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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for gender-based violence
113 results foundAuthor: Eckman, Anne Title: Exploring Dimensions of Masculinity and Violence Summary: During the Yugoslavian wars that took place between 1991 and 2001, numerous cases of gender-based violence were reported, including mass rapes of women and sexual abuses like castration of men and boys imprisoned in war camps. Currently in the NW Balkans, an emerging culture of violence is visible. In the context of conflict and reconstruction, multiple masculine identities are shaped and formed according to the intersection of masculinity with religion, nationality and ethnicity. Youth represent a key opportunity to construct alternative definitions of masculinities and reduce gender-based violence. Working toward the reduction and elimination of gender-based violence, CARE International NW Balkans and CARE International is implementing a groundbreaking program working directly with young men between the ages of 13 and 19 to deconstruct masculinity in their cultures and determine how gender norms and male socialization lead to inequitable attitudes and behaviors toward women and girls. Details: Atlanta, GA: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE); Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), 2007. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2010 at: http://www.careinternational.org.uk/download.php?id=916 Year: 2007 Country: Europe URL: http://www.careinternational.org.uk/download.php?id=916 Shelf Number: 118736 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceMasculinityRapeSexual AssaultViolence Against Women |
Author: Keesbury, Jill Title: Comprehensive Responses to Gender Based Violence in Low-Resource Settings: Lessons Learned from Implementation Summary: From 2006-2009, the Population Council undertook a program of technical assistance and research to strengthen the evidence base on gender-based violence (SGBV) programming in sub-Saharan Africa. This project created an active network of implementers and researchers across sub-Saharan Africa, all of whom were charged with developing, implementing and evaluating core elements of a comprehensive, multisectoral model for strengthening responses for survivors of SGBV, especially survivors of sexual violence. The comprehensive model includes health, criminal justice, and psychosocial services required by survivors, and works to strengthen the linkages between these sectors. Seven organizations in six countries (Zambia, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Senegal) partnered with the Population Council to implement the comprehensive model in part or in whole, and an additional thirteen organizations actively participated in the South-South technical assistance network. Based on the experiences of these partners, this document reviews the findings, lessons learned, and promising practices in the provision of comprehensive SGBV services in sub- Saharan Africa. It draws on the data generated by the network partners to identify core issues in the provision of quality, comprehensive care for survivors of SGBV. These findings are intended to serve as a resource for programmers and policymakers throughout the region, and contribute to the emerging evidence-base on such program strategies. Details: Lusaka, Zambia: Population Council, 2010. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2010 at: http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/2010RH_CompRespGBV.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Africa URL: http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/2010RH_CompRespGBV.pdf Shelf Number: 119690 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against WomenViolent Crime |
Author: Del Vecchio, Jennifer Title: Continuing Uncertainties: Forced Marriage as a Crime Against Humanity Summary: On 22 February 2008, the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) delivered its judgment in the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) case. This decision stands out as unique for setting significant precedent in the development of gender-based crimes in international criminal law by holding forced marriage to be a crime against humanity under the “other inhumane acts” category contained in Article 2(i) of the Statute of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Although this recognition of forced marriage signifies the SCSL’s commitment to actively prosecute gender-based crimes, and may further set persuasive precedent for other international adjudicative bodies, there remain certain elements of this crime that, despite the Appeals Chamber’s decision, are unsettled and unclear. The purpose of this paper is to raise, explore, and assess these pressing questions. In the first part of the paper, the author raises three questions concerning the technical elements of the crime of forced marriage. Namely, the author asks: whether forced marriage violates the principle, nullem crimen sine lege; whether forced marriage is an adequately specific and distinct crime to be prosecuted separately from previously enumerated crimes; and finally, whether the definition of forced marriage requires a nexus to armed conflict. The second part of the paper raises questions relating to the implications of defining this crime using the label, marriage. Specifically, the author asks whether this label invokes existing connotations in relation to culture, gender, sexual orientation, and age, and whether these connotations may affect the application of this crime to new contexts. The author concludes that, without addressing these continuing uncertainties in the definition of forced marriage, the force of the precedent provided by the AFRC case is potentially insufficient to prosecute future instances of forced marriages in contexts outside of Sierra Leone, thereby failing to provide justice for all victims of forced marriage worldwide. Details: Austin, TX: Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, University of Texas at Austin School of Law, 2011. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper Series, 3/2011: Accessed March 15, 2011 at: http://blogs.utexas.edu/rapoportcenterwps/files/2010/12/3-2011-Del-Vecchio-ContinuingUncertainties.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Sierra Leone URL: http://blogs.utexas.edu/rapoportcenterwps/files/2010/12/3-2011-Del-Vecchio-ContinuingUncertainties.pdf Shelf Number: 121013 Keywords: Forced Marriage (Sierra Leone)Gender-Based ViolenceHuman RightsViolence Against Women |
Author: Onslow, Charlotte Title: Breaking Patterns of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Security and Justice Provision in Post-Conflict Nepal Summary: Following the 10-year conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the government of Nepal, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections signalled the start of the peace and recovery process. Security provision and enabling access to justice are generally seen as core functions of the state, as well as fundamental building blocks for good governance, stability and socioeconomic development. The development of an adequately functioning, accessible and accountable security and justice system is therefore a critical component of the international community’s support to Nepal’s postconflict reconstruction process. At present, the EU and six key donor countries are providing ongoing support to the strengthening of the security and justice systems in Nepal. Sometimes termed justice and security sector reform (JSSR), donor support in Nepal comprises the following thematic focus areas: improving police effectiveness; establishing civilian oversight of the security forces; and strengthening the legal framework of the security and justice sectors as a whole. If investments in the security and justice sectors are to take hold and be sustained in the long term, these reforms should contend with and adequately address the diverse security needs of Nepalese communities and citizens. Yet, four years after the peace process began, Nepali women, men, communities and the private sector continue to experience a multitude of distinct and often overlapping security threats. Current analysis by International Alert highlights the following five broad areas of security concerns in Nepal: an increase in armed groups; proliferation of small arms and light weapons; rise of crime (theft, physical assault and drunken disorder); political strikes (bandhs); and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Among women in Nepal, sexual and domestic violence is identified and perceived as the biggest risk to their security and one that is yet to be tackled effectively by the security and justice sector. The purpose of this case study is therefore to provide further insights into women’s experiences in three different districts with the provision of security and justice in Nepal. In addition, it offers a number of recommendations to international donors, particularly the EU, to ensure that the security and justice sectors in Nepal become more responsive to women’s security concerns and priorities. The analysis and key findings are based on research conducted between April and May 2010 by Alert and Shanti Malika, a national-level network of Nepali women’s organisations. Details: Brussels: Intiative for Peacebuilding, International Alert, 2010. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: IFP Gender Cluster Country Case Study: Nepal: Accessed April 29, 2011 at: http://www.international-alert.org/sites/default/files/publications/1211IFPnepalgender_2.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Nepal URL: http://www.international-alert.org/sites/default/files/publications/1211IFPnepalgender_2.pdf Shelf Number: 121579 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women (Nepal) |
Author: Gill, Aisha K. Title: Exploring the Viability of Creating a Specific Offence for Forced Marriage in England and Wales: Report on Findings Summary: On 26 May 2011, the Forced Marriage Unit held a non-governmental organisation (NGO) round-table to discuss the Home Affairs Select Committee’s report of 17 May 2011 on whether to criminalise forced marriage. The report argued in favour of forced marriage being recognised as a specific criminal offence: therefore, it recommended that new criminal legislation be developed. As a result of the round-table meeting, a number of NGOs requested that the independent survey on the feasibility of criminalisation, conducted by Roehampton University, be extended so that they could respond as the HAC report did not reflect the views of those present and others involved in addressing forced marriage in England and Wales. This study represents detailed information about the views of NGOs and community groups working on forced marriage and related issues. The respondents generally agreed that legislation alone would have a limited impact and that more holistic support mechanisms, a sustained training programme aimed at relevant professionals, and an equally comprehensive awareness-raising campaign aimed at affected community and the wider population would be necessary to combat the problem of forced marriage. Details: London: University of Roehampton, 2011. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 22, 2011 at: http://www.avaproject.org.uk/media/68857/forced-marriage-legislation-survey_report-of-findings_gill_13july_final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.avaproject.org.uk/media/68857/forced-marriage-legislation-survey_report-of-findings_gill_13july_final.pdf Shelf Number: 122146 Keywords: Forced Marriage (U.K.)Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: The Centre for Social Cohesion Title: Crimes of the Community: Honour-Based Violence in the UK - Second Edition Summary: In recent years, honour crimes have received an increasing amount of interest from the media, the police and politicians. This has been fuelled by the extensive coverage of the murder of several young Kurdish and Pakistani women by their families. This growing public concern has been largely welcomed by women’s groups and has prompted the government to take steps to tackle these crimes. However the media’s focus on honour killings and, to a lesser extent, forced marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has obscured the true scale of honour-based crime. Honour killings represent only the tip of the iceberg in terms of violence and abuse perpetrated against women in the name of honour. This study shows that honour killings, domestic violence, forced marriage and FGM are not isolated practices but are instead part of a self-sustaining social system built on ideas of honour and cultural, ethnic and religious superiority. As a result of these ideas, every day around the UK women are being threatened with physical violence, rape, death, mutilation, abduction, drugging, false imprisonment, withdrawal from education and forced marriage by their own families. This is not a one-time problem of first-generation immigrants bringing practices from ‘back home’ to the UK. Instead honour violence is now, to all intents and purposes, an indigenous and self-perpetuating phenomenon which is carried out by third and fourth generation immigrants who have been raised and educated in the UK. This report focuses on four aspects of honour-based violence: forced marriage, domestic violence, honour killings, and female genital mutilation. Many of these problems are common to all societies. Domestic violence and ‘crimes of passion’ exist worldwide. However, honour crimes differ significantly from other outwardly similar crimes. While typical incidents of domestic violence involve men using force against their wives, honour-based abuses regularly involve a woman’s own sons, brothers and sisters, as well as members of their extended family and in-laws. Similarly, the pre-planned and ritualised nature of much of this violence (particularly in the case of honour-killings and FGM) makes such behaviour distinct from other ad-hoc forms of violence against women. This study explains how and why many British women, and indeed many men, are told that they are not allowed the right to be independent, to have control over their own bodies and who are being denied, often through force, an opportunity to choose their own destiny. The report concludes with recommendations on what the government can do to prevent these abuses. Details: London: The Centre for Social Cohesion, 2010. 169p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2012 at http://www.socialcohesion.co.uk/files/1229624550_1.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.socialcohesion.co.uk/files/1229624550_1.pdf Shelf Number: 123971 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceForced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceHonor Related Violence (U.K.) |
Author: Brandon, James Title: Crimes of the Community: Honour-Based Violence in the UK Summary: In recent years, honour crimes have received an increasing amount of interest from the media, the police and politicians. This has been fuelled by the extensive coverage of the murder of several young Kurdish and Pakistani women by their families. This growing public concern has been largely welcomed by women’s groups and has prompted the government to take steps to tackle these crimes. However the media’s focus on honour killings and, to a lesser extent, forced marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has obscured the true scale of honour-based crime. Honour killings represent only the tip of the iceberg in terms of violence and abuse perpetrated against women in the name of honour. This study shows that honour killings, domestic violence, forced marriage and FGM are not isolated practices but are instead part of a self-sustaining social system built on ideas of honour and cultural, ethnic and religious superiority. As a result of these ideas, every day around the UK women are being threatened with physical violence, rape, death, mutilation, abduction, drugging, false imprisonment, withdrawal from education and forced marriage by their own families. This is not a one-time problem of first-generation immigrants bringing practices from ‘back home’ to the UK. Instead honour violence is now, to all intents and purposes, an indigenous and self-perpetuating phenomenon which is carried out by third and fourth generation immigrants who have been raised and educated in the UK. This report focuses on four aspects of honour-based violence: forced marriage, domestic violence, honour killings, female genital mutilation. Many of these problems are common to all societies. Domestic violence and ‘crimes of passion’ exist worldwide. However, honour crimes differ significantly from other outwardly similar crimes. While typical incidents of domestic violence involve men using force against their wives, honour-based abuses regularly involve a woman’s own sons, brothers and sisters, as well as members of their extended family and in-laws. Similarly, the pre-planned and ritualised nature of much of this violence (particularly in the case of honour-killings and FGM) makes such behaviour distinct from other ad-hoc forms of violence against women. This study explains how and why many British women, and indeed many men, are told that they are not allowed the right to be independent, to have control over their own bodies and who are being denied, often through force, an opportunity to choose their own destiny. The report concludes with recommendations on what the government can do to prevent these abuses. Details: London: Centre for Social Cohesion, 2008. 170p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2012 at http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/CrimesOfTheCommunity.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/CrimesOfTheCommunity.pdf Shelf Number: 123972 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceForced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceHonor Related Violence (U.K.) |
Author: Minerson, Todd Title: Issue Brief: Engaging Men and Boys to Reduce and Prevent Gender-Based Violence Summary: This Issue Brief has been commissioned by Status of Women Canada (SWC) in collaboration with The Public Health Agency of Canada to provide an overview of efforts to engage men of all ages in efforts to reduce and prevent gender-based violence. The paper will begin with a look at the historical efforts in Canada and the development of work with men and boys to end gender-based violence around the world. This overview will also chronicle the expression of this effort in various United Nations commitments since the Beijing 4th World Conference on Women in 1995. A brief review of Canadian statistics around violence against women, and a look at what little research exists on men’s attitudes towards genderbased violence in Canada and globally will follow. In order to address the roles men of all ages can play in preventing and reducing gender-based violence, the paper will then examine the root causes; the socialization of men, power and patriarchy, masculinities, gender inequality and the links to all forms of violence against women. Further detail will be provided for the complex issues and multiple dimensions around gender-based violence particularly as they relate to men, and a brief contextualization of the relevance to several communities of interest. Finally, the paper will illustrate the promising strategies, best practices, and effective frameworks for engaging men and boys in the effort to reduce and prevent gender-based violence. This section will also identify gaps, and note the considerations, limits and risks involved as well. Details: Ottawa: Status of Women Canada, 2011. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 6, 2012 at: http://whiteribbon.ca/issuebrief/pdf/wrc_swc_issuebrief.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://whiteribbon.ca/issuebrief/pdf/wrc_swc_issuebrief.pdf Shelf Number: 123998 Keywords: Family ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceMalesMasculinitiesViolence Against Women |
Author: Begikhani, Nazand Title: Honour-based Violence (HBV) and Honour-based Killings in Iraqi Kurdistan and in the Kurdish Diaspora in the UK Summary: This Final Report to the Kurdistan Regional Government addresses 'honour'-based violence (HBV), and killings in the name of family 'honour,' in Kurdish communities, particularly in Iraqi Kurdistan but also in the UK. 'Honour'-based violence is a wide-spread and distressing form of family and gender violence occuring in many countries in the world. In 2008, the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), on the initiative of the former PM, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, took the unprecedented step of commissioning an international research project on 'honour'-based violence in Kurdistan and within the Kurdish Diaspora. The KRG is to be congratulated on taking this step to start to address the issue, as one part of a wider Government strategy, including the setting up of the Government Honour-based Violence against Women. These initiatives were designed to contribute to the committed democratization and modernization process currently underway in Iraqi Kurdistan, including the integration of gender issues into social and public policy. The study commissioned by the KRG was a pioneering and unique piece of research, breaking new ground for social researchers in Kurdistan Region. It was carried out between 2008 and 2010 by a consortium of senior researchers from the Centre for Gender and Violence Research, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, UK, and Roehampton University, UK, working in partnership with the Kurdish women's organization, Kurdish Women's Rights Watch (KWRW) which is based in London with an office in Iraqi Kurdistan. The research was a practice and policy analysis, which aimed to enable social development and change in response to this pervasive form of violence, but also to evolve new theoretical insights. The aim was to follow best practice in trans-national research on gender issues, consciously attempting to avoid ethnocentrism and the imposition of Western ideas, and to understand and respect cultural issues and traditional practices, while working towards modernization. The team also took the view throughout that HBV is a wide-spread phenomenon and that Kurdish society and communities must not be singled out or stigmatized in this respect. Nevertheless, it is important that the issue is addressed in Kurdish communities, as well as others, to lead to social development and to address harmful social practice where they exist. The research was investigated in detail and then approved by the Ethics Committees of both the University of Bristol and Roehampton University. The Universities provided financial and project management and ethical oversight throughout, and also developed comprehensive risk assessment agreements, and security arrangements and procedures, which were complied with by all participants across the duration of the study. Details: Bristol, United Kingdom: Centre for Gender and Violence Research, University of Bristol, UK; Roehampton University, UK; Kurdish Women's Rights Watch, 2010. 166p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2012 at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/sps/research/projects/reports/2010/rw9038reportenglish.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/sps/research/projects/reports/2010/rw9038reportenglish.pdf Shelf Number: 124000 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceHonor KillingsHonor Related Violence (Kurds) (U.K.) |
Author: Grieg, Alan Title: Mobilising Men in Practice: Challenging sexual and gender-based violence in institutional settings - Tools, Stories, Lessons Summary: Gender inequalities, and the violence that maintains them, are not simply a matter of individuals and their behaviours; they are maintained by the social, economic and political institutions that structure all of our lives. So, what can men do to work with women in challenging the institutionalised nature of sexual and gender-based violence? Through exploring ways of engaging men as gender activists within their every-day contexts, the Mobilising Men programme is working to better understand what it takes to confront sexual and gender-based violence in institutional settings. Since early 2010, the Institute for Development Studies, with support from UNFPA, has partnered with implementing civil society organisations in India, Kenya and Uganda to identify, recruit, train and support teams of male activists to work with women in developing campaigns to challenge and change the policies and cultures of specific institutional settings that condone or even fuel sexual and gender-based violence. ‘Mobilising Men in Practice’ brings together stories and lessons from this work, as well as some of the tools used by the partners in India, Kenya and Uganda. It is intended to inspire and guide others who are committed to engaging more men in efforts to address sexual and gender-based violence within the institutions in which we live our lives. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, 2012. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2012 at Year: 2012 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 124191 Keywords: Crime PreventionGender-Based ViolenceIndiaKenyaSexual ViolenceUganda |
