causes
family conflict after the war when their male
family members return home and women are
again subjected to restrictions.
The Meaning of Gender and Sex
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The term ‘gender’ is widely used in
humanitarian aid programs for consideration of
existing inequalities between males and
females on development issues and how these
inequalities can be re-address.
2. Exploring Sexual Gender-Based Violence
(GBV): Causes and Consequences
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What do we mean when we say “gender-based
violence”?
Definition of Gender-based violence
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Gender-based violence (GBV) is an umbrella
terminology for any harm that is perpetrated
against a person’s will and that has a negative
impact on the physical or psychological health,
development, and identity of the person.
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GBV may be physical, sexual, psychological,
economic violence or socio-cultural.
Types of Gender-based violence
Which types/forms of Gender-based violence
do exist?
How many of them do we know?
Introduction of the different types of GBV
GBV is categorised in four main types:
1. Physical violence: physical assault;
murder, physical harassment in public;
attempted murder; denied access to
medical treatment;, harmful traditional.
Introduction of the different types of GBV
2. Sexual violence: Forced marriage; child
marriage; forced engagement; forced
prostitution; rape; forced sexual intercourse
with husband; incest; sexual assault and
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Introduction of the different types of GBV
3. Psychological/emotional violence: denial of
food or basic needs; prevention of education,
refusal to communicate; preventing maternal
contact with children; using children as threats;
physical threats to other family members;
verbal insulting; threats to kill; intimidation;
restrictions on movement outside the home i.e.
to visit own family, talk to neighbours, etc;
forced to divorce/ separate; abandoned to own
parents.
Introduction of the different types of GBV
4. Other types of violence: Other traditional and
cultural practices i.e. honour killings;
kidnapping; attempted kidnapping, trafficking.
Gender-based violence regional overview
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According to REPORTS from WHO and UNDP :
SOMALIA
The Practice of FGM is almost universal. It is
estimated that 95-98% of women have been
circumcised. Almost every girl in Somalia
undergoes FGM.
It has been estimated that 86% of all adult
Somali women are illiterate.
Gender-based violence regional overview
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Sexual and Gender-Based violence is not
uncommon, particularly in IDP Camps and
most of the time against women and girls of
rival clans and those of minority groups.
Gender-based violence regional overview
Ethiopia
FGM
 Close to 90 percent of Ethiopian girls and
women are affected by FGM
Early Marriage
 41% of girls between the age of 15-19 are
married.
Gender-based violence regional overview
Rape
 A study from 2000 indicated that 2,263 women
were raped in that year. The study indicated
that these are only the reported cases and in all
the cases perpetrators were close family
members.
Gender-based violence regional overview
SGBV in the context of Conflict
In 2007/2008, 650 cases of SGBV related to the
post-election crisis in Kenya.
Since 1998 in Eastern Congo (DRC) alone over
41,000 women were raped as a weapon of war
and propagating HIV to the enemy.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
The consequences of GBV can be scattered into
four main aspects:
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1. Health
2. Emotional, social and psychological
3. Community and physical safety and security
4. Legal/justice system
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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Health:
Individual consequences to the survivor:
Depression, leading to chronic physical
complaints and illnesses.
FGM, resulting in shock, infection, excessive
bleeding or death, and longer-term affects such
as emotional damage, including anger, fear,
self-hate and confusion.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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Loss of desire for sex and painful sexual
intercourse.
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Difficult pregnancy and labour, chronic pain
and infection, infertility.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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Injury, disability, or death. STIs and
HIV/AIDS.
Injury to the reproductive system including
menstrual disorders, infections, miscarriages,
unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions.
Impact on wider society: Strain on medical
system.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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Emotional/Psychological:
Individual consequences to the survivor:
Emotional damage including anger, fear and
self-hate. Shame, insecurity, loss of ability to
function and carry out daily activities.
Feelings of depression and isolation.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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Problems sleeping and eating.
Mental illness and thoughts of hopelessness
and suicide.
Judgments made about the survivor.
Blaming the survivor.
Treating the survivor as a social outcast.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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Impact on wider society:
Expensive, drain on community resources;
family, friends, schools, community leaders,
social service agencies, etc.
Survivor unable to continue as contributing
member of society; unable to keep up with
child care, unable to earn an income.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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If perpetrators not arrested, this sends a strong
message that the behaviour is somehow
acceptable, leading to further incidents of
violence.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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Legal/Justice System
Lack of access to legal system.
Lack of knowledge of existing laws.
Confusion regarding the most appropriate
channels i.e. criminal, traditional etc.
Survivors reluctant to report due to heavy
stigma attached to sexual abuse.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
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Strain on police/court resources already
challenged and overburdened.
Lack of sensitivity to the issues expressed by
judges and polices forces.
Costs incurred by the survivor.
Consequences of GBV/SGBV
Security, Physical Environment of the Community
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Survivor feels insecure, threatened, afraid,
Climate of fear and insecurity impacting
women’s freedom and perception of personal
safety.
Lack of female participation in the community
life. Fear of going to school and work.
The case of an arranged marriage (case study)
Gender-based violence and the violation of
women‘s human rights
Power
 Perpetrators can have “real” or “perceived”
power. Some examples of different types of
power and powerful people:
 Social – peer pressure, leaders, teachers,
parents, etc.
 Economic – the perpetrator controls money or
access to goods/services/money/favours;
sometimes husband or father.