Author: Feltes, Thomas et al Title: Gender-Based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime Summary: Due to their age and lifestyle, female students as a group are especially at risk from various forms of sexual violence – the aim of the three-year European-wide research project “Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime” (2009-2011) is to verify this hypothesis and to collect, analyse and compare relevant data in five European countries. By analysing the qualitative and quantitative data in a comparative survey it aims to rising awareness for the victimisation of female students. In the consequence this will support universities in their efforts to decrease sexual violence at universities, to help victims and to implement adequate instruments of prevention and intervention. The EU project, which has been funded through the programme “Prevention of and Fight Against Crime” initiated by the EU Commission on General Justice, Freedom And Security, is being coordinated at the Department of Criminology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Besides the German university the consortium covers the University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University in Cracow/Poland, Universitát Autonoma de Barcelona/Spain and Keele University/U.K. Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 394p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_final_report_printable_version.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_final_report_printable_version.pdf Shelf Number: 124572 Keywords: Fear of CrimeGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Balloni, Augusto Title: Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime: Country Report Italy Summary: The results of this research, and especially the interviews with stakeholders within and outwith the universities, clearly reveal the difficulty of defining the nature and the extent of the phenomenon. The parties involved cannot say how often the University of Bologna’s female students may have encountered problems with stalking, harassment or sexual violence, due to a lack of incontrovertible data on the phenomenon. There is no formal documentation regarding episodes or elements connected with the cases that have occurred within the university or requests for assistance on the part of students in difficulty. Indeed, many interviewees believe that the target, the reference sample, is too specific, in that it covers a sector of the population - female university students – that is not easy to identify, because even when a victim formally reports the crime to the police, detailed information on the victim is often not available. If the offence is not reported, and the victim decides instead to confide in family or friends, this information will be even more difficult to find; and even if the student turns to a specialised centre against gender violence, the fact she is a university student has little bearing on the collection of statistical data. Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 32p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_italy_english.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Italy URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_italy_english.pdf Shelf Number: 124574 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesFear of CrimeFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Czapska, Janina Title: Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime Summary: Due to their age and lifestyle, female students as a group are especially at risk from various forms of sexual violence – the aim of the three-year European-wide research project “Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime” (2009-2011) is to verify this hypothesis and to collect, analyse and compare relevant data in five European countries. By analysing the qualitative and quantitative data in a comparative survey it aims to rising awareness for the victimisation of female students. In the consequence this will support universities in their efforts to decrease sexual violence at universities, to help victims and to implement adequate instruments of prevention and intervention. The EU project, which has been funded through the programme “Prevention of and Fight Against Crime” initiated by the EU Commission on General Justice, Freedom And Security, is being coordinated at the Department of Criminology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Besides the German university the consortium covers the University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University in Cracow/Poland, Universitát Autonoma de Barcelona/Spain and Keele University/U.K. This research conducted within the framework of GAP grant project was the first of this scale and nature in Poland. Research in this area should continue in the form of cyclical polling research in universities/institutions of higher education that are participating in the project. It is also recommended to further expand the existing questionnaire for its application in other institutions 57 of higher education. Conducting research in a few countries at the same time allows deepening of the analysis. Due to the introduction of criminalization of stalking in 2011, it would be most desirable to conduct European comparative research both in the area of legal regulations as well in the practical application of the law. Such research – in addition to an unquestionable knowledge-building value – would provide a unique opportunity to analyze innovation through law, especially since – as suggest the results of the GAP project – European countries differ in their recognition of stalking as a crime. Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 59p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_poland_english.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Poland URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_poland_english.pdf Shelf Number: 124575 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesFear of CrimeFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Bodelon, Encarna Title: Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime: Country Report Spain Summary: Due to their age and lifestyle, female students as a group are especially at risk from various forms of sexual violence – the aim of the three-year European-wide research project “Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime” (2009-2011) is to verify this hypothesis and to collect, analyse and compare relevant data in five European countries. By analysing the qualitative and quantitative data in a comparative survey it aims to rising awareness for the victimisation of female students. In the consequence this will support universities in their efforts to decrease sexual violence at universities, to help victims and to implement adequate instruments of prevention and intervention. The EU project, which has been funded through the programme “Prevention of and Fight Against Crime” initiated by the EU Commission on General Justice, Freedom And Security, is being coordinated at the Department of Criminology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Besides the German university the consortium covers the University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University in Cracow/Poland, Universitát Autonoma de Barcelona/Spain and Keele University/U.K.. Most of the recommendations and proposals derived from the research in the Spanish case were obtained from the qualitative fieldwork. Many similar proposals were made in the discussion groups and in-depth interviews with the students and interviews with the agents. However, in the case of the students, there was a high degree of consensus that university authorities, and those outside the university, had a responsibility and obligation to implement preventive and response measures against gender-based violence in general, and sexual violence in particular. However, in the case of those stakeholders interviewed, their ignorance of the phenomenon and its incidence and causes, means that many are not able to clearly see this responsibility, or to propose measures to prevent it or act upon it in the university. Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 38p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_spain_english.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Spain URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_spain_english.pdf Shelf Number: 124576 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesFear of CrimeFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Stenning, Philip Title: Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime: Country Report United Kingdom Summary: Due to their age and lifestyle, female students as a group are especially at risk from various forms of sexual violence – the aim of the three-year European-wide research project “Gender-based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime” (2009-2011) is to verify this hypothesis and to collect, analyse and compare relevant data in five European countries. By analysing the qualitative and quantitative data in a comparative survey it aims to rising awareness for the victimisation of female students. In the consequence this will support universities in their efforts to decrease sexual violence at universities, to help victims and to implement adequate instruments of prevention and intervention. The EU project, which has been funded through the programme “Prevention of and Fight Against Crime” initiated by the EU Commission on General Justice, Freedom And Security, is being coordinated at the Department of Criminology at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Besides the German university the consortium covers the University of Bologna, Jagiellonian University in Cracow/Poland, Universitát Autonoma de Barcelona/Spain and Keele University/U.K.. The UK NUS (2010) study has suggested that in order to raise awareness, challenge inappropriate behaviour and attitudes and make students feel safe on campus, awareness of violence against women must be raised amongst staff and students. Sloane (2011) has suggested that student unions, potentially via equality officers, take responsibility for running educational campaigns, and that such campaigns should be commonplace. Campaigns should include information around the acts that constitute gender-based sexual violence, the accountability of perpetrators, its prevalence and impacts on survivors (NUS, 2010; Sloane, 2011). Such work is likely to help faculty staff, women and friends who are told about victimising experiences recognise how to respond effectively. Sloane (2011) suggested that such training be made available to all staff throughout the university, to ensure they are made aware of the relevant institutional policies and procedures on how to address harassment and violence when it is reported. Indeed, the NUS (2010) argued that gender-based sexual violence issues must be supported by strong institutional policy on the topic. Policy must be linked to meaningful outcomes, such as reducing instances of harassment, abuse and stalking, through educational or rehabilitation methods. Policy must also address the actions that institutions will take against perpetrators and specify how they will be supported to address their behaviour. Other recommendations made by the NUS (2010) study and closely echoed in the recommendations of Sloane (2011), include ensuring there are clear channels of communication for reporting offences to the university/police and for seeking counselling and support. Counselling services should provide a free, quality service which 35% 42% 43% 43% 46% 56% 59% 61% 75% 88% To be advised without a third party To have a person allocated to me To be advised without bureaucracy To be advised anonymously To be able to contact someone 24 hrs a day To get an appointment straight away To be treated with compassion No pressure into making a complaint To be advised for free To be listened to and taken seriously Students' wishes (n=626) 45 ensures confidentiality, 24-hour cover, female support workers and is easily accessible. Emphasis was also placed on ensuring women feel believed when they relay their accounts and that the university can effectively refer to other agencies if need cannot be met by the institution. As such, strong links between universities, student unions, police, National Health Services and victim services must be developed and fostered. The NUS also recommend peer-led self-help groups for those who have experienced victimisation as well as the option of one-to-one counselling. The support services that are available need to be widely promoted and contact information should be included on student union websites (NUS, 2010; Valls et al., 2007). Services must also remain sensitive to the particular needs of international students including language barriers and religious factors which may impact on the victimisation experience (Sloane, 2011). Details: Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, 2012. 50p. Source: EU-Project 2009-2011: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_united_kingdom_english.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://vmrz0183.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/gendercrime/pdf/gendercrime_country_report_united_kingdom_english.pdf Shelf Number: 124577 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesFear of CrimeFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Jewell, Sarah E. Title: Conceptualising Violence Against Women in the Work of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Summary: Since the creation of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its Causes and Consequences (SRVAW) in 1994, each of the three women who have held the position have sought to answer the question of what causes violence against women. The SRVAWs have drawn upon theoretical debates about violence against women and incorporated the ideas underpinning both a continuum of violence approach (that experiences of violence against women are connected through the gender of the victim-survivor and that violence against women is caused by patriarchal power structures) and the theory of intersectionality (that violence against women occurs because of the relationship between different types of oppression). Chapter One examines the relationship between a continuum of violence and intersectionality as approaches to violence against women. Chapter Two then examines how these approaches have been applied within the work of the SRVAW. I conclude that despite the significant progress, there is no easy way to articulate what causes violence against women that simultaneously captures the experiences of women as a class and where an individual is situated within multiple and intersecting power structures. This paper aims to show that the SRVAW’s analysis of the causes and consequences of violence against women would be enhanced by explicitly using the concepts of a continuum of violence and intersectionality in conjunction with one another to create a more holistic analysis. Details: Canberra: Australian National University, 2011. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: ANU College of Law Research Paper No. 12-15: Accessed April 27, 2012 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2038113 Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2038113 Shelf Number: 125077 Keywords: Cycle of ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Dutta, Debolina Title: Count Me IN! Research Report on Violence Against Disabled, Lesbian, and Sex-working Women in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal Summary: The count me IN! Research Report on Violence Against Disabled, Lesbian, and Sex-working Women in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal is based on the first ever multi-country research study on violence faced by disabled women, lesbian women, and female sex workers (FSWs) in three countries in South Asia—Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. CREA conducted the research study in partnership with University College London (UCL); James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh; Society for Nutrition, Education, and Health Action (SNEHA), India; and Centre for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA), Nepal. This report collates the findings and recommendations that emerged from the three country studies carried out by the research partners, under the aegis of CREA and UCL. Although significant strides have been made towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in many parts of the world, violence against women (VAW) continues to be a pressing issue for the South Asian agenda. Violence against women who are marginalised on the basis of sexuality or gender expression is particularly high. Yet, it remains under-reported and under-addressed because of the stigma and discrimination associated with them. The study investigated the hypothesis that women who are outside the mainstream of the South Asian society suffer higher rates of violence and are often unable to seek and receive protection from State agencies. Women who are outside the mainstream on account of, for example, their sexuality (women who have sex with women), their occupation (women who sell sex), their age (women who are young and never married), or their physical or mental ability to assert themselves (women with physical or mental disability) are at an increased risk of violence. They are systematically restricted in their access to resources and are unable to fully participate in society. A global literature review of various peer-reviewed research studies, focusing on disabled women, lesbian women, and FSWs, revealed that the overwhelming majority of these were conducted in North America. Only one of the identified studies was undertaken among the FSWs in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This highlights the existence of gaps in the evidence about or from South Asia. This report is a first step towards filling in some of these gaps in research by looking at the intersections of marginalisation, gender, and violence against women (VAW) in South Asia. The fundamental rationale behind the research study was to foreground the voices of these three groups of marginalised women. The study aimed at making their concerns, experiences, and struggles central to the ways in which VAW is understood, and laws and policies are shaped. Details: New Delhi, India: CREA, 2012. 178p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2012 at: http://ilga.org/ilga/static/uploads/files/2012/5/8/08223438.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Asia URL: http://ilga.org/ilga/static/uploads/files/2012/5/8/08223438.pdf Shelf Number: 125411 Keywords: Bias-Motivated CrimesDisabilityDiscriminationGays, Lesbians and Bisexuals, Crime AgainstGender-Based ViolenceProstitutesSex WorkersViolence Against Women (Asia) |
Author: Roy, Sumanta Title: The Missing Link: A Joined Up Approach to Addressing Harmful Practices in London Summary: This study was commissioned and funded by the Greater London Authority to address a knowledge gap on the needs of black, minority ethnic and refugee (BMER) women experiencing harmful practices (HPs). The specific aim of the study was to provide a document which would help to engage commissioners, funders, policy-makers and frontline practitioners to improve the way London responds to HPs. The study was carried out between December 2010 and March 2011. There is no universal definition nor is there an exhaustive list of harmful practices. The term ‘harmful traditional practices’ was used by the World Health Organisation in 1979 at a regional seminar held in the Sudan as a less contentious cover for raising the subject of female genital mutilation. It was used at a time when the issue was considered to be too controversial to be raised as a single issue. Henceforth, other practices, including early marriage and forced feeding, along with female genital mutilation were referred to as harmful traditional practices. Historically, there are practices that would not be considered to be gender-based violence within the evolving definition of HPs. The United Nations has defined harmful traditional practices as: "forms of violence that have been committed against women in certain communities and societies for so long that they are considered part of accepted cultural practice. These violations include female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM), dowry murder, so-called ‘honour killings,’ and early marriage. They lead to death, disability, physical and psychological harm for millions of women annually" (UNFEM 2007). In addition to the above list, acid attacks would also be a type of HP (UN 2009:4). There are a number of reasons why these forms of violence may occur. First, harmful practices, as forms of violence against women, are rooted in gender inequality. Other reasons cited often include ‘traditional’ values, such as the authority and wisdom of parents and children’s duty of obedience. However, the commonality between these forms of violence tends to be the existence of established hierarchical power-relationships between men and women and between parents and children. Despite their harmful nature and their violation of international human rights laws, such practices persist because they are not questioned and take on an aura of morality in the eyes of those practicing them (UN, Office of the High Commissions for Human Rights, undated).The United Nations recognises that “the ways in which culture shapes violence against women are as varied as culture itself” (UN 2009:7). For example, some writers have referred to the phenomenon of ‘date rape’ as a cultural norm although it is not always labelled as such. Some academics have argued that there is inadequate focus on harmful practices in western societies. Jeffreys (2005), for example, argues that prostitution and pornography are harmful practices yet are rarely discussed in the context of cultural practices. Furthermore, it is evident that new HPs are constantly developing, and existing HPs have altered as a result of globalisation, migration and practices against women (UN 2009:7,11). For this study, the term ‘harmful practices’ was used instead of ‘harmful traditional practices’. The use of the word tradition was considered to be inappropriate for a number of reasons. By framing violence in certain communities as a custom, tradition or within a religious context it implies that violence against women and girls (VAWG) is an accepted norm or practice and makes it difficult to understand and challenge from within the VAWG framework. In addition, ‘traditional’ reinforces the ghettoisation of violence against women in BMER communities. Details: London: Greater London Authority, 2011. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2012 at: http://www.imkaan.org.uk/index_htm_files/The%20Missing%20Link%20Full%20Report%20September%202011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.imkaan.org.uk/index_htm_files/The%20Missing%20Link%20Full%20Report%20September%202011.pdf Shelf Number: 125422 Keywords: Female Genital MutilationForced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceHonor-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women (U.K.) |
Author: United States Agency for International Development Title: United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally Summary: Under the leadership of President Obama and Secretary Clinton, the United States has put gender equality and the advancement of women and girls at the forefront of the three pillars of U.S. foreign policy–diplomacy, development, and defense. This is embodied in the President’s National Security Strategy, the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, and the 2010 U.S. Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR). Evidence demonstrates that women’s empowerment is critical to building stable, democratic societies; to supporting open and accountable governance; to furthering international peace and security; to growing vibrant market economies; and to addressing pressing health and education challenges. Preventing and responding to gender-based violence is a cornerstone of the Administration’s commitment to advancing gender equality. Such violence significantly hinders the ability of individuals to fully participate in and contribute to their families and communities–economically, politically, and socially. Vice President Biden, who authored the Violence Against Women Act while in the Senate, has been a leader in efforts to end violence against women and girls for two decades. Secretary of State Clinton and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah also have been tireless advocates for ending gender-based violence, and have elevated this issue as a foreign policy priority. To further advance its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, the Obama Administration has developed this new strategy to prevent and respond more effectively to genderbased violence globally. The purpose of the strategy is to establish a government-wide approach that identifies, coordinates, integrates, and leverages current efforts and resources. The strategy provides Federal agencies with a set of concrete goals and actions to be implemented and monitored over the course of the next three years with an evaluation of progress midway through this period. At the end of the three-year timeframe, the agencies will evaluate the progress made and chart a course forward. To ensure a government-wide perspective in developing this strategy, the White House, at the request of the U.S. Department of State and USAID, convened representatives from the U.S. Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, Labor, Health and Human Services (including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health), and Homeland Security, as well as from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, USAID, the Peace Corps, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. These included representatives working on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Health Initiative (GHI), and the Office of the United States Government Special Advisor and Senior Coordinator for Children in Adversity. Additionally, the White House, the Department of State, and USAID held multiple consultations with civil society organizations to ensure that their perspectives informed the development of the strategy. Details: Washington, DC: USAID, 2012. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 17, 2012 at: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/196468.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/196468.pdf Shelf Number: 126057 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against GirlsViolence Against Women |
Author: Thiara, Ravi K. Title: Vital Statistics 2 Key Findings Report on Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee Women's and Children's Experiences of Gender-Based Violence Summary: The report provides key findings from Imkaan’s Toolkit; a monitoring framework piloted with ten violence against women and girls (VAWG) organisations over a 3 month period. The monitoring tool captured data on Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BMER) women’s and children’s access to specialist BMER services and other voluntary and statutory services. The findings provide a picture of the role and impact of specialist BMER VAWG services, with the aim to contribute to more informed policy and practice on BMER women and girls in the context of VAWG. Note: The findings from the first Toolkit pilot, Vital Statistics: The experiences of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee women and children facing violence and abuse, were published in 2010. Details: London: Imkaan, 2012. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2012 at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/85173313/Vital%20Statistics%20Two%202012%20%28Low%20res%29.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/85173313/Vital%20Statistics%20Two%202012%20%28Low%20res%29.pdf Shelf Number: 126928 Keywords: Female VictimsGender-Based ViolenceJuvenile VictimsMinority Groups |
Author: Danish Refugee Council Title: A Sexual and Gender-based Violence Rapid Assessment: Doro Refugee Camp, Upper Nile State, South Sudan Summary: Since December 2011, approximately 100,000 refugees have fled the State of Blue Nile (BNS) in Sudan and sought shelter in Maban County – Upper Nile State (UNS) – South Sudan as a result of aerial bombardments and armed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudanese People Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N). There are four main locations where the refugees are sheltered in the county: (1) in Doro camp (near the village of Bunj) there are 41,7871 individuals, (2) in Jamam camp (near the village of Jamam) there are 25,176 registered refugees, (3) in Yusuf Batil camp there are 34,112 registered refugees and (4) in the recently opened Gendrassa camp there are 4,484 individuals as of beginning of August 2012. Sudanese refugees started to settle spontaneously in the area later to become Doro refugee camp as early as October 2011. Since then, new influxes of refugees continued to arrive up to May-June 2012 causing the camp to become more and more congested. As a result, some of these communities settled outside the camp boundaries. In May 2012 approximately 3.000 refugees were relocated from Jamam refugee camp to Doro due to increasingly precarious living conditions in Jamam - water provision much below standards, flooding and a hazardous health situation prompted UNHCR and aid agencies to decide for the relocation of part of Jamam camp. Details: Copenhagen: Danish Refugee Council, 2012. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 24, 2013 at: http://www.drc.dk/about-drc/publications/ Year: 2012 Country: Sudan URL: http://www.drc.dk/about-drc/publications/ Shelf Number: 127378 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceHuman RightsRapeRefugeesSexual AssaultSexual Violence |
Author: Muthegheki, Saad Baluku Title: An Exploratory Study of Bride Price and Domestic Violence in Bundibugyo District, Uganda Summary: This report presents findings of an exploratory research study on the links between the practice of bride price and gender based violence in Bundibugyo, Western Uganda, the first of its kind in this part of the country. It was designed as a response to the growing interest in bride price and to provide information to assist in the mitigation of the negative impacts of this traditional practice. Bride price is used to validate customary marriages and is very common in many African countries. Typically, bride price consist of a contract between families where material items (often cattle or other animals) or money are paid by the groom to the bride’s family in exchange for the bride and invariably her labor and her capacity to produce children. Although much anecdotal evidence exists about the traditional practice of bride price as practiced in most Ugandan communities, there has been very little research to provide details on how this practice impacts on people’s lives. Such data would be valuable in informing the public, government, policy makers, duty bearers and other institutions that are working on the issue both in Uganda and Africa as a whole. The study was part of a gender based violence research development initiative across East and Central Africa. Centre for Human Rights Advancement (CEHURA) a community based organization (CBO) and human rights agency working on sexual and gender based violence conducted the study, with technical support from the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), Liverpool VCT Care and Treatment in Kenya and the Gender and Health Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council. The exploratory study focused on gaining insights into the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to bride price as well as its relationship with domestic violence in Bundibugyo district in Western Uganda. The research team conducted 12 focus group discussions (145 participants), 12 key informant interviews with community leaders and 9 semi-structured in-depth interviews with men and women in the communities. The study found bride price is a very strongly rooted cultural practice with all participants largely supportive of its existence. However commercialization has changed the practice over time and its essential meaning has been eroded creating obstacles in current times. The study showed the struggle many young men have in trying to meet the demands of this practice- particularly poor young men who could not pay bride price and tried to find alternative ways to meet societal demands. Although some participants viewed bride price as a form of protection for women within marriages by providing them respect, status and acknowledgement within society, the process and payment also prescribed their roles in the marriages and ensured women’s subordination to husbands which invariable condoned the abuse of wives. On the other hand men could lose status and respect if they were not able to pay bride price. The study has pointed to the need to engage with communities and the state on how to mitigate the negative impacts of bride price on these communities. Details: Bundibugyo: Centre for Humjan Rights Advancement; Cape Town, South Africa: South African Medical Research Council, Gender and Health Research Unit, 2012. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Uganda URL: http://www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf Shelf Number: 128215 Keywords: Bride Price (Uganda)Domestic ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Pana, Artemis Title: Youth4Youth: A Manual for Empowering Young People in Preventing Gender-Based Violence through Peer Education Summary: The Youth4Youth training manual is the culmination of a series of initiatives undertaken in several European countries that aimed at shedding more light on the issue of gender-based violence among adolescents. A number of projects funded by the European Commission’s Daphne Programme have created a wealth of information on how young people think and act in relation to their gender identity and within romantic relationships, forming the basis for the work undertaken in the Youth4Youth project, a deliverable of which is this manual. Most importantly, they have provided the foundation upon which interventions such as this manual can be developed and implemented in schools and in youth centres to prevent gender-based violence, and violence against women in particular, by addressing its root causes as early as possible. Emerging evidence suggests that patterns of violence and victimization may develop in early adolescence, and soon become difficult to reverse. Hence, primary prevention measures have an essential role in combating gender based violence since schools and other education centres are a critical component of adolescents’ lives and one of the main contexts where gender socialization takes place, as well as where attitudes toward oneself and others are formed and reinforced. This type of work goes on to stress the importance of funding programmes within the EU that prioritize gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence, including primary prevention programmes that aim to provide young people across Europe with the knowledge and skills to live healthier, more empowered lives. Details: Nicosia, Cyprus: Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS), 2012. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2013 at: http://www.medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/Y4Y-Manual_digital_v12.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/Y4Y-Manual_digital_v12.pdf Shelf Number: 128299 Keywords: BullyingDelinquency PreventionEducationGender-Based ViolencePeer GroupsSchool ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence PreventionYouth Violence |
Author: Tuladhar, Sabita Title: Women's Empowerment and Spousal Violence in Relation to Health Outcomes in Nepal Further Analysis of the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey Summary: Empowering women and addressing gender-based discrimination are key elements of the development agenda of the Nepal government and integral to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Spousal violence is one of the forms of gender-based violence prevalent in Nepal. The objective of this study is to understand women’s empowerment and spousal violence in relation to health outcomes of women and their children. The study analyzed data on 3,084 currently married women age 15-49 from the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). A composite Women’s Empowerment Index (WEI) was developed that included five variables: i) household decision-making, ii) ownership of land or house, iii) membership in community group, iv) proportion earning cash, and v) women’s education. The WEI classified women into three empowerment levels, whereby 17, 48, and 35 percent of married women were in high, moderate, and low empowerment levels, respectively. Variations in women’s empowerment were distinct by age, caste/ethnicity, and wealth quintile. The WEI is used to analyze spousal violence separately and jointly in relation to health outcomes. Twenty eight percent of women reported having experienced spousal physical and/or sexual violence at least once during their lifetime. In the bivariate analysis, women’s empowerment was inversely associated with greater odds of having experienced spousal violence. After controlling for age, wealth, caste/ethnicity, and ecological zone, however, women's empowerment was not significantly related to the odds of spousal violence. This finding may suggest the extent to which violence is a multi-faceted problem affected by a wide variety of contextual and situational factors. Utilization of four or more antenatal care visits, the recommended international standard, was significantly greater for highly empowered women, even after controlling for spousal violence and socio-demographic characteristics. Less empowered women and women who had experienced spousal violence were also more likely to have anemic children. Children of women who had experienced spousal violence had lower odds of being immunized, even after adjusting for related factors. These findings suggest that women’s empowerment and spousal violence appear to have important implications for the health of women and their children. It is recommended that a holistic approach to improving the health of women and children in Nepal incorporate multi-sectoral programming to promote women’s empowerment and reduce gender-based violence. Details: Calverton, Maryland, USA: Nepal Ministry of Health and Population, New ERA, and ICF International, 2013. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 12, 2013 at: http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FA77/FA77.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Nepal URL: http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FA77/FA77.pdf Shelf Number: 128350 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceSpouse Abuse (Nepal)Violence Against WomenWomen's Health |
Author: Thomas, Kylie Title: Homophobia, Injustice and ‘Corrective Rape’ in Post-Apartheid South Africa Summary: This report offers a critique of the terms ‘corrective rape’ and ‘curative rape’ and argues for careful and nuanced application of the concept of ‘hate crimes’. The report focuses on a particular, individual life history and experience of trauma. It also argues for understanding gender‐based violence as structural violence. Details: Cape Town: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape, 2013. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2013 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/images/docs/VTP3/k_thomas_homophobia_injustice_and_corrective%20rape_in_post_apartheid_sa.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.csvr.org.za/images/docs/VTP3/k_thomas_homophobia_injustice_and_corrective%20rape_in_post_apartheid_sa.pdf Shelf Number: 128412 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceHate Crimes (South Africa) |
Author: Kelly, Liz Title: Realising Rights: Case studies on state responses to violence against women and children in Europe Summary: The commitment within Europe to combating violence against women (VAW), and to a lesser extent violence against children, has increased throughout the last decade as a result of sustained actions by women’s movements, non-governmental organisations, and initiatives such as DAPHNE. The initial set of DAPHNE activities were carried out on an annual basis between 1997 and 1999. Thereafter, those activities were continued by the European Commission in the form of DAPHNE I (2000-2003), DAPHNE II (2004-2008 with a budget of EUR 50 million), and DAPHNE III (2007-2013 with a budget of EUR 166 million). The projects funded under DAPHNE have addressed VAW and violence against children and youth, with most focusing on one or the other. Realising Rights (RRS) is part of the current DAPHNE III programme and explores both fields of violence. The aims of the RRS project were threefold: · to provide a comprehensive analysis of existing European legislation in the fields of violence against women (VAW) and child maltreatment (CM); · to undertake in depth case studies on approaches to, and effectiveness of, protection and justice; · to present an analytic overview of promising directions and gaps in legislation and implementation, in order to suggest directions for further reforms in laws, procedures and public policy. Mapping legislation was begun in 2009 and then carried over and deepened in a feasibility study for the European Commission1 which also included sexual orientation violence. That research project covered the first aim, and to some extent the third. In this report we present the multi-country case studies from phase 2 of RRS focused on the wider policy context and the social and institutional processes that define the practices covering: national action plans (NPA) on VAW; child protection processes; and protection for women living with domestic violence. One of our starting points is to develop a deeper understanding of how and why the same principles and concepts lead in diverse directions or why diverse legal frameworks seem to achieve similar results in terms of implementation and understandings of women and children’s human rights. Whilst core principles are established in human rights discourse for addressing VAW and VAC respectively, historical, societal and cultural diversity and legal traditions appear to shape their interpretation, especially when different rights can be interpreted as being in tension. Three case studies were developed to explore this conundrum more fully, involving the four specialised institutions collaborating in this project: · Child & Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU, London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom); · International Victimology Institute Tilburg (INTERVICT, the Netherlands); · Institute for Educational Science, University of Osnabrück (Germany). · German Institute for Human Youth Services and Family Law, Heidelberg (DIJuF, Germany) CWASU undertook the NPA case study involving the following countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Serbia, Turkey and the UK. These countries were selected in order to provide a reasonable geographic spread, a diversity of legal frameworks, and different social, economic and cultural traditions and conditions. The Institute for Educational Science of the University of Osnabrueck and the German Institute for Human Youth Services and Family Law (DIJuF) in Heidelberg undertook the study on child maltreatment and child protection practice across a range of countries, while INTERVICT in Tilburg, the Netherlands, conducted the study on barring orders. Each case study used a slightly different methodological approach to the case studies, meaning that these are documented within each chapter. The first chapter supplements the European Commission report on legal responses (European Commission, 2010), presenting data on an additional 11 non-EU countries with respect to VAW and VAC. Chapters 2-4 present the three case studies and the final chapter explores cross-cutting themes. Details: London: Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University, 2011. 223p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2013 at: http://www.cwasu.org/ Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.cwasu.org/ Shelf Number: 128433 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women (Europe) |
Author: Tacoli, Cecilia Title: Urbanization, Gender and Urban Poverty: Paid Work and Unpaid Carework in the City Summary: The majority of the world’s population now live in urban centres, which will also absorb virtually all population growth in the next century. Urbanisation involves major shifts in the ways people work and live, and offers unprecedented opportunities for improved standards of living, higher life expectancy and higher literacy levels, as well as better environmental sustainability and a more efficient use of increasingly scarce natural resources. For women, urbanisation is associated with greater access to employment opportunities, lower fertility levels and increased independence. However, urbanisation does not necessarily result in a more equitable distribution of wealth and wellbeing. In many low and middle income nations, urban poverty is growing compared to rural poverty. Specific aspects differentiate urban poverty from rural poverty. While urban residents are more dependent on cash incomes to meet their essential needs, income poverty is compounded by inadequate and expensive accommodation, limited access to basic infrastructure and services, exposure to environmental hazards and high rates of crime and violence. This gives urban poverty a distinctive gendered dimension as it puts a disproportionate burden on those members of communities and households who are responsible for unpaid carework such as cleaning, cooking and looking after children, the sick and the elderly. At the same time, cashbased urban economies mean that poor women are compelled, often from a very young age, to also engage in paid activities. In many instances this involves work in the lowest-paid formal and informal sector activities which, at times of economic crises, require increasingly long hours for the same income. Combined with cuts in the public provision of services, higher costs for food, water and transport, efforts to balance paid work and unpaid carework take a growing toll on women. A gendered perspective of urban poverty reveals the significance of non-income dimensions such as time poverty. It also highlights fundamental issues of equality and social justice by showing how women’s unequal position in the urban labour market, their limited ability to secure assets independently from male relatives and their greater exposure to violence. Section 1 of this paper summarises current understandings of urban poverty and their gender implications. Section 2 then examines the demographic consequences of urbanization on fertility, rural–urban migration and sex ratios and how this affects the form and organisation of households. Section 3 describes the context and consequences of women’s’ growing participation in urban labour markets, with special attention to the sectors where women concentrate: the urban informal sector and domestic service. Section 4 on shelter and services shows how gendered disadvantage exacerbates the already difficult living conditions of the urban poor. This is further explored in Section 5 on gender-based violence and its links with urbanization and urban life. The conclusion draws on current debates on the ‘feminisation of poverty’ and time poverty to examine their contribution to the broader understanding of both gendered disadvantage and urban poverty. Details: London: Human Settlements Group, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED); New York: Population and Development Branch, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2012. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Urbanization and Emerging Population Issues Working Paper 7: Accessed Year: 2012 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 128598 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolencePovertyUrban AreasViolence Against Women |
Author: Schäfer, Rita Title: Men as Perpetrators and Victims of Armed Conflicts: Innovative Projects Aimed at Overcoming Male Violence Summary: A more detailed analysis of various diverging war experiences of boys, male adolescents and men is essential for development cooperation in post-war societies and must be taken into consideration for project planning and implementation. Differentiated gender perspectives are required in order to put an end to tolerated, widespread gender-specific and sexualized violence. In addition, violence among male youth and men is a threat to often very fragile peacebuilding processes. Many of them were ex-combatants or soldiers and most of them face an uncertain future and unemployment after their release. This study outlines the formation of the male identity before and after wars, thereby also touching on the problem of child soldiers. On the basis of country studies, projects and programs will be presented that have contributed to changes in behavior and attitudes among boys, adolescents and men after wars or armed conflicts. The research focuses on innovative approaches from African countries. Additionally, examples from other continents will be presented. The selection of projects and programs represents the priority and cooperation countries of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). Guidelines from the ADC and international treaties are referenced in detail. The many concrete examples draw on experiences at local, national and international level, as well as on theme-related studies from various organizations of the United Nations and numerous non-governmental organizations. Moreover, the study examines projects for education and awareness raising on masculine gender identity, sexuality, fatherhood and health. Noteworthy are also the cultural, media and sports programs for community building among youth. The powers of traditional, religious and local authorities are expounded through examples, as they can promote or interfere with change processes. Lastly, the study provides recommendations for the ADC. This study builds on previous work from the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC) on gender and children in armed conflicts. Details: Vienna: VIDC – Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation, 2013. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 25, 2013 at: http://www.vidc.org/fileadmin/Bibliothek/DP/Nadja/VIDC_Schaefer_E_Druckversion.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.vidc.org/fileadmin/Bibliothek/DP/Nadja/VIDC_Schaefer_E_Druckversion.pdf Shelf Number: 128794 Keywords: Armed ConflictsChild SoldiersGender-Based ViolenceMalesMasculinitySexual ViolenceViolence Prevention |
Author: Braaf, Rochelle Title: The Gender Debate in Domestic Violence: The Role of Data Summary: Key points • The gender debate is one of the enduring controversies in domestic violence research. On the one hand, feminist researchers have long identified ‘gender asymmetry’ in domestic violence, arguing that women are the primary targets of abuse and that men comprise the large majority of perpetrators. On the other hand, family conflict researchers typically find ‘gender symmetry’, arguing that women and men experience and perpetrate violence at similar rates. • Within the gender debate, two of the most contentious issues concern researchers’ definitions of domestic violence and their methods of data collection. • Feminist and family conflict researchers differ in how they conceptualise violence in relationships. Feminist researchers emphasise the wider dynamics of domestic violence: why it occurs, how it manifests and victim outcomes. Family conflict researchers define violence more narrowly, being primarily concerned with measuring incidents of violence between partners. • Feminist and family conflict researchers also differ in their data collection methods. Feminist researchers tend to favour qualitative approaches commonly used in clinical studies, as well as quantitative information collected via officially reported data and community sample surveys. Family conflict researchers tend to favour quantitative approaches, relying predominantly on acts-based surveys (such as the Conflict Tactics Scale). • These differences in turn influence feminist and family conflict researchers’ findings about men’s and women’s experiences and perpetration of violence. In particular, their findings conflict in relation to perpetrator motivation for violence, forms and levels of abuse, severity of abuse, repetition of violence and impacts on victims. • Certainly, all violence in intimate relationships is unacceptable. However, an accurate analysis of the relationship between gender and domestic violence is essential to develop effective prevention and responses. • No single type of data collection method provides a complete picture of domestic violence. Furthermore, individual studies or data sets vary considerably in depth and quality of information. Researchers and practitioners, therefore, need to be mindful of the strengths and weaknesses of a chosen approach when drawing conclusions and making recommendations. • From the real life examples presented in this paper and in many other studies canvassed, practitioners and advocates should have confidence in claims of gender asymmetry in domestic violence. Details: Sydney: Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse, The University of New South Wales, 2013. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Issues Paper 25: Accessed June 7, 2013 at: http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/IssuesPaper_25.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/IssuesPaper_25.pdf Shelf Number: 129003 Keywords: Domestic Violence (Australia)Family ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Moser, Caroline Title: Understanding the Tipping Point of Urban Conflict: Participatory methodology for gender-based and political violence Summary: The objective of this working paper is to outline the participatory violence appraisal (PVA) methodology implemented for the sub-city level studies in the ‘Understanding the Tipping Points of Urban Conflict’ (UTP) research project. It is intended to assist researchers when designing sub-city or local level research. As such it does not provide a definitive ‘blueprint’ but rather elaborates a generic methodology that may be easily adapted to the needs of different research objectives. This working paper complements the UTP Concept Paper (Moser and Horn 2011) that sets out the UTP research project’s objectives, and its associated conceptual framework. Underlying the UTP project is the assumption that two concepts – tipping points and value chains – provide added value and introduce new perspectives on an already much debated and contested issue, namely violence in cities of the South. As elaborated in detail in the concept paper the research focuses less on documenting a static phenomenon, be it conflict or violence, and more on examining the shift from one state to another, in this case from conflict to violence – the so-called tipping point – and from one type of violence to another, identified as a violence chain. A focus on processes rather than a phenomenon requires a research methodology that moves from statistical measurement to a narrative understanding of social, economic and political processes – but also one that is sufficiently robust and cannot be dismissed as anecdotal information. Considerations such as these have important implications for the design of the research methodology. Details: Manchester, UK: Global Urban Research Centre, University of Manchester, 2012. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper #2: Accessed July 11, 2013 at: http://www.urbantippingpoint.org/documents/Working%20Papers/WP2_March2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.urbantippingpoint.org/documents/Working%20Papers/WP2_March2012.pdf Shelf Number: 129371 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolencePolitical ViolenceUrban AreasViolenceViolent Crime |