 Political – elected leaders, discriminatory laws.
Gender-based violence and the violation of
women‘s human rights
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Physical – strength, use of weapons,
controlling access or security; soldiers, local
commanders, police, robbers, gangs, mafia,
etc.
Gender-based (social) – males are usually in a
more powerful position than females.
Age-related – often, in traditional societies
status/power is granted with age.
Power is directly related to choice. The more
power one has, there are more choices
available.
Gender-based violence and the violation of
women‘s human rights
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The less power one has, fewer choices are
available.
Disempowered people have fewer choices and
are therefore more vulnerable to abuse.
Gender-based violence involves the abuse of
power.
Unequal power relationships are exploited or
abused.
Gender-based violence and the violation of
women‘s human rights
Violence - use of force
1. “Force” might be physical, emotional, social
or economic in nature. It may also involve
coercion or pressure. Force also includes
intimidation, threats, persecution, or other
forms of psychological or social pressure.
Target of such violence is compelled to behave
as expected or to do what is being requested,
for fear of real and harmful consequences.
Gender-based violence and the violation of
women‘s human rights
2. Violence consists of the use of physical force
or other means of coercion such as threat,
inducement or promise of a benefit to obtain
something from a weaker or more vulnerable
person.
3. Using violence involves forcing someone to
do something against her/his will - use of
force.
Gender-based violence and the violation of
women‘s human rights
Consent
1. Consent means saying “yes,” agreeing to
something. Informed consent means making
an informed choice freely and voluntarily by
persons in an equal power relationship.
Gender-based violence and the violation of
women‘s human rights
2. Acts of gender-based violence occur without
informed consent. Even if she says “yes,” this
is not true consent because it was said under
pressure - the perpetrator(s) used some kind of
force to get her to say yes.
Gender-based violence and the violation of
women‘s human rights
3. Children (under age 18) in most countries are
deemed unable to give informed consent for
acts such as marriage, sexual relations, etc.
Root causes and contributing factors of
Gender-based violence
What are the differences between root
causes and contributing factors of
Gender-based violence?
Root causes and contributing factors of Genderbased violence
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Contributing factors are those that perpetuate
GBV/SGBV or increase risk of GBV (family,
community and state violence).
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Contributing factors do not cause GBV
although they are associated with some acts of
GBV.
Root causes and contributing factors of Genderbased violence
Some examples:
 Alcohol/drug abuse is a contributing factor but not all drunks/drug addicts beat their wives
or rape women.
 War, displacement, and the presence of armed
combatants are all contributing factors, but not
all soldiers rape civilian women.
Root causes and contributing factors of Genderbased violence
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Poverty is a contributing factor, but not all
poor women are victimized by forced
prostitution or sexual exploitation.
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Many contributing factors can be eliminated or
significantly reduced through preventive
activities.
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
It is important to understand the impact on
children who witness violence against their
mothers and women in their extended family,
and interventions need to be in place to stop
the cycle of violence from becoming an intergenerational problem.
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
Children, who repeatedly witness violence
directed towards their mothers and other
female members, learn and internalize
perceptions such as:
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Mothers/girl child are not deserving of respect.
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Those who love you also hit and abuse you.
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
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It is socially, culturally, traditionally and
morally acceptable to use violence against
female members of the family for control and
compliance purposes.
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Violence is an acceptable conflict resolution
strategy.
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
It is important to recognize that there are gender
differences in the way children internalise the
violence they witness.
 Boys will learn behaviour in adult
relationships that the use of violence is
acceptable.
 Girls as adults will tolerate the abuse because
her mother and other female members did.
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
Children respond in different ways to the
violence experienced in their family
environment.
Possible emotional and behaviour effects could
be:
 Loss of self esteem and self confidence.
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Insecurity, fear and vulnerability
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
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Being unable to openly discuss frustrations and
problems.
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Poor anger management skills.
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Difficulty in trusting people.
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
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They may use violence to cope with their own
stresses.
They may suffer from depression.
They may have school and other social
difficulties i.e. poor concretion, unable to
learn.
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
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They may suffer from guilt, believing that they
are the cause of the violence.
Physical symptoms – bed wetting, acting out,
eating disorders, self harm/mutilation.
Children who have lived in abusive family
environments are often poor achievers in
school and have related learning difficulties.
The Impact of GBV on children in the family
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Do you see similarities in the way how women
and children react or respond to violence?
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How can/would you support children in such
situations?
Discussion points (Conclusion part I)
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Although violence takes many different forms,
gender- inequality is the root cause.
Although culture is often used to justify the
use of violence towards women, the right to be
free from abuse is a fundamental and
universal.
Violence/assault need not always to be present.
Threats and coercion are also forms of
violence.
Conclusion
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Gender-based violence includes any physical,
mental or social abuse which is directed
against a person on the basis of gender or sex
and has its roots in gender inequality.
It is therefore important to integrate a gender
perspective to effectively prevent and respond
to it.
Conclusion
This means looking at what causes genderbased violence, analyzing what happens
to women and girls because of gender
discrimination, etc.
Conclusion
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The impact of gender-based violence is farreaching both for the survivor, and for society
at large.
Strategies to respond to the many forms of
gender-based violence must adopt a holistic
approach and extend to all sectors.
Systematically addressing gender inequality at
all levels is decisive.