Author: Bruce, Judith Title: Violence Against Adolescent Girls: A Fundamental Challenge to Meaningful Equality Summary: Societies, rich and poor alike, are increasingly articulating commitments that guarantee girls safe and equal access to entitlements, services, social participation, and economic opportunities. Yet threats of violence in many forms—culturally affirmed (child marriage, female genital mutilation), intimate (carried out by family members and partners), casual (carried out by strangers), and planned (trafficking)— intervene to prevent girls from claiming their rights. Many countries are signatories to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and stipulate equality between males and females in their constitutions. Theoretically, safe access to resources and facilities is equally afforded to girls and boys, however a far higher proportion of boys and a smaller subset of usually more privileged girls may actually claim their rights and opportunities. The graphic on the right provides a general illustration of how violence impedes structural access. Girls’ lives are often conditioned around the possibility of violence. And acts of violence exert additional power over girls because the stigma of violence often attaches more to a girl than to her perpetrator. The experience of violence is devastating at the individual emotional and physical level. Its power to interrupt or fully disable girls’ access to entitlements, social participation, and—crucially— safe and decent livelihoods is an equally compelling reason to stop it. Violence is so pervasive in many societies that it has the feeling of being an active “plan” or even an opposing sector undermining the investments made by other sectors in girls’ well- being. Part of the “plan” to deny the rights of girls, even when society has made progress, is to condition them to avoid opportunity in order to manage risk. As girls internalize their responsibility for managing this risk, they begin to precensor their potential. Details: Washington, DC: Population Council, 2011. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: A Girls First! Publication: Accessed July 18, 2013 at: http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/2012PGY_GirlsFirst_Violence.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/2012PGY_GirlsFirst_Violence.pdf Shelf Number: 129446 Keywords: AdolescentsFemale VictimsGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Children |
Author: Spangaro, Jo Title: What is the Evidence of the Impact of Initiatives to Reduce Risk and Iincidence of Sexual Violence in Conflict and Post-Conflict Zones and other Humanitarian Crises in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries? A Systematic Review Summary: What evidence exists for the impact of initiatives to reduce risk and incidence of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict zones and other humanitarian crises in lower and middle-income countries? Who wants to know and why? Sexual violence in the context of conflict and other humanitarian crises is widespread, with at least one in four women in conflict situations affected. Men and children are also at heightened risk. In these settings, sexual violence may be committed i) as a tactic of armed conflict, ii) opportunistically due to situational vulnerability, iii) as a form of sexual exploitation by peacekeepers or humanitarian staff, or iv) as a form of familial or community violence exacerbated by weakened social or legal structures. Since 2000, the United Nations (UN) Security Council has passed five resolutions that addressed this problem among others, prompting the issue of various guidelines and training packages. No previous systematic reviews of evidence for reducing risk and incidence of sexual violence in conflict or other crisis have been undertaken to date. There is now a need to gauge the impact of interventions undertaken to address this problem. Methods of the review A realist approach was adopted, suited to complex problems as it enables analysis of contextual factors and underlying program mechanisms. An extensive literature search employed 23 bibliographic databases, 26 websites, and a hand search of three journals. Included studies were those containing primary empirical data describing implementation or impact of interventions aimed at reducing risk or incidence, or addressing harm from sexual violence occurring in conflict, postconflict or other humanitarian crisis settings in lower or middle-income countries. Studies included were published from 1 January 1990 to 1 September 2011. A total of 2,656 studies was identified, after removal of duplicates. Following the application of exclusion criteria, 49 studies were selected as being in scope for the review and were mapped. Nine studies which reported on overarching policy responses were excluded, leaving 40 studies in the full review. Although much of the broader literature refers to militarised sexual violence committed by combatants, the majority of studies found addressed sexual violence committed opportunistically or within the family/community. Twenty studies reported outcomes and the other twenty reported only on the implementation of interventions (see Appendix 3.1 for a map of the studies). The majority of the studies identified in the review described interventions for sexual violence in post-conflict settings, with few addressing prevention or the conflict context. Most interventions were provided by multilateral agencies, international non-government organisations (NGOs) or national governments, with a few provided by local NGOs or community groups. Seven strategy types were identified: i) survivor care interventions (10 studies); ii) livelihood initiatives (2 studies); iii) community mobilisation initiatives (3 studies); iv) personnel initiatives, e.g. recruitment or training (3 studies); v) systems and security, predominantly firewood patrols or fuel alternatives (3 studies); vi) interventions using a combination of these strategies (13 studies); and vii) legal interventions (6 studies). Most interventions targeted women or were non-specific. Two interventions targeted young people specifically, both were disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) interventions, but neither found reduced risk/incidence (Amone-P'Olak 2006; Denov 2006). No studies were found which targeted men specifically as victims. Details: London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, 2013. 170p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 13, 2013 at: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Conflict_zones_2013Spangaro_report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 131642 Keywords: Conflict-Related Sexual ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against WomenViolence Prevention |
Author: MacQuarrie, Kerry L.D. Title: Spousal Violence and HIV: Exploring the Linkages in Five Sub-Saharan African Countries Summary: Over the past decade a consensus has been growing that intimate partner violence contributes to women's vulnerability to HIV. A diverse body of research has explored this association, mostly in the developing world. Studies based on women who present at health clinics often report a significantly higher prevalence of intimate partner violence among HIV-positive women compared with HIV-negative women. Moreover, six of seven studies using nationally representative samples reported a significant association between some form of violence and HIV status. The usual interpretation is that spousal violence increases the risk of HIV for women. Yet a direct effect on HIV status is unlikely, since there is no apparent direct causal pathway leading from most forms of spousal violence to the acquisition of HIV. This study contributes to an understanding of the relationship between spousal violence and HIV by taking advantage of data from both members of a couple and using discrete, nuanced measures of spousal violence to better specify the associated pathways through which violence influences HIV. We propose a gender-based conceptual framework in which the association between a woman's experience of spousal violence and her HIV status is mediated by two primary pathways: First, the HIV risk behaviors/factors of her husband and, second, her own behavioral and situational HIV risk factors. Both of these factors have been associated with violence experienced by women and perpetrated by men. This study uses data on married couples from six Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in five sub- Saharan countries: Kenya 2008-09, Malawi 2010, Rwanda 2005, Rwanda 2010, Zambia 2007, and Zimbabwe 2010-11. These surveys included HIV testing for both women and men and also the domestic violence module, thus providing a subsample of married or cohabiting couples by their experience of violence and their HIV status. We examine the direct or indirect linkages between spousal violence and women's HIV status. We also explore the association between spousal violence and wives' and husbands' HIV risk factors. Specifically, we include the following factors: lifetime number of sexual partners; STI or STI symptoms in the last 12 months; and for husbands only, non-marital sex in the past 12 months; having paid for sex; alcohol use; and husband's HIV status. We consider several forms of spousal violence (emotional, physical, and sexual violence) and husbands' controlling behaviors. In keeping with the conceptual framework, we develop a series of statistical analyses to test the direct effect of spousal violence on women's HIV status and the role of HIV risk factors as mediators. The results reveal a strikingly common structure of what constitutes violence across the five countries. Five factors emerge in each country: (1) suspicion, (2) isolation, (3) emotional violence, (4) physical violence, and (5) sexual violence. These five factors account for 57 to 66 percent of the variance among the items in each country. Our factor analysis upholds the validity of experts' assignment of the various acts of spousal violence to the categories of emotional, physical, or sexual violence. An important additional insight is that the six items typically categorized as controlling behavior actually represent not one construct, but two separate constructs-suspicion and isolation-which are distinct from emotional, physical, or sexual violence. The study finds a significant association between multiple forms of violence and women's HIV status, after adjusting for wives' and husbands' socio-demographic characteristics but not risk factors. Yet, no single form of spousal violence is consistently associated with women's HIV status in all five countries. A significant relationship is found with women's HIV status for the controlling behaviors suspicion and isolation in Zambia and Zimbabwe; for emotional violence in Kenya, Rwanda and Zimbabwe; for physical violence, in Kenya, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe; and in no country for sexual violence, the least prevalent form of violence among study couples. In Malawi no form of violence is associated with a wife's risk of having HIV. In all five countries both HIV risk factors for women - lifetime number of sexual partners and recent STI or STI symptoms - are significantly associated with their having HIV, after controlling for background characteristics but not for each other. Most of the spousal violence measures are associated with both wives' HIV risk factors in each country. The most prominent predictor of a woman's HIV status is her husband's HIV status, among all the men's factors considered. Numerous husbands' HIV risk factors are associated with their wives' HIV status, but far less consistently than either husbands' HIV status or women's risk factors. The association between the experience of spousal violence and husbands' risk factors, too, is weaker and less consistent than with women's risk factors. Nevertheless, multiple relationships between spousal violence and wives' and their husbands' risk factors on one hand, and between wives' and husbands' risk factors and women's HIV status on the other, suggest that there are several possible mediators between various forms of spousal violence and women's HIV status. Indeed, when either wives' risk factors or husbands' risk factors, or both combined, are added to our models, most spousal violence factors are no longer a significant predictor of women's HIV status. The only form of spousal violence that appears to have a direct net association with HIV is physical violence, which remains significant in all models in Kenya and Zimbabwe. For almost all forms of violence (physical violence being the exception) and in all five countries, any observed significant relationship of spousal violence with a woman's HIV status is explained away by wives' or husband's HIV risk factors. The study provides evidence that there is no direct effect of most forms of spousal violence on women's HIV status, only an indirect effect through selected behavioral and other factors commonly considered to put an individual at high risk of HIV. The finding that sexual violence is not associated with women's HIV status, even before considering any mediating risk factors, deserves further exploration. Similarly, investigation is warranted to ascertain why physical violence continues to be associated with women's HIV status after controlling for these risk factors. Details: Calverton, MD: ICF International, 2013. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: DHS Analytical Studies No. 36: Accessed November 13, 2013 at: http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/AS36/AS36.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/AS36/AS36.pdf Shelf Number: 131654 Keywords: Family ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceHIV (Viruses)Intimate Partner ViolenceSexual ViolenceSpouse Abuse (Africa)Violence Against Women |
Author: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Title: School-Related Gender-Based Violence in the Asia-Pacific Region Summary: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a fundamental violation of human rights. It is one of the worst manifestations of gender-based discrimination, disproportionately affecting girls and women. GBV is a global phenomenon that knows no geographical, cultural, social, economic, ethnic, or other boundaries. It occurs across all societies, and is a major obstacle to the achievement of gender equality. Governments have signed onto international frameworks1 to protect children from all forms of violence. Despite these frameworks, recent reviews and initiatives have highlighted the extent to which children are exposed to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) and the significance of education to prevent and eliminate this form of violence. In the region, GBV is often tolerated and sustained by social institutions, including the school - the very place where children are expected to be safe, protected and empowered. SRGBV remains not fully examined in the region, and is perhaps even overlooked in many educational environments. SRGBV continues to affect children in the Asia-Pacific region each year, and boys, girls, transgender and intersex children can be targets. In Asia and the Pacific - as elsewhere - SRGBV is a critical barrier to the right to education, not only because of its serious physical and psychological health implications, but also because it may lead to the deterioration of the learning environment as a whole. The experience or even the threat of SRGBV often results in irregular attendance, dropout, truancy, poor school performance, and low self-esteem, which may follow into their adult lives. Importantly, SRGBV is often aggravated in conflict-affected countries and during emergencies. Witnessing or experiencing violence in schools may have irreversible consequences for students in perpetrating or further experiencing violence in adult lives. Teachers, schools and education systems are fundamental in transforming practices, attitudes and values, including instilling in learners the understanding and practice of gender equality, non-violent behaviour and acceptance of difference. To do so, though, and to fulfil children's right to education, learners need safe and supportive environments. SRGBV is a serious obstacle to reaching the Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to achieving gender equality. As we accelerate our efforts towards meeting the EFA goals and elevating our educational ambitions for girls and boys in the post-2015 development agenda, it is critical that we maintain our commitment to gender equality in and through quality education. Details: Bangkok: UNESCO, 2014. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2014 at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002267/226754E.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Asia URL: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002267/226754E.pdf Shelf Number: 131960 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceSchool ViolenceViolence Against Women, Children |
Author: Seelinger, Kim Thuy Title: Safe Haven: Sheltering Displaced Persons from Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Comparative Report Summary: As part of its Sexual Violence Program, the Human Rights Center conducted a one-year study in 2012 to explore and improve understanding of the options for immediate, temporary shelter for refugees, internally displaced persons, and other migrants fleeing sexual and gender-based violence in countries affected by conflict or natural disaster. We define "shelter" flexibly. For example, it may come in the form of a traditional safe house, a network of community members' homes, or another safe space coordinated by a base organization. Our aim was to generate research-based evidence to inform donors, policymakers, and international and local actors about types of relevant models, priority challenges, and promising practices. The study focused on three key objectives: 1. Identify and describe shelter models available to refugees, the internally displaced, and migrants fleeing sexual and gender-based violence. 2. Identify unique challenges experienced by staff and residents in these settings and explore strategies to respond to these challenges. 3. Explore protection needs and options for particularly marginalized victim groups, such as male survivors, sexual minorities, sex workers, and people with disabilities. The aim and objectives were the same across each of the studies carried out in Colombia, Haiti, Kenya, and Thailand. Our research focused primarily on programs that served communities of refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons (IDPs), including those operating in a camp setting. We also studied mainstream shelters to identify protection options and innovations in urban settings. Study outputs include four country-specific reports and one comparative assessment that contain guiding considerations for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other stakeholders involved in the provision of protection to these populations. Details: Berkeley, CA: Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, 2013. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: http://www.alnap.org/resource/8607 Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.alnap.org/resource/8607 Shelf Number: 132514 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceRefugeesSexual ViolenceVictim ServicesVictims of Violence |
Author: Freccero, Julie Title: Safe Haven: Sheltering Displaced Persons from Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Case Study: Thailand Summary: With one of the longest-running civil wars in history, Burma has been plagued by internal conflict between a military-backed government and many ethnic minority insurgent groups for over six decades. Widespread human rights abuses, the confiscation of land, the destruction of villages, and livelihood vulnerability have forcibly displaced millions of people in Eastern Burma, primarily ethnic minorities. Many flee to neighboring Thailand, where an estimated 142,000 Burmese refugees reside in camps along the border and over two million Burmese migrants live throughout Thailand as a whole. Without access to official refugee status in Thailand, Burmese asylum seekers are allowed to temporarily reside in one of the nine camps along the Thailand-Burma border. If they leave the camps without proper documentation, however, they are generally regarded as illegal migrants and are subject to arrest, detention, and deportation by Thai authorities. In the refugee camps, it is believed that insufficient resources, protracted confinement, and high rates of alcohol use contribute, to a high incidence of domestic violence. Service providers have also documented rape, sexual exploitation, and trafficking as significant problems. Outside the camps, local women's groups have identified domestic violence, rape, and trafficking as significant problems in migrant communities. Reporting of this violence is rare, however, as it exposes undocumented migrants to arrest and deportation. Additionally, limited economic opportunity and the undocumented or temporary legal status of migrants leave many vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse by employers, Thai authorities, and others in their communities. In an era of increased attention to conflict-related violence, we are now beginning to understand the continuum of sexual and gender-based harm that men, women, and children can suffer during armed conflict, in flight, and while temporarily resettled in refugee or internal displacement camps. Violence such as rape, gang rape, sexual torture, and sexual slavery can occur during periods of armed conflict, perpetrated by different actors for different reasons. Those fleeing a conflict may still be susceptible to rape, sexual exploitation, or trafficking while attempting to secure transport, cross borders, and find lodging. Finally, even after flight - whether to refugee or internal displacement camps or within urban centers - vulnerability to harm persists, perhaps due to a lack of protective networks, immigration status, or basic resources. In fact, displacement is believed to increase vulnerability through new and exacerbating conditions, such as the breakdown of family and community ties, collapsed gender roles, limited access to resources, insufficient security, and inadequate housing in camp settings. When refugees or internally displaced persons experience sexual and gender-based violence, their needs can be particularly urgent and complex. Survivors may experience compounded levels of physical or psychological distress resulting from individual and collective harms suffered. Unfortunately, multisectoral service options are often scarce in forced displacement settings. It is important to better understand the options for immediate physical shelter that exist in these contexts. In addition to providing immediate physical protection, programs that provide shelter to displaced persons fleeing sexual and gender-based violence may help to facilitate access to other critical services in resource-constrained settings. However, data about shelter-providing programs in such contexts is extremely limited. Evidence-based information about shelter models, client and staff needs, service challenges, and strategies is urgently required to inform policy, programming, and implementation guidance for international, national, and local entities that design or oversee these protection programs. Details: Berkeley, CA: Human Rights Center, University of California - Berkeley, School of Law, 2013. 145p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/HRC/SS_Thailand_web.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Thailand URL: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/HRC/SS_Thailand_web.pdf Shelf Number: 132528 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceHuman TraffickingRapeRefugeesSexual ExploitationVictim ServicesViolence Against Women |
Author: Horn, Rebecca Title: Safe Haven: Sheltering Displaced Persons from Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Case Study: Kenya Summary: In the first eight months of 2012, the Dadaab refugee camp complex at the Kenya-Somalia border registered nearly 6,000 new arrivals from Somalia, bringing the total population of the northeastern camps to 474,000. If the Dadaab complex were a city, it would be Kenya's third largest, after Nairobi and Mombasa. A similar population explosion occurred on the other side of the country, in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya's northwest. Nearly 13,000 new refugees were registered between January to August 2012, mostly from South Sudan. The total camp population is now over 101,000. By August 2012, the total number of registered refugees and asylum-seekers in Kenya came to over 630,000-with 55,000 of these residing having migrated internally to Nairobi.2 Camp overpopulation and ongoing security concerns have led to extreme resource constraints and protection challenges. UNHCR's implementing partners report cases of aggression within the camps, including rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Further south in the country, 664,000 Kenyan citizens were displaced as a result of the post-election violence that occurred immediately after December 2007's presidential election results were announced.3 During the two months of inter-ethnic conflict that ensued, approximately 1000 cases of sexual and gender-based violence were treated by the two major gender violence clinics in Nairobi.4 Today, many Kenyans remain displaced, with entire camp communities still clustered in central and western Kenya. Security and service delivery to the camps is low. Rates of sexual and gender-based violence are difficult to assess, but assumed to be largely underreported. In an era of increased attention to conflict-related violence, we are now beginning to understand the continuum of sexual and gender-based harm that men, women, and children can suffer during armed conflict, in flight, and while temporarily resettled in refugee or internal displacement camps. Violence such as rape, gang rape, and sexual torture or slavery can occur during periods of armed conflict and may be perpetrated by different actors for different reasons. Those fleeing a conflict may still be susceptible to rape, sexual exploitation, or trafficking while attempting to secure transport, cross borders, and find lodging. Finally, even in settlement-whether in refugee or internal displacement camps or in urban centers-vulnerability to harm persists due to a number of factors, including lack of protective networks, immigration status, and basic resources. Displacement also increases vulnerability through new and exacerbating conditions, including the breakdown of family and community ties, collapsed gender roles, limited access to resources, insufficient security, and inadequate housing in camp settings. Refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing armed conflict or even natural disasters have few options for immediate physical protection from sexual or gender-based violence-either during flight or in camps. Further, the needs of refugees or internally displaced persons who also experience sexual and gender-based violence are likely to be urgent and complex. They may experience compounded levels of physical or psychological distress stemming from both conflict-related displacement and their experience of sexual and gender-based violence. Providing services to people with such complex vulnerabilities requires multisectoral approaches that address the special needs created by these circumstances. It is important to better understand the options for immediate safe shelter that exist in these contexts. In addition to providing immediate physical protection, programs that shelter those fleeing sexual and gender-based violence may help to facilitate access to other critical services in resource-constrained displacement settings. However, data about shelter-providing programs in these contexts is extremely limited. Evidence-based information about shelter models, client and staff needs, service challenges, and strategies is urgently required to inform policy, programming, and implementation guidance for international, national, or local entities that design or oversee these protection programs. Details: Berkeley, CA: Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, 2013. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: http://www.unhcr.org/51b6e2fd9.html Year: 2013 Country: Kenya URL: http://www.unhcr.org/51b6e2fd9.html Shelf Number: 132529 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceHuman TraffickingRapeRefugeesSexual ExploitationSexual ViolenceVictim ServicesViolence Against Women |
Author: Feldman, Sara Title: Safe Haven: Sheltering Displaced Persons from Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Case Study: Colombia Summary: The Human Rights Center conducted a review of scholarly and non-governmental organization (NGO) literature on shelter services in Colombia and on the response to sexual and gender-based violence both generally and specific to internally displaced persons. This review provided information on the context of sexual and gender-based violence in Colombia, key actors, and available protection mechanisms. Fieldwork was conducted over five weeks in April and May 2012. In-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a total of ten shelter staff and seven shelter residents from a total of eight shelters located in the cities of Bogota, Medellin, and Pasto. Interviews were audio-recorded, and files were translated, transcribed, and coded with qualitative data analysis software (Dedoose). Human Rights Center researchers also carried out twenty-eight key informant interviews with representatives from the government, UN agencies, NGOs, and faith-based organizations involved in Human Rights Center researchers examined eight shelter programs available to displaced individuals fleeing sexual and gender-based violence in three locations: Bogota, Medellin, and Pasto. Shelters included in this study were designed to serve one of three different populations: survivors of domestic violence, the displaced population generally, and displaced persons at particularly high security risk. The domestic violence shelter programs visited were funded and managed by the mayor's offices of Bogota and Medellin. Shelters serving internally displaced persons were funded by government entities, faith-based organizations, and international donors. Displacement shelters were managed by faith-based organizations and NGOs. In Bogota, shelter sites included four a'traditional safe houses": one for survivors of domestic violence, two for the general IDP population, and one for the high-risk IDP population. Researchers also visited one "hybrid" income-generating program offering hotel or apartment-based housing to displaced indigenous women. In Medellin, shelter sites included a "community host system" in which women in the Medellin area shelter survivors of domestic violence in their homes and a traditional safe house program that houses IDPs at high risk. In Pasto, Human Rights Center researchers visited one traditional safe house serving the general IDP population. The length of stay in these programs ranged from three days to four months. Shelter programs offered a variety of services both on-site and through referral, including psychosocial support, legal aid, medical care, vocational training, and employment assistance. The extent of services varied considerably from one site to another. Details: Berkeley, CA: Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, 2013. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2014 at: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/HRC/SS_Colombia_web.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Colombia URL: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/HRC/SS_Colombia_web.pdf Shelf Number: 132587 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceGender-Based Violence Refugees Sexual Violence Victim Services Victims of Violence |
Author: Ricardo, Christine Title: Engaging Boys and Young Men in the Prevention of Sexual Violence: A Systematic and Global Review of Evaluated Interventions Summary: Violence against women is a widespread issue, one that exists in all cultural and socio-economic contexts. Among the various forms of violence that girls and women suffer, rape is often the least visible and least reported. In many cases, such as in dating or married relationships, rape or other forms of sexual violence may not even be recognized by social or legal norms. While the underlying causes of sexual violence are multiple and complex, among the core causes are unequal gender norms and power dynamics between men and women. Throughout the world, boys and men are largely the perpetrators of sexual violence, and girls and women are the victims. It is increasingly understood that men's use of violence is generally a learned behavior, rooted in the ways that boys and men are socialized. There is evidence that this is often at an earlier age than many of the current violence prevention and sexuality education programs target. Adolescence is a time when many boys and young men first explore and experiment with their beliefs about roles in intimate relationships, about dating dynamics and male-female interactions. Research has shown that this is also the time when intimate partner violence first starts to manifest itself, and the earlier and more often it occurs, the more it reinforces the idea that violence is a "normal" part of dating relationships (Laner 1990). A key challenge, therefore, in primary rape prevention is to intervene before the first perpetration of rape or sexual violence, and to reach boys and young men when their attitudes and beliefs about gender stereotypes and sexuality are developing. In this context, it is necessary to reach boys and young men (and girls and young women) with programs that address sexual violence before expectations, attitudes and behaviors about dating are well developed (Fay and Medway 2006). It is also necessary to challenge gender norms and sexual scripts that often underlie coercion and violence in relationships, including "those cultural norms that normalize intimate sexual violence as a 'natural' or 'exaggerated' expression of innate male sexuality" (Carmody and Carrington 2000). In addition, it is necessary to teach adolescents effective communication and problem-solving skills and to promote a culture of responsibility for preventing sexual violence (Berkowitz 2004). In recent years, there has been a significant increase in attention to programming with boys and men and the evidence base regarding what works and what does not work. Violence prevention is still an area in which there are many questions and there is a need for consolidating evidence for advocacy and practice purposes. While there are already many existing reviews of rape prevention programs with male university students and dating violence prevention programs with adolescents, these reviews have largely been limited to North American or Australian context and most often focused only on those programs published in the academic literature - not grey literature. This review is more extensive, in terms of age range (adolescents) and settings (global), and in terms of program goals and scope because it includes those programs that do not have rape prevention as primary focus, but which address underlying risk factors. Details: Washington, DC: Promundo, 2011. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/menandboys.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/menandboys.pdf Shelf Number: 132611 Keywords: Dating ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceViolence Against WomenViolence Prevention |
Author: Slegh, H. Title: Gender Relations, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and the Effects of Conflict on Women and Men in North Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: Results from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) Summary: Promundo and Sonke Gender Justice have released the complete results from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which reveal high levels of gender-based violence and the continuing effects of conflict on couple and family relations. The report will be launched this week at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict at ExCel London. The comprehensive report, Gender Relations, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and the Effects of Conflict on Women and Men in North Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, affirms that the devastating impact of war in DRC affects nearly all those living in eastern DRC, and is manifested in highly inequitable and violent partner relations. Approximately 70% of men and 80% of women were directly affected by war and conflict in DRC, and their reports of conflict-related trauma - including physical displacement, injury, death of friends and family members and experiences of sexual violence - are multiple and widespread. The study's results show that years of conflict, combined with persistent poverty, limited functioning of the state and widespread inequitable norms in DRC, create multiple vulnerabilities for women and girls, and no shortage of vulnerabilities for boys and men as well. One key finding is that rates of sexual violence against women in eastern DRC are some of the highest in the world, compared to other settings where the multi-country survey IMAGES has been carried out. Another key finding is that sexual violence as part of conflict, while brutal and traumatic for those who experience it, happens at lower rates than sexual violence carried out in the home, which the study's co-authors Gary Barker and Henny Slegh discuss in the article "Being Honest About Sexual Violence in War, and Everywhere Else." This survey, carried out with 1,500 men and women in eastern DRC, found that 22% of women were forced to have sex or were raped as part of the conflict, as were some 10% of men. In addition, approximately half of women had experienced sexual violence from a husband or male partner. Nearly a third of both women and men reported an unwanted sexual experience as children. In sum, the effects of economic stress, trauma, fear, frustration, hunger and lack of means to sustain the family are felt first and foremost in family and partner relations. Furthermore, in spite of the compounding effects of the conflict, many findings were consistent with IMAGES studies in other parts of the world: men's childhood experiences of violence, binge drinking and inequitable attitudes were associated with their use of intimate partner violence. At the same time, men whose own fathers were involved in the household were more likely to carry out household tasks. The report reveals the urgent need for more intense promotion of gender equality in DRC's education, health and justice sectors, at both the local and national levels; a rollout of psychosocial and secondary prevention that enables boys and girls to overcome violence they have experienced and witnessed; and long-term rebuilding from the conflict that takes into consideration mens and women's sense of loss of status and identity, and their need for psychosocial support. The report also highlights the needs for a more adequate policy framework in DRC and immediate action on those policies. Sonke Gender Justice recently carried out a review (a summary of which is included in this study) of the policies in DRC and the associated challenges. This study in DRC is part of the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), a multi-year, multi-country study created and coordinated by Promundo and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). IMAGES is one of the most comprehensive studies ever on men's practices and attitudes as they relate to gender norms, attitudes toward gender equality policies, household dynamics including caregiving and men's involvement as fathers, intimate partner violence, health and economic stress. As of 2013, it had been carried out in 10 countries (including this study in DRC) with additional partner studies in Asia inspired in part by IMAGES. Details: Washington, DC, and Capetown, South Africa:Promundo-US and Sonke Gender Justice, 2014. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 7, 2014 at: http://www.genderjustice.org.za/101908-gender-relations-sexual-and-gender-based-violence-and-the-effects-of-conflict-on-women-and-men-in-north-kivu-eastern-democratic-republic-of-the-congo/file.html Year: 2014 Country: Congo, Democratic Republic URL: http://www.genderjustice.org.za/101908-gender-relations-sexual-and-gender-based-violence-and-the-effects-of-conflict-on-women-and-men-in-north-kivu-eastern-democratic-republic-of-the-congo/file.html Shelf Number: 132628 Keywords: Family ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceRapeSexual ViolenceSocioeconomic Conditions and ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Willman, Alys Title: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: What is the World Bank Doing, and What Have We Learned? A Strategic Review Summary: Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is the most egregious manifestation of gender inequality. At least 35% of the world's women have experienced some form of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and numerous men have been victimized as well. Even in contexts of open warfare, the scale of injuries and deaths due to SGBV far eclipses that seen on the battleground. SGBV involves a range of perpetrators and takes many different forms, from workplace harassment, domestic and intimate partner violence, to sexual violence, female genital mutilation, sex-selective abortion, trafficking, and in the most extreme cases, femicide. The impacts of such violence extend far beyond the individual survivors, affecting households, communities and spanning across generations. They can range from physical injuries, to psychological trauma and loss of livelihood or employment. Economically, survivors of SGBV not only have reduced short-term income potential, they may have immediate and long-term medical expenses or have injuries that reduce long-term income and productivity. Details: Washington, DC: World Bank, 2013. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2014 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/12/09/000461832_20131209163906/Rendered/PDF/832090WP0sexua0Box0382076B00PUBLIC0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/12/09/000461832_20131209163906/Rendered/PDF/832090WP0sexua0Box0382076B00PUBLIC0.pdf Shelf Number: 132737 Keywords: Children Exposed to ViolenceDomestic ViolenceFemicideGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceSexual HarassmentSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Tadros, Mariz Title: Reclaiming the Streets for Women's Dignity: Effective Initiatives in the Struggle against Gender-Based Violence in between Egypt's Two Revolutions Summary: This paper is about the struggle to combat gender-based violence in public space in Egypt through the sustained collective action of vigilante groups who organically formed to respond to the increasing encroachment on women in public space from 2011 onwards. The study examines the emergence of a distinct form of collective action (informal youth-led activism aimed at addressing sexual violence in public space) at a very distinct historical juncture in the country's history: the phase after the ousting of President Mubarak in February 2011 through what became known as the 25th of January Revolution and up to the ousting of President Morsi in what became controversially known as the 30th of June Revolution of 2013. Details: Brighton, UK: University of Sussex, Institute of Development Studies, 2014. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Evidence Report No. 48: Accessed August 11, 2014 at: http://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/3384/ER48.pdf;jsessionid=9284806762FADD02CC64702506B472CD?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: Egypt URL: http://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/3384/ER48.pdf;jsessionid=9284806762FADD02CC64702506B472CD?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 132986 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceRapeSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women (Egypt) |
Author: Australian Women's Health Network Title: Health and the Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women Summary: This position paper focuses on the primary prevention of violence perpetrated by men against women. It develops a position on primary prevention (as distinct from secondary and tertiary interventions). It also identifies examples of good practice across settings, and factors for success for primary prevention programs. The paper has been developed as a resource for public education, debate and community activities related to the primary prevention of violence against women. Intimate partner violence is prevalent, serious and preventable; it is also a crime. Among the poor health outcomes for women who experience intimate partner violence are premature death and injury, poor mental health, habits which are harmful to health such as smoking, misuse of alcohol and non-prescription drugs, use of tranquilisers, sleeping pills and anti-depressants and reproductive health problems. The cost of violence against women to individuals, communities and the whole of society is staggering and unacceptable. Every week in Australia at least one woman is killed by her current or former partner, and since the age of 15, one in three women has experienced physical violence and one in five has experienced sexual violence. The annual financial cost to the community of violence against women was calculated by Access Economics in 2002/3 to be $8.1 billion (Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, 2004), a figure which is likely to increase unless the incidence of violence against women can be reduced and ultimately eliminated. Details: Drysdale, VIC, AUS: Australian Women's Health Network, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Position Paper 2014: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: www.awhn.org.au Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: www.awhn.org.au Shelf Number: 133007 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner Violence Sexual Violence Victims of Family Violence Violence Against Women (Australia) |
Author: McNeish, Di Title: Women and Girls at Risk: Evidence across the life course Summary: This evidence review was produced to inform a new cross-sector Alliance which aims to make a difference to the lives of women and girls at risk of homelessness, sexual exploitation, involvement in crime, drugs, mental health problems. We ask the question 'why gender matters' and highlight three sets of factors which have a gendered impact on the lives of women and girls: social inequalities, gender expectations and abuse and violence. Despite the last 40 years of feminism, girls are still born into a world structured by inequality - they earn less and enjoy less freedom than men. Poverty is more likely to affect women - and some women are more likely to be poor than others: the unemployment rates among Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women has remained twice that of white women since 1972. Girls and women are at greater risk of all kinds of interpersonal violence and abuse and those with multiple experience of violence and abuse across the life-course have the poorest outcomes. The idea that boys and girls are encouraged (even 'socialised') into different behaviours and choices, and that this is problematic for equality, has been out of fashion in recent years. However, there remains strong evidence that different gendered expectations have a profound effect on all our lives - and women who do not conform are often viewed as doubly deviant. The review goes on to explore risks and interventions across the life-course from early years to adulthood and considers what are potentially effective forms of support at each life stage. Despite a vast literature on the 'problems' of women and girls at risk, we found surprisingly little of the 'what works' research has paid much attention to gender differences. Much of the evidence that does exist comes from the U.S. In the UK, there is a range of undoubtedly excellent services for women that are hampered by a lack of consistent evaluation of their effectiveness. Details: North Dalton, East Yorkshire, UK: DMSS Research & Consultancy, 2014. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.dmss.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/women-girls-at-risk-v2c.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.dmss.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/women-girls-at-risk-v2c.pdf Shelf Number: 133044 Keywords: At-Risk YouthFemale CrimeFemale Juvenile OffendersFemale Offenders (U.K.)Gender-Based ViolenceSexual Exploitation |
Author: Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) Vienna Liaison Office Title: Femicide: A Global Issue that Demands Action Summary: Femicide is the ultimate form of violence against women and girls and takes multiple forms. Its many causes are rooted in the historically unequal power relations between men and women and in systemic gender-based discrimination. For a case to be considered femicide there must be an implied intention to carry out the murder and a demonstrated connection between the crime and the female gender of the victim. So far, data on femicide have been highly unreliable and the estimated numbers of women who have been victims of femicides vary accordingly. Femicides take place in every country of the world. The greatest concern related to femicide is that these murders continue to be accepted, tolerated or justified - with impunity as the norm. To end femicide we need to end impunity, bring perpetrators to justice, and every individual has to change his/her attitude towards women. To date, the United Nations has not adopted a resolution directly addressing gender-related killings. According to the declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, violence against women "means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women and girls, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life". This definition fails to include explicitly violence that can lead to death and consequently misses an important component of violence against women. On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Vienna Liaison Office of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) organized a one-day symposium on femicide in the United Nations (UN) Office in Vienna, with the kind support of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs; the Permanent Missions to the UN Office at Vienna of Austria, Argentina, Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Small Arms Survey and the Vienna NGO Committee on the Status of Women. Member State representatives, social scientists, NGO representatives, law enforcement officials, prosecutors and feminist activists had the opportunity to speak about femicide, explain its meaning and causes, and presented examples of best practice in fighting femicide. Participants agreed in the VDF that there are at least 11 forms of femicide and that the UN must do more to conduct research on the extent of these killings and evaluate programmes set up to combat femicides. This publication is the result of this symposium and comprises the speeches and presentations of the various experts of the symposium. They discussed the issue of femicide from different perspectives, addressed the problems related to femicide including impunity and proposed comprehensive ways to fight this crime efficiently. In addition to the speeches this publication contains further information about the major forms of femicide. These short articles give an overview of the various crimes, including a description of the extent of the respective form of femicide and best practice examples to fight this crime. Details: Vienna: The Council, 2013. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2014 at: http://www.genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/Co-publications/Femicide_A%20Gobal%20Issue%20that%20demands%20Action.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/Co-publications/Femicide_A%20Gobal%20Issue%20that%20demands%20Action.pdf Shelf Number: 129902 Keywords: FemicideGender-Based ViolenceHomicidesViolence Against Women and Girls |
Author: Holmes, Rebecca Title: Preventing and responding to gender-based violence in humanitarian crisis Summary: In recent years, international concern over gender-based violence (GBV) in emergencies has grown exponentially. Beginning in the mid-1990s with small programmes in a few countries, GBV interventions providing at least basic survivor care and support are now the norm rather than the exception in humanitarian programming. However, while international attention to GBV has increased substantially, there remains a lack of data on and understanding of good practice in relation to GBV programming in humanitarian contexts, and a lack of consensus on how to apply GBV concepts and terminology. This has resulted in a lack of agreement on how to define, prioritise, prevent and respond to gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts. In response to these challenges, this Network Paper maps and critically analyses good practice in preventing and responding to gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts to support humanitarian practitioners and policymakers to improve the quality of GBV programming. It is based on a review of the literature relating to gender-based violence in emergencies, funded by the UK Department for International Development. The review aimed to answer a number of key questions around the monitoring and evaluation of existing programmes; key features of 'successful' programming; needs assessments, programme design and funding; the effects of mainstreaming GBV programming in humanitarian action; and the state of knowledge and use of GBV guidelines. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute, Humanitarian Practice Network, 2014. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Network Paper No. 77: Accessed August 25, 2014 at: http://www.odihpn.org/hpn-resources/network-papers/preventing-and-responding-to-gender-based-violence-in-humanitarian-crises Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.odihpn.org/hpn-resources/network-papers/preventing-and-responding-to-gender-based-violence-in-humanitarian-crises Shelf Number: 133147 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceServices for Victims of ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Myers, Juliette Title: Untying the Knot: Exploring Early Marriage in Fragile States Summary: Tying the knot: an expression that for most of us evokes happy memories of one of the best days of our lives. However, the fun of planning the wedding and the heady excitement of the first weeks of marriage will not be the experience of 13.5 million girls this year. Instead, fearing threats, and encouraged or coerced into marriage as a means of protection, nearly one-in-three girls in developing countries will marry before the age of 18. The younger the girl, the more harmful the consequences: I have seen girls as young as eight being married off to men decades older than them. The impact of sexual activity on children who are too young can be catastrophic. Children having children continues to be a common phenomenon across the developing world, with deaths caused by early pregnancy and birth complications the biggest cause of mortality for girls aged 15-19. Beyond the physical harm they face, is the complete loss of childhood. Children who marry do not play with their friends, are often not attending school, do not have access to opportunities for their future, and are confined within roles which bring responsibilities that they did not choose and often do not understand. This report unravels the links between fragility and early marriage. By showing how marriage is used as a perceived means of 'protection' for girls, this report is a unique contribution to the evidence base of factors driving early marriage prevalence. Revealing the complex causes of this harmful practice, World Vision also identifies key actions that can be taken, both globally and by the UK Government, to reduce the stress on communities and provide families with alternative, effective means of really protecting their daughters. Details: Fox Mine, Milton Keynes, UK: World Vision UK, 2013. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2014 at: http://www.worldvision.org/resources.nsf/main/press-reports/$file/untying-the-knot_report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.worldvision.org/resources.nsf/main/press-reports/$file/untying-the-knot_report.pdf Shelf Number: 133420 Keywords: Child MarriageChild ProtectionForced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceSexual Violence |
Author: Jejeebhoy, Shireen J. Title: Gender-based violence: A qualitative exploration of norms, experiences and positive deviance." Summary: India has articulated its commitment to eliminating violence against women and girls through numerous policies, laws and programmes (for example, the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women 2001, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005, and the strategies outlined in the XIth Five-Year Plan). However, violence against women remains widespread. Nationally, one in three (35%) women aged 15-49 has experienced physical or sexual violence, in general, increasing to 56 percent among women in Bihar (International Institute for Population Sciences and Macro International, 2007). The key challenge underlying the gap between policy and programme commitments and realities is the limited evidence on both what drives violence against women and girls, and effective programme strategies that reduce such violence. With support from UK aid, the Population Council undertook formative research in the district of Patna to better understand the context of violence-physical, emotional and sexual-against women and girls, and notably, the prevailing norms about what constitutes acceptable violence in terms of severity and provocation, and gender norms about men's entitlement and women's acquiescence to violence. It compares the perceptions of women and girls with those of men and boys, respectively, with regard to the prevalence, severity and acceptability of violence committed against women and girls by husbands/boyfriends, family and community members, and looks into the likely factors that precipitate such violence. It also explores factors that may be associated with positive deviance, that is, the characteristics and motivations of nonviolent men. Finally, it explores the extent to which study participants were aware of programmes and entitlements intended to address violence against women and girls, and the obstacles they face in seeking help, and concludes with their recommendations regarding action that may be undertaken to reduce violence against women and girls in their community. Details: New Delhi: Population Council, 2013. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://r4d.dfid.gov.uk/pdf/outputs/ORIE/Qualitative_report_Formative_Study_VAWG_Bihar_DFID_India.pdf Year: 2013 Country: India URL: http://r4d.dfid.gov.uk/pdf/outputs/ORIE/Qualitative_report_Formative_Study_VAWG_Bihar_DFID_India.pdf Shelf Number: 133461 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women (India) |
Author: KPMG Title: Too costly to ignore - the economic impact of gender-based violence in South Africa Summary: It is well documented that South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in the world. But until now what has been less well documented is the economic cost to society of these horrific and unacceptable levels of violence. We see the human cost of gender-based violence every day, but having a calculation of the national economic cost will serve as an important tool in our policy and advocacy efforts to end the suffering and injustice of this violence on a national level. We now know that, using a conservative estimate, gender-based violence costs South Africa between R28.4 billion and R42.4 billion per year - or between 0.9% and 1.3% of GDP annually. This report thus represents an important contribution to the fight against gender-based violence in South Africa Details: Johannesburg: KPMG South Africa, 2014. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://www.kpmg.com/ZA/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/General-Industries-Publications/Documents/Too%20costly%20to%20ignore-Violence%20against%20women%20in%20SA.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.kpmg.com/ZA/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/General-Industries-Publications/Documents/Too%20costly%20to%20ignore-Violence%20against%20women%20in%20SA.pdf Shelf Number: 133818 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceEconomics of CrimeFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women (South Africa) |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "Those Terrible Weeks in their Camp". Boko Haram Violence against Women and Girls in Northeast Nigeria Summary: In April 2014, the Islamist group Boko Haram abducted 276 female students from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, in Nigeria's northeast. The group has abducted more than 500 women and girls from Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States since 2009. Based field research in northeast Nigeria and Abuja, the capital city, including interviews with women and girls who escaped abduction or were freed from captivity, social workers, journalists, religious leaders, civil society workers, state and federal government officials, and witnesses of abductions, "Those Terrible Weeks in their Camp" documents how Boko Haram targets women and girls. The report highlights the harrowing experiences of some of the abducted women and girls, many of whom have endured physical and psychological abuse, forced conversions, coerced marriages, forced labor, sexual violence and rape. To ensure accountability, the report calls on Nigerian authorities to investigate and prosecute, based on international fair trial standards, those who committed serious crimes in violation of international law, including Boko Haram, members of the security forces and pro-government vigilante groups. In addition, the government should provide adequate measures to protect schools and the right to education, and ensure access to medical and mental health services to victims of abduction and other violence. The government should also ensure that hospitals and clinics treating civilian victims of Boko Haram atrocities are equipped with medical supplies to treat survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Details: New York: HRW, 2014. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2014 at: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/nigeria1014web.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Nigeria URL: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/nigeria1014web.pdf Shelf Number: 133881 Keywords: AbductionBoko HaramGender-Based ViolenceKidnappingRapeSexual ViolenceViolence Against GirlsViolence Against Women (Nigeria) |
Author: Heisecke, Karin Title: Ending Violence against Women and Girls: The world's best laws and policies Summary: In 2014, the Future Policy Award celebrates laws and policies that contribute to ending one of the most pervasive human rights violations: violence against women and girls. One in three women worldwide suffers some form of violence in her lifetime. By restricting women's choices and limiting their ability to act, the persistence of violence against women has serious consequences for peace and security, economic development and poverty reduction. Thus, it hampers all efforts towards a future just society. International experts from academia, civil society and international organisations have nominated twenty-five policies from around the world which were implemented to improve the lives of women. Together, they reflect the broad scope of existing policy responses at local, national and transnational levels. It is important to acknowledge that violence against women and girls is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality and, in order to end it, a transformation of gender relations towards a more gender just society is necessary. This cannot be achieved through any single law or policy: the winners of the Future Policy Award provide inspiration for specific "parts of the puzzle" of a range of policy measures that can together lead to an end of violence against women and girls. Our analysis and the Jury's decision on the winners have provided important insights into the key elements of best laws and policies in this field. We have summarised them in the section "key recommendations". Details: Hamburg, German: World Future Council, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2014 at: http://worldfuturecouncil.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Future_Policy_Award/FPA_2014/fpa2014_brochure_en_final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://worldfuturecouncil.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Future_Policy_Award/FPA_2014/fpa2014_brochure_en_final.pdf Shelf Number: 133940 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceRapeSexual ViolenceViolence against Women and Girls |
Author: Khan, M.E. Title: Sexuality, Gender Roles, and Domestic Violence in South Asia Summary: The Population Council has recently released a report titled 'Sexuality, Gender Roles and Domestic Violence in South Asia.' The report involves a wealth of data about patterns of sexuality and gender inequities, which have serious consequences in relation to the spread of HIV infections in the region. A key finding of the report is that women are often unable to negotiate the use of contraception and other safe sex practices in domestic relationships. The dynamics of gender inequalities in South Asia make it very difficult for women to protect themselves against possible HIV and sexually transmitted infection risks. Another key message is that young men and women often have little knowledge about reproductive health and sex, because of a lack of information. Details: New York: Population Council, 2014. 373p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2014 at: http://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/2014RH_SGBVSouthAsia.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Asia URL: http://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/2014RH_SGBVSouthAsia.pdf Shelf Number: 134040 Keywords: Domestic Violence (Asia)Family ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceHIV (Viruses)Intimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Title: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in British Columbia, Canada Summary: 1. This report addresses the situation of missing and murdered indigenous women in British Columbia, Canada. It analyzes the context in which indigenous women have gone missing and been murdered over the past several years and the response to this human rights issue by the Canadian State. The report offers recommendations geared towards assisting the State in strengthening its efforts to protect and guarantee indigenous women's rights. 2. Indigenous women and girls in Canada have been murdered or have gone missing at a rate four times higher than the rate of representation of indigenous women in the Canadian population which is 4.3%. The most comprehensive numbers available were collected by the non-profit organization Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) through an initiative financed by the governmental entity Status of Women Canada. As of March 31, 2010, NWAC has gathered information regarding 582 cases of missing or murdered indigenous women and girls across the country from the past 30 years. Civil society organizations have long claimed that the number could be much higher, and new research indicates that over 1000 indigenous women could be missing or dead across Canada. Although high numbers of missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada have been identified at both the national and international levels, there are no trustworthy statistics that could assist in reaching a fuller understanding of this problem. The Government itself recognizes that Canada's official statistics do not provide accurate information regarding the true numbers of missing and murdered indigenous women. In addition, there is no reliable source of disaggregated data on violence against indigenous women and girls because police across Canada do not consistently report or record whether or not the victims of violent crime are indigenous. 3. As the report explains, the numbers of missing and murdered indigenous women are particularly concerning when considered in light of the fact that indigenous people represent a small percentage of the total population of Canada. Although the information received by the Commission indicates that this could be a nationwide phenomenon, this report is focused on the situation in British Columbia, because the number of missing and murdered indigenous women is higher there in absolute terms than any other province or territory in Canada. 4. British Columbia accounts for 160 cases, 28% of NWAC's total database of 582 and is followed by Alberta with 93 cases, 16% of the total. The high numbers of missing and murdered indigenous women in British Columbia are concentrated in two different areas of the province: Prince George, in the northern part of the province; and the Downtown East Side, an area of downtown Vancouver, the largest city and metropolitan area in the province. 5. The disappearances and murders of indigenous women in Canada are part of a broader pattern of violence and discrimination against indigenous women in the country. Various official and civil society reports demonstrate that indigenous women are victims of higher rates of violence committed by strangers and acquaintances than non-indigenous women. During the IACHR visit the Canadian government indicated that indigenous women are significantly over-represented as victims of homicide and are also three times more likely to be victims of violence than non-indigenous women. Also, indigenous women suffer more frequently from more severe forms of domestic violence than non-indigenous women. 6. According to the information received, the police have failed to adequately prevent and protect indigenous women and girls from killings and disappearances, extreme forms of violence, and have failed to diligently and promptly investigate these acts. Family members of missing and murdered indigenous women have described dismissive attitudes from police officers working on their cases, a lack of adequate resources allocated to those cases, and a lengthy failure to investigate and recognize a pattern of violence. Also, the existence of multiple policing jurisdictions in British Columbia resulted in confusion between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Vancouver Police Department regarding responsibility for investigation. This situation in turn has perpetuated the violence; as the failure to ensure that there are consequences for these crimes has given rise to both real and perceived impunity. The kinds of irregularities and deficiencies that have been denounced and documented include: poor report taking and follow up on reports of missing women; inadequate proactive strategies to prevent further harm to women in the Downtown Eastside; failure to consider and properly pursue all investigative strategies; failure to address cross-jurisdictional issues; ineffective coordination between police; and insensitive treatment of families. 7. Canadian authorities and civil society organizations largely agree on the root causes of these high levels of violence against indigenous women and the existing vulnerabilities that make indigenous women more susceptible to violence. These root causes are related to a history of discrimination beginning with colonization and continuing through inadequate and unjust laws and policies such as the Indian Act and forced enrolment in residential schools that continue to affect them. In this regard, the collection of laws determining Aboriginal status established in the Indian Act restricted the freedom of women who identified themselves as indigenous to be recognized as such. Additionally, the residential schools program separated indigenous children from their families, communities, and cultural heritage. 8. As a consequence of this historical discrimination, the IACHR understands that indigenous women and girls constitute one of the most disadvantaged groups in Canada. Poverty, inadequate housing, economic and social relegation, among other factors, contribute to their increased vulnerability to violence. In addition, prevalent attitudes of discrimination - mainly relating to gender and race - and the longstanding stereotypes to which they have been subjected, exacerbate their vulnerability. 9. The OAS Charter and the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man constitute sources of legal obligation for OAS Member states including Canada. The organs of the international and regional human rights systems for the protection of human rights have developed jurisprudence that recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples as well as the obligation to guarantee women's rights, both of which encompass rights to equality, nondiscrimination and non- violence. In this regard, international and regional human rights systems have developed a set of principles when applying the due diligence standards in cases of violence against women, as well as particular standards in relation to missing women. 10. International and regional systems have also emphasized that a State's failure to act with due diligence with respect to cases of violence against women is a form of discrimination. The lack of due diligence in cases of violence against indigenous women is especially grave as it affects not only the victims, but also their families and the communities to which they belong. In addition, given the strong connection between the greater risks for violence that indigenous women confront and the social and economic inequalities they face, when applying the due diligence standard, States must implement specific measures to address the social and economic disparities that affect them. 11. The IACHR stresses that addressing violence against indigenous women is not sufficient unless the underlying factors of racial and gender discrimination that originate and exacerbate the violence are also comprehensively addressed. A comprehensive holistic approach applied to violence against indigenous women means addressing the past and present institutional and structural inequalities confronted by these women. Elements that must be addressed include the dispossession of their land, as well as historical laws and policies that have negatively affected indigenous women, put them in an unequal situation, and prevented their full enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Details: Washington, DC: Organization of American States, 2014. 127p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 21, 2015 at: http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/reports/pdfs/Indigenous-Women-BC-Canada-en.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/reports/pdfs/Indigenous-Women-BC-Canada-en.pdf Shelf Number: 134433 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceHomicidesIndigenous Peoples (Canada)Missing PersonsViolence Against WomenViolent Crime |
Author: Mills, Helen Title: Empower, resist, transform. A collection of essays Summary: This essay collection highlights how women facing criminalisation and gender based violence are repeatedly failed by society. Helen Mills, Rebecca Roberts and Laurel Townhead describe the shortcomings of criminal justice approaches that often replicate and reinforce inequalities rather than tackle the root causes of harm and violence. The document offers a critical and gendered analysis to the challenges of radically scaling back criminal justice. It also includes a copy of the 'Call to Action' issued by the Centre and the charity, Women in Prison. This work is part of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies' Justice Matters initiative, motivated by the belief that the United Kingdom's over reliance on policing, prosecution and punishment is socially harmful, economically wasteful, and prevents us from tackling the complex problems our society faces in a sustainable, socially just manner. Details: London: Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, 2015. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2015 at: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/Empower%20Resist%20Transform%20January%202015_0.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/Empower%20Resist%20Transform%20January%202015_0.pdf Shelf Number: 134984 Keywords: Female InmatesFemale Prisoners (U.K.)Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Saferworld Title: "How can you be a marda if you beat your wife?" Notions of masculinities and violence in Eastern Nepal Summary: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) remains one of the biggest safety and security challenges in Nepal. Many programmes and policies seeking to reduce and prevent SGBV focus on the needs and rights of girls and women. However, there is a very limited understanding of the role of masculinities in the contexts, and whether and how they link to violence, particularly SGBV. Saferworld, in collaboration with The Society Touch and Youth Development Centre, with funding from the Foundation to Promote Open Society, has carried out participatory learning research in selected districts in Eastern Nepal, exploring notions of masculinities among young men and boys, how these notions shape their relationships towards others, and young men's experiences and attitudes towards violence, including SGBV. The research process had a strong focus on allowing learning and reflection among the participants. Our findings show that young men feel huge pressures and frustrations negotiating their positions in society. The tension between expectations and what is achievable give rise to complicated responses in young men as they live lives in an uncertain and changing context. The research also shows that the association of violence, including SGBV, with masculinities needs to be approached with great care. Most respondents did not see violence, including SGBV, as a part of the masculinity they would aspire to. However, they did see various forms of violence as a consequence of certain situations, pressures and expectations from society, which are themselves in part created by ideas of masculinity. Our research findings led to several recommendations, including: - Men are part of the gender equation, and young men can and should be effectively involved in efforts to address gender inequality and SGBV. Effectiveness might increase by bringing men, women and sexual and gender minorities (SGM) together, rather than working with one gender group in isolation. - Further efforts are required to reduce social stigmatisation of survivors of sexual violence, who are often blamed for inviting sexual violence upon themselves, and to address their needs. All forms of SGBV, including against SGM, need to be challenged, including 'eve-teasing' and sexual harassment through mobile phones and social media. - Security provision and implementation of legislation that prohibits sexual harassment and other forms of SGBV should be strengthened, and security providers and other agencies should be enabled to address SGBV in a more proactive and gender-sensitive way. Details: Kathmandu: Saferworld, 2014. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2015 at: http://www.saferworld.org.uk/resources/view-resource/836-ldquohow-can-you-be-a-marda-if-you-beat-your-wiferdquo Year: 2014 Country: Nepal URL: http://www.saferworld.org.uk/resources/view-resource/836-ldquohow-can-you-be-a-marda-if-you-beat-your-wiferdquo Shelf Number: 135260 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceSexual HarassmentSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women (Nepal) |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Women, Violence and Conflict in Pakistan Summary: Eight years into its democratic transition, violence against women is still endemic in Pakistan, amid a climate of impunity and state inaction. Discriminatory legislation and a dysfunctional criminal justice system have put women at grave risk. Targeted by violent extremists with an overt agenda of gender repression, women's security is especially threatened in the conflict zones in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). On 8 March, International Women's Day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed that his government would take all necessary legislative and administrative steps to protect and empower women. If this pledge was in earnest, his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government should end institutionalised violence and discrimination against women, including by repealing unjust laws, countering extremist threats, particularly in KPK and FATA, and involving women and their specially relevant perspectives in design of state policies directly affecting their security, including strategies to deal with violent extremist groups. Women in the past were the principal victims of state policies to appease violent extremists. After democracy's return, there has been some progress, particularly through progressive legislation, much of it authored by committed women's rights activists in the federal and provincial legislatures, facilitated by their increased numbers in parliament. Yet, the best of laws will provide little protection so long as social attitudes toward women remain biased, police officers are not held accountable for failing to investigate gender-based crimes, the superior judiciary does not hold the subordinate judiciary accountable for failing to give justice to women survivors of violence, and discriminatory laws remain on the books. Laws, many remnants of General Zia-ul-Haq's Islamisation in the 1970s and 1980s, continue to deny women their constitutional right to gender equality and fuel religious intolerance and violence against them. Their access to justice and security will remain elusive so long as legal and administrative barriers to political and economic empowerment remain, particularly the Hudood Ordinances (1979), FATA's Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) (1901) and the Nizam-e-Adl (2009) in KPK's Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA). The government has a constitutional obligation and international commitments, including under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to combat gender inequality and remove such barriers to women's empowerment. Repealing discriminatory legislation and enforcing laws that protect women, including by ensuring that they have access to a gender-responsive police and courts, are essential to ending the impunity that promotes violence against women. The extent to which rights violations go unpunished is particularly alarming in FATA and KPK, where women are subjected to state-sanctioned discrimination, militant violence, religious extremism and sexual violence. Militants target women's rights activists, political leaders and development workers without consequences. The prevalence of informal justice mechanisms in many parts of Pakistan, particularly in Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, are also highly discriminatory toward women; and the government's indiscriminate military operations, which have displaced millions, have further aggravated the challenges they face in the conflict zones. In KPK and FATA, and indeed countrywide, women's enhanced meaningful presence in decision-making, including political participation as voters and in public office, will be central to sustainable reform. Pakistan should invest in their empowerment and reflect their priorities in all government policies, including counter-insurgency and peacebuilding efforts. All too often, women comprise a majority of both the intended victims of the insurgency and the unintended victims of the counter-insurgency response. National and provincial legislation to enhance protections for women is a step in the right direction, but much more is needed to safeguard them against violence and injustice and ultimately to consolidate Pakistan's democratic transition. Details: Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2015. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Asia Report N 265: Accessed May 21, 2015 at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-asia/pakistan/265-women-violence-and-conflict-in-pakistan.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan URL: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-asia/pakistan/265-women-violence-and-conflict-in-pakistan.pdf Shelf Number: 135746 Keywords: Extremist GroupsGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Leach, Fiona Title: School-related Gender-Based Violence A global review of current issues and approaches in policy, programming and implementation responses to School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) for the Education Sector Summary: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global phenomenon that knows no geographical, cultural, social, economic, ethnic, or other boundaries. It occurs across all societies and represents a brutal violation of human rights, the worst manifestation of gender-based discrimination and a major obstacle to the achievement of gender equality. It is tolerated and sustained by social institutions, including the school, the very place where we expect our children to be safe and protected. It is a serious obstacle to the right to education and learning, with implications for the ways that people understand and enact their social lives and exercise their citizenship. The extent to which children are exposed to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) was brought to the attention of the international community by two studies commissioned by the United Nations Secretary-General in the past decade: the Global Study on Violence against Children1 and the In-depth Study on All Forms of Violence against Women, both published in 2006. The global presence of SRGBV seriously compromises the ability of UNESCO's Member States and the international community to meet commitments towards the provision of human rights. Major international frameworks, such as the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the UN 4th World Conference on Women - Beijing Platform for Action denounce violence and call for measures to protect all human beings, especially women and girls, from all forms of violence. Article 19 of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) calls on State Parties to take all appropriate measures, including through education, to protect children from all forms of violence, including sexual abuse. UN Resolution 61/143 (2007) regarding the 'Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women', calls upon the international community, including the United Nations system, to enhance national efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls, including through 'the sharing of guidelines, methodologies and best practices'. Until the World Report on Violence against Children was published in 2006, however, little attention was paid to the school as a forum for violence against children. Since then, it has received increasing attention in national and international agendas. The priority theme of the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), planned for March 2013, is the 'Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls', with prevention and the provision of support services to victims/survivors being the main focus. In preparation for the CSW meeting, an experts meeting on GBV was held in Bangkok in September 2012, in order to explore ways of preventing and addressing GBV through a multi-sectoral approach with a focus on legal and policy guidelines. Education has been identified as one of the priority areas for strategic intervention. However, the transformative potential of schools to empower individuals, to champion gender equality and challenge violence against women and girls depends on a school environment that is itself safe and violence free. This review of current issues and approaches in policy, programming and implementation responses to SRGBV has been commissioned by the HIV and Health Education section in the Education Sector at UNESCO to contribute to the development of comprehensive evidence-informed policy guidelines for the prevention and elimination of SRGBV in and through education. Despite the call for action and the increasing awareness among governments, civil society and the international community of the scale of SRGBV, efforts to address it have been patchy and largely ineffective. The evidence base for the global scale and nature of the problem is limited and there is little collective intelligence to date on best practice in either prevention or response, e.g. on what makes intervention successful, how to measure success and how to scale up promising initiatives. Yet, we know that SRGBV continues to be a serious barrier to educational participation, especially of girls, and casts doubt on the school as an appropriate forum for educating young people about gender equality, non-violent behaviour and sexual and reproductive health. Schools have the potential to bring about change but this cannot be effective if they are simultaneously sites of gender inequality and violence. This review seeks to advance our knowledge and learning in this field, both in terms of what we know about the phenomenon and its impact on individuals, and on how best to address it, including through education. We start the review with a brief explanation of the conceptual framework and of the problematic nature of definitions of GBV, followed by a brief note on our methodology. The substance of the review follows, first summarising the research evidence on SRGBV by region, and then outlining approaches to policy, programming and implementation, with key messages for the education sector and for UNESCO's role in the post-MDG era. Details: Paris: UNESCO, 2014. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Background research paper: Accessed July 15, 2015 at: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/HIV-AIDS/pdf/SRGBV_UNESCO_Global_ReviewJan2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/HIV-AIDS/pdf/SRGBV_UNESCO_Global_ReviewJan2014.pdf Shelf Number: 136059 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceSchool CrimeSchool SafetySchool ViolenceViolence Against Women, Children |
Author: Fulu, E. Title: Why Do Some Men Use Violence Against Women and How Can We Prevent It? Quantitative Findings from the United Nations Multi-country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the Pacific Summary: How do masculinities relate to men's perceptions and perpetrations of violence against women? What do these gendered norms, identities and practices mean for violence prevention? From 2010 to 2013, over 10,000 men and women across Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea were interviewed using the UN Multi-country Study on Men and Violence household survey to help answer these questions. The study derives from the Partners for Prevention (P4P) initiative, and focused on intimate partner violence and non-partner rape. The regional analysis found that between 26 and 80 percent of men reported using physical and/or sexual violence against a female partner. The research shows that sexual and gender-based violence is not caused by individual men's beliefs and practices alone, but are situated within wider societal contexts characterised by gender inequalities and power imbalances between men and women, which women also play a role in maintaining. Work to prevent violence against women must reflect this by working at the individual, relationship, community and greater society levels. Recommendations on how the data supports violence prevention initiatives are as follows: - Change social norms related to the acceptability of violence and the subordination of women; - Promote non-violence masculinities oriented towards equality and respect; - Address child abuse and promote healthy families and nurturing, violence-free environments for children; - Work with young boys to address early ages of sexual violence perpetration; - Promote healthy sexuality for men and address male sexual entitlement; - End impunity for men who rape; - Develop interventions that respond to specific patterns of violence in each context. Details: Bangkok: UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women and UNV, 2013. 121p. Source: Accessed August 13, 2015 at: http://www.partners4prevention.org/node/515 Year: 2013 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 131395 Keywords: Abusive MenChild Abuse and NeglectFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against WomenViolence Prevention |
Author: Middelburg, M.J. Title: Implementation of the international and regional human rights framework for the elimination of female genital mutilation Summary: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the practice of partially or totally removing the external female genitalia or otherwise injuring the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is often believed to be a requirement for marriage and necessary to control women's sexuality. FGM is a reproductive health and human rights concern that has devastating short-term and long-term impacts on the lives of women and girls. The procedure is risky and life-threatening for the girl both during the procedure and throughout the course of her life. FGM is considered a harmful practice and a form of violence against women Before the 1990s, the international community did not view violence against women in general and more specifically FGM as a major issue. If violence against women was recognized as an issue at all, it was seen as under the purview of national governments, not a subject of international law. Violence against women was widely viewed as a private act or a domestic matter carried out by private individuals. For this reason FGM was initially placed beyond the scope of international human rights law. This changed in the 1990s with the global movement against violence against women. Landmark events were the adoption of General Recommendation No. 14 on female circumcision (1990) and General Recommendation No. 192 on violence against women (1992) by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. The Committee explicitly included violence against women as a matter falling under the scope of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and thus under international human rights law. The World Conference on Human Rights (1993) was another landmark event. The concluding document, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, expanded the international human rights agenda to include gender-based violence. It advocated the importance of "working towards the elimination of violence against women in public and private life, and the eradication of any conflicts which may arise between the rights of women and the harmful effects of certain traditional or customary practices." A few months after the conference, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. This was another key step, as it recognized FGM as a form of violence against women for the first time. In article 2, the declaration expressly stated that "Violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but not be limited to, the following: female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women." Although not legally binding, this declaration strengthened the growing international consensus that gender-based violence is a human rights violation. Details: New York: UNFRA, 2014. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: https://pure.uvt.nl/portal/files/5332551/Paper_UNFPA_New_York.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: https://pure.uvt.nl/portal/files/5332551/Paper_UNFPA_New_York.pdf Shelf Number: 136620 Keywords: Female CuttingFemale Genital MutilationGender-Based ViolenceHuman Rights AbusesViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: National Crime Research Centre (Kenya) Title: Gender Based Violence in Kenya Summary: Gender Based Violence is a criminal offence and a moral indignation as provided in the Kenyan Penal Code, the Sexual Offences Act 2006 and the Constitution 2010. GBV also contributes to health problems which ultimately translate into social and economic burdens for society members and the Government. It therefore impedes the achievement of developmental goals, for instance, in the context of the Millennium Development Goals and Kenya's Vision 2030. This report is based on a baseline survey carried out in 13 counties namely, Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, Machakos, Meru, Kiambu, Nyeri, Nakuru, Samburu, Kisii, Migori, Busia and Vihiga. The purpose was to establish the prevalence, cause and effects of GBV at the community level. The overall design was a cross-sectional survey while a questionnaire and interview guide were used for data collection. The unit of analysis was the individual while the units of observation were individual community members and key informants. Individual respondents were selected randomly with a priori decision targeting a sample of 80.0% women and 20.0% men. Key informants were drawn from Government Departments in the frontline of addressing GBV including National Police Service, Judiciary, Probation and Aftercare Service and Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development. The existence and nature of GBV in the community was measured by respondents awareness of forms and underlying causes of self-reported experience of acts of GBV in ones lifetime and in the last 12 months from intimate and non-intimate partner; types of experience disaggregating for physical, sexual and emotional assaults; reporting of the acts; and institutional and community responses to GBV. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics and presented in tables and figures. The analyses were aided by EpiData and SPSS computer programs. Qualitative data were analyzed through identification of relevant themes and presented through descriptions and quotations. Some of the key findings in the report are: i. The most common description of what constitutes GBV was "bodily harm inflicted by man on woman" reported by 73.8% of female and 68.9% of male respondents. There was low level of viewing abuses on children as GBV, which seems to indicate that respondents generally considered GBV only in relation to "adult to adult" behaviour and not "parent to child" behaviour. ii. More men than women report GBV to be "bodily harm inflicted by woman on man" and "psychological harm inflicted by woman on man". This reflects a gender bias in which women "trivialize" the experience of men and a cultural change in which men admit being victimized by women. iii. Among the key informants, the Judiciary and Probation Officers demonstrated clear understanding of what constitutes GBV while the understanding of the Police and Provincial Administration was ambiguous. iv. Respondents generally reported existence of beliefs in their areas/communities indicating men's dominance over women in their areas; for instance, 52.5% of female and 56.6% of male respondents reported that in their community it is believed that "Disciplining a woman is a man's traditional right". Thus, the most fundamental cause of GBV is the traditional belief about men's dominance over women. v. The commonest forms of GBV mentioned by both men and women were "inflicting bodily harm/physical assault", "verbal abuse" and "rape". Clear gender differences were indicated by more women than men identifying "bodily harm" as a common form of GBV, and more men than women identifying "discrimination". vi. Lifetime prevalence of GBV was 38% for women and 20.9% for men while current prevalence was 37.7% for women and 48.6% for men. This shows that while women's vulnerability remained fairly constant, that of men increased appreciably in the last one year. This is consistent with the common belief about increased vulnerability of men as reported in the media. vii. Significant proportions of women (15.2%) and men (7.4%) had ever experienced sexual violence. While women's vulnerability to sex violence is well know, that of men is a new finding. Focusing on sexual violence in the last 12 months among women, rape was the commonest form (compared with sexual threats and sexual humiliation). More women (37.5%) reported having experienced rape (that is, physically forced to have sexual intercourse against one's will) from an intimate partner than a non intimate partner (9.6%). viii. GBV reporting was found to be low. Only 15.2% of female and 16.7% of male respondents who had ever been sexually violated had reported or had someone else report the act of sexual violence. Only 10.3% of women and 6.8% of men reported to have ever been asked at a health facility of any GBV physical or sexual experience they might have encountered. Among respondents who had ever reported GBV experience, most of them had reported to the Police and Provincial Administration indicating the importance of these institutions (even though the study found their understanding of GBV being inadequate). Interestingly, more men (56.5%) than women (32.4%) reported to the police confirming the general assumption that women are intimidated when reporting GBV. ix. Only a few of the respondents reported GBV to "mother", "father" or "religious leader", which raises a serious concern since these are the closest in providing immediate intervention. Details: Nairobi, Kenya: National Crime Research Centre, 2014. 116p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 1, 2015 at: http://ncia.or.ke/ncrc/phocadownload/ncrc%202015%20-%20gender%20based%20violence%20in%20kenya.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Kenya URL: http://ncia.or.ke/ncrc/phocadownload/ncrc%202015%20-%20gender%20based%20violence%20in%20kenya.pdf Shelf Number: 136932 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceSexual Violence |
Author: Goel, Rashmi Title: Women Who Kill Women Summary: This article focuses on the phenomenon of women who kill women in the context of India's dowry murders. Killing by females is rare, and killing of other females is rarer still. India's dowry deaths, where mothers-in-law are, next to husbands, the most accused and convicted, represents a unique opportunity to examine the mechanics around women who kill, especially in the context of a gender violence crime. The article examines both the roots of the dowry system and the current anti-dowry and dowry-violence legislation to demonstrate the implicit and accepted gender inequities within marriage that serve to under gird an overall system of female oppression within the marital relationship. This inequity is understood to be a positive aspect within marriage, but ironically negative within public Indian society. The article then considers various theories of agency and motivation from social science and feminist literature to answer why some women participate in oppressing other women in Indian society. Finally, the article notes some of the ways in which Indian courts are contributing to the oppressive power structure by limiting the application of the anti-dowry and dowry-violence laws. Details: Denver, CO: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: University of Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 15-22: Accessed October 15, 2015 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2668379 Year: 2015 Country: India URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2668379 Shelf Number: 136986 Keywords: DowryFemale OffendersGender-Based ViolenceHomicidesMarriageViolence Against WomenWomen Who Kill |
Author: National Gender and Equality Commission Title: National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework towards the Prevention of and Response to Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Kenya Summary: Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a human rights violation, developmental concern and a public health problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), GBV is, "Any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person's will, and that is based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between males and females." Gender based violence includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering; the threat of such acts; and coercion and other deprivations of liberty. The term "gender-based violence" is often used interchangeably with (but not synonymous to) the term "violence against women". The different forms of GBV include physical, sexual, emotional (psychological), and economic violence, and harmful traditional practices. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 150 million girls and 73 million boys experienced sexual abuse before attainment of 15 years. The Kenya Demographic Health Survey (2008-09) showed that almost half (45 percent) of women aged 15-49 have experienced either physical or sexual violence. The 2011 police crime report documented 2,660 cases of defilement and 130 cases of sodomy. The Violence Against Children study undertaken in Kenya in 2010 corroborated the existing trends of GBV in the country. According to the study, nearly one in three females and one in five males experience at least one episode of sexual violence before reaching age 18, an experience that can shape their futures in terms of their attitudes towards violence, their adoption of risky behaviors and their emotional health. The Commission of Inquiry into Post Election Violence (CIPEV) Report (2008)3 noted that approximately 524 or 80% of survivors of GBV treated at the Nairobi Women's Hospital suffered from rape and defilement, 65 or 10% from domestic violence with the remaining 10% from other types of physical and sexual assault. The report further observed that some victims of sexual violence already had HIV/ AIDS and others contracted it as a result of being raped and being unable to access medical services in time to reduce the chances of or prevent infection. LVCT Health's data on sexual violence from supported health facilities in the country recorded 4,944 cases of sexual violence in 2014. Women and girls constituted 90.8% of the cases whereas children under the age of eighteen accounted for 61.9% of all survivors reported by LVCT Health. In 2011-2012, the Nairobi Women's Gender Violence Recovery Centre recorded 2,532 cases of sexual violence. Details: Nairobi, Kenya: The Commission, 2014. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2015 at: http://www.ngeckenya.org/Downloads/National-ME-Framework-towards-the-Prevention-Response-to-SGBV-in-Kenya.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Kenya URL: http://www.ngeckenya.org/Downloads/National-ME-Framework-towards-the-Prevention-Response-to-SGBV-in-Kenya.pdf Shelf Number: 137040 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceRapeSexual AssaultSodomyViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Sutherland, Georgina Title: Media representations of violence against women and their children: State of knowledge paper Summary: This paper provides an overview of the best available contemporary evidence on the way news and information media portray violence against women. In the paper studies are grouped into three broad areas of inquiry: 1) media representation (how content and discourse are used in news items on violence against women); 2) audience reception (how audiences interpret news on violence against women and how risk is perceived and managed); and 3) news production (what practices are used in reporting on violence against women and their children). The paper finds that: To date, most research attention has focused on how the media represents violence against women and their children. Collectively these studies illustrate that the media frequently mirrors society's confusion and ambivalence about violence against women. The audience reception literature shows an association between representations of violence against women in the news and audience attitudes and perceptions of blame and responsibility. There is also emerging evidence of an association between televised news reports of intimate partner violence and observed rates in the community. The few studies available on news production confirm that the pressures of newsworthiness and profitability present formidable challenges to the task of responsible and sensitive reporting of violence against women. Despite an expanding body of research, gaps in our knowledge remain. For example, there is a need to better align media representation studies with the emerging work on audience reception and news production, and for a better understanding of online news production, reporting and audience contribution. Details: Melbourne: Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety Limited (ANROWS), 2015. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Landscapes, Issue 15: Accessed November 28, 2015 at: http://media.aomx.com/anrows.org.au/s3fs-public/FINAL%20Co-branded%20Media%20Representations_WEB.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://media.aomx.com/anrows.org.au/s3fs-public/FINAL%20Co-branded%20Media%20Representations_WEB.pdf Shelf Number: 137354 Keywords: Family ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceMedia Violence Against Women, ChildrenViolence Prevention |
Author: Phillips, Janet Title: Domestic violence: Issues and policy challenges Summary: Domestic violence is a serious issue affecting millions around the world. - The most pervasive form of violence experienced by women in Australia is violence perpetrated by a male intimate partner, commonly referred to as domestic violence. However, it is important to acknowledge that men and same sex relationships partners can also experience this form of violence. - The underlying causes of domestic violence are complex with the result that there is a great deal of confusion and misinformation reflected in the public debate. However, there is general agreement that gender inequality, power imbalances and controlling behaviours within relationships are key determinants. - Community attitudes towards gender roles, sexuality, domestic violence and sexual assault can strongly influence both the prevalence of domestic violence and disclosure/reporting rates. The language commonly used around this form of violence in the community can also trivialise or minimise the seriousness of the experience. Surveys have found that demographic factors such as age, country of birth and socio-economic status have only a limited influence on attitudes, but that those with low levels of support for gender equality are the strongest predictors for holding violence-supporting attitudes. - Reasons for non-reporting incidents of domestic violence are complex but may include fear of the perpetrator, fear of not being believed or of being blamed, feelings of confusion, shame and embarrassment, fear of psychologically reliving the incident, or a reluctance to acknowledge the incident ever occurred. - While most do not report incidences of domestic violence to the authorities, many seek advice or support from family members, friends or community services. Given that psychological responses to domestic violence can be complex, experts argue that proactive support services focusing on therapeutic emotional and psychological interventions may be more effective in encouraging disclosure and providing assistance than the criminal justice system in many instances. - A wide variety of strategies have been employed to tackle domestic violence in Australia and internationally. Although many of the strategies to prevent domestic violence have now been ongoing for some decades, there is still a lack of reliable evidence as to what works. However, there is some evidence in the US that an integrated approach supported by sustained government funding may be effective in addressing the issues. - Australia and comparable countries have much lower rates of domestic violence than many countries with higher levels of gender inequality. A WHO international review on the prevalence of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence notes that the global variation in the prevalence of violence against women highlights that this form of violence is not inevitable and can be prevented or reduced. - The Council of Australian Government's central initiative designed to address domestic violence is the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. The National Plan has been received very positively by most stakeholders and commentators, but some argue that ongoing, integrated resourcing and funding across all jurisdictions is crucial in order to effect long-term change. - Most are in agreement that this is a difficult problem requiring complex and coordinated responses, not one-off, sporadic initiatives and funding commitments. It is generally argued by most stakeholders and commentators that integrating responses and initiatives across the community, all jurisdictions and all levels of government is the best way to promote equality and reduce this form of violence. Details: Sydney: Parliamentary Library, 2015. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper Series, 2015-16: http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1516/DVIssues Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1516/DVIssues Shelf Number: 137421 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Title: The Depths of Dishonour: Hidden Voices and Shameful Crimes. An inspection of the police response to honour-based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation Summary: This is the first time that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has inspected and reported upon the police service's response to crimes of honour-based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Further, it is the first time that any inspectorate within England and Wales has examined the service provided to victims2 of these crimes, actual and potential, supported by the most powerful of insights, from victims themselves. It is one of the most important reports ever produced by HMIC. Crimes committed in the name of so-called honour are despicable and damaging; they may be life-changing or life-threatening; in some cases, they end in death. Forced marriage is a specific crime that is equally serious, equally damaging. Female genital mutilation is not a requirement for any religion but it is a practice that reaches across numerous cultures to ruin the lives of many women and girls. This report provides information and analysis for the public about how police forces respond to, investigate, and protect victims of these appalling and damaging crimes. It provides a baseline on which police and other public sector agencies can build to establish effective responses to victims. It should also focus the minds of those organisations to work together to prevent others from becoming victims in future. Details: London: HMIC, 2015. 191p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/the-depths-of-dishonour.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/the-depths-of-dishonour.pdf Shelf Number: 137804 Keywords: Female CuttingFemale Genital MutilationForced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceHonor-Based ViolencePolice Policies and ProceduresPolice-Community PartnershipsViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: European Parliament. Directorate-General for Internal Policies. Policy Department C Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs Title: Forced Marriage from a Gender Perspective Summary: This study provides an overview of the practice of forced marriage in the EU from a gender equality and women's rights perspective. It analyses the definitions of forced marriage and puts forward a definition from a gender perspective. It also provides an overview of the relevant international/EU legislation, policies and deliberations, as well as national policies, civil law and criminal law (in the 12 Member State that criminalise forced marriage). For those Member States that criminalise forced marriage, the study provides an assessment of the effectiveness and possible consequences of the implementation of the criminal legislation, including an analysis of data and case-law. The study includes a specific chapter focusing on forced marriage within Roma communities and five case-studies specifically focusing on Denmark, Germany, Spain, Slovakia and the UK. The study also puts forward recommendations for improving the response to forced marriage at EU and Member State level. Details: Luxembourg: European Parliament, 2016. 241p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 25, 2016 at: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2016/feb/ep-study-forced-marriages.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Europe URL: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2016/feb/ep-study-forced-marriages.pdf Shelf Number: 137962 Keywords: Forced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Jagori Title: Safe City Free of Violence Against Women and Girls Initiative: A Study of Delhi Police Help Lines Summary: This study is part of the Safe City free From Violence against Women and Girls Initiative, Delhi of Jagori in partnership with UN Women, UN HABITAT and the Department of Women and Child Development, Delhi Government. Women and girls are vulnerable to violence both within and outside the home and we recognize that the continuum of violence continues from personal/private to public space. We have been working on this issue since 2005 and have completed several surveys and safety audits in order to understand the problem in detail and in all its diversity. A baseline survey was conducted in Delhi in 2010 to focus on violence against women including sexual harassment, staring, touching, sexual assault, attempted rape, stalking and lewd comments, in a wide range of public spaces. The sample was 5010 men and women above the age of 16 covering all nine districts of Delhi. Conducted to research into factors that create greater safety and inclusion for women in public spaces around the city, the survey gathered and analyzed information about the following: (a) nature and forms of gender‐based violence and/or harassment faced by women, (b) spots where these incidents happen and that are perceived to be unsafe and inaccessible to women, (c) strategies adopted by women to defend themselves, (d) role of governing agencies and the police in safeguarding women's rights, and (e) societal perceptions and attitudes towards rights of women and girls. After conducting interviews with a diverse range of stakeholders, both government and non government, a draft strategic framework document was drawn up in 2010. This document identified several key areas of intervention in order to have a sustainable impact on reducing vulnerability and increasing safety. These include: - Urban planning and design of public spaces - Provision and management of urban infrastructure and services - Public transport - Policing - Legislation, justice and support to victims - Education - Civic awareness and participation This study has been carried out by Multiple Action Research Group (MARG) and provides data on the gaps in the functioning of Delhi Police helplines which are a first point contact for most people. Further the study also provides recommendations on addressing these gaps. Details: New Delhi: Safe Delhi, 2012. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2016 at: http://safedelhi.in/sites/default/files/reports/Delhi%20Police%20Helpline%20Study_Jagori_Marg_final.pdf Year: 2012 Country: India URL: http://safedelhi.in/sites/default/files/reports/Delhi%20Police%20Helpline%20Study_Jagori_Marg_final.pdf Shelf Number: 138262 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolencePolice HelplinesPublic SpacesRapeSexual AssaultSexual HarassmentStalkingViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Jagori Title: Report of the Baseline Survey Delhi 2010 Summary: It is a truism that women in the national capital of Delhi feel unsafe in many public spaces, and at all times of the day and night. Cutting across class, profession, they face continuous and different forms of sexual harassment in crowded as well as secluded places, including public transport, cars, markets, roads, public toilets and parks. School and college students are most vulnerable to harassment, particularly rampant in public transport, particularly buses. Unlike men, women experience the city differently and have to devise their own safety strategies to negotiate public spaces during day and night. To address the issue, a joint action research initiative was undertaken by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Delhi, JAGORI, UNIFEM South Asia Regional Office and UN Habitat titled Safe City Free of Violence for Women and Girls, this baseline survey is based on a sample of 5010 women and men, conducted by during the period January - March 2010 by New Concept Information Systems, New Delhi. Conducted to research into factors that create greater safety and inclusion for women in public spaces around the city, the survey gathered and analyzed information about the following: (a) nature and forms of gender-based violence and/or harassment faced by women, (b) spots where these incidents happen and that are perceived to be unsafe and inaccessible to women, (c) strategies adopted by women to defend themselves, (d) role of governing agencies and the police in safeguarding women's rights, and (e) societal perceptions and attitudes to sexual harassment. Some of the findings supported the results of the previous surveys undertaken by Jagori (2007 and 2009). However, there are some new insights as well. The findings of the survey and its recommendations (including interactions with key stakeholders) are part of the strategic framework that will guide interventions to make Delhi a safer city for women, especially those from vulnerable groups. The outcome of the study is expected to feed into further dialogue and planning for improved gender-sensitive infrastructure, mechanisms and programming. Hopefully, this would enable women from diverse backgrounds to realize their fundamental right to work, study and move around without violence and fear. Details: New Delhi: Jagori, 2011. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls Initiative: March 17, 2016 at: http://www.jagori.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Baseline-Survey_layout_for-Print_12_03_2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: India URL: http://www.jagori.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Baseline-Survey_layout_for-Print_12_03_2011.pdf Shelf Number: 138307 Keywords: Fear of CrimeGender-Based ViolencePublic PlacesPublic SafetySexual HarassmentViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Bueno, Cruz Caridad Title: A Knife Hidden in Roses: Development and Gender Violence in the Dominican Republic Summary: On September 30, 2012, Jonathan Torres stabbed his wife, Miguelina Martinez, fifty-two times in a beauty salon in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Ms. Martinez, 33 years-old, went to the district attorney's office eighteen times in the two weeks prior to her murder to report that because of her husband's violent threats she left her home. He killed her because she no longer wanted to be with him; the knife he used was hidden in a bouquet of roses. This dissertation interrogates the state of development and gender violence in the Dominican Republic. The first chapter examines the implications of racial, gender, and class stratification on the economic and social opportunities of low-income women, predominantly of African descent, working in the export processing zones and as domestic workers. The second chapter explores the correlation between women's economic, political, and social characteristics and the incidence domestic violence using data from the Demographic and Health Survey. Further, I test which model - the household bargaining model (HBM) or the male backlash model (MBM) - best explains gender violence. I find that the HBM better predicts physical violence, while the MBM better predicts sexual violence. However, when I disaggregate asset-poor women and asset-rich women, I find that the HBM is more adept at explaining gender violence for asset-rich women and the MBM for asset-poor women The third chapter explores the role of women's and men's endogenous preferences on the justifications of gender violence. In both the female and male specifications, there is a positive correlation between men making more decisions and the justification of gender violence. Women that support gender equity are less likely to justify gender violence; while husbands that are less gender progressive are more likely to justify gender violence. Based on my findings, I conclude that the Dominican government's economic policies of the last thirty years are the knife hidden in the government' roses or rhetoric of human development and women's rights. To promote human development and foster women's rights, the Dominican government must embark on a new trajectory focused on human capital formation and a more equitable distribution of income, wealth, and power. Details: Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts - Amherst, 2013. 191p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 30, 2016 at: http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1842&context=open_access_dissertations Year: 2013 Country: Dominican Republic URL: http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1842&context=open_access_dissertations Shelf Number: 138485 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceSocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeViolence Against Women |
Author: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Title: Women on the Run: First-Hand Accounts of Refugees Fleeing El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico Summary: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is entrusted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly with responsibility for providing international protection to refugees and others of concern and, together with governments, for seeking permanent solutions to their problems. UNHCR would not be able to carry out its essential duties without the support, cooperation, and participation of States around the world. UNHCR provides international protection and direct assistance to refugees in some 125 countries throughout the world. It has over 60 years of experience supervising the international treaty-based system of refugee protection and has twice received the Nobel Peace Prize for its work on behalf of refugees. UNHCR works closely with governments and others to ensure that the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol are honored, and that national and regional migration policies are sensitive to the protection needs of all individuals. International refugee protection centers on providing refugees the protection of asylum, ensuring their human rights are respected, and safeguarding the principle of non-refoulement: the prohibition against returning individuals to a place where they would face danger. The protection of women is a core priority of UNHCR at the global, regional, and national levels. Gender inequality systematically prevents women and girls from claiming and enjoying their rights, and is exacerbated by displacement. UNHCR is committed to promoting gender equality and ensuring equal access to protection and assistance so women can fully participate in all decisions affecting their lives. In 2014, for instance, the percentage of females playing active roles in leadership and management structures in refugee communities increased from 42 to 46 per cent;136 UNHCR's sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) reporting and awareness raising led to a doubling of reported incidents in 44 key countries; and women identified access to livelihood options as key to creating self-reliance and sustainable solutions to displacement. UNHCR's Executive Committee has adopted four general conclusions relating specifically to refugee women. These conclusions note the need for UNHCR and host governments to give particular attention to the international protection needs of refugee women; the need for reliable information and statistics about refugee women in order to increase public awareness of their situation; the need for an active senior-level steering committee on refugee women; and the need for the development of training modules on the subject for field officers. The UNHCR Regional Office in Washington, DC covering the United States of America and the Caribbean gives priority to enhancing protection for women arriving in and within the United States, including for women in detention. After coming into contact with increasing numbers of women and families fleeing El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, UNHCR undertook this study to understand the challenges they face. The overarching goal for the study was to hear from the women themselves the reasons they fled their countries of origin and the challenges they encountered while seeking protection. The women's voices provide the foundation for the ultimate aim of the study: to document profiles of women from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico with a need for international protection, and provide policy makers and adjudicators with necessary information to bolster regional asylum for women. Details: Washington, DC: UNHCR, 2015. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2016 at: http://www.unhcr.org/5630f24c6.html Year: 2015 Country: Central America URL: http://www.unhcr.org/5630f24c6.html Shelf Number: 138557 Keywords: Asylum SeekersGender-Based ViolenceImmigrantsRefugeesSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Watson, Joy Title: The role of the state in addressing sexual violence: Assessing policing service delivery challenges faced by victims of sexual offences Summary: The focus of this policy paper will be to look at the role of the state in addressing sexual violence in public and private spaces. Specifically, the focus will be on the policy provisions in terms of service delivery to sexual offences victims in terms of policing and health services and how these services are currently being provided. The paper begins by discussing the prevalence of violence against women globally and in South Africa. It then examines the South African state's response to gender-based violence and the gendered nature of the state's response to addressing violence against women. The paper further examines the response of the criminal justice system, and assesses the service delivery challenges faced by victims of sexual offences at the hands of the police and broader criminal justice system, and the intersection of this with healthcare provision. The paper concludes by making recommendations on how to address these challenges. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, 2015. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: APCOF Policy Paper no. 13: Accessed April 13, 2016 at: http://www.apcof.org/files/9762_APCOF_Brief13.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.apcof.org/files/9762_APCOF_Brief13.pdf Shelf Number: 138648 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Women's Refugee Commission Title: A Girl No More: The Changing Norms of Child Marriage in Conflict Summary: Marriage under the age of 18 is widely considered a human rights violation, though it is legal with parental consent in many countries. It falls within the definition of gender-based violence. Married girls are at risk of intimate partner violence and exposure to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Marriage often means the end of a girl's education and limits her vocational opportunities. Ninety percent of early first births happen within the context of child marriage and complications during pregnancy and delivery are the second leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds. Nine of the top 10 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are considered fragile states. Similarly, many countries particularly vulnerable to natural disasters have the highest child marriage prevalence. Fragility and conflict impact child-marriage decisions. However, the role they play is complex and not fully understood. The need to protect girls from rape, as well as the stigma of surviving rape; from pregnancy outside marriage; and from the influence of other communities are factors that lead to child marriage. Poverty, exacerbated in displacement, is a driver of early marriage as parents hope to secure a daughter's future or to meet basic needs. Child marriage is both exacerbated by barriers to education and an impediment to school for the girls. Additionally, marriage isolates adolescent girls from friends and programs that would help them overcome the challenges of marriage. In 2011, the Women's Refugee Commission began a project to understand how traditional practices around child marriage may change during conflict, and what factors contribute to those practices. We researched internally displaced Ugandans in Mucwini, Northern Uganda; Congolese in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda; Syrians in the Al Marj Settlement in Lebanon; and Somalis at the Kobe Refugee Camp in Ethiopia. We found that in order to reduce child-marriage practices, programmers must ensure that the basic needs of families are met during the acute phase of an emergency, and ensure that programming is designed to promote the agency and value of adolescent girls. Details: New York: Women's Refugee Commission, 2016. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2016 at: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Changing-Norms-of-Child-Marriage-in-Conflict.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Changing-Norms-of-Child-Marriage-in-Conflict.pdf Shelf Number: 138941 Keywords: Child MarriageChild ProtectionGender-Based Violence |
Author: United States Agency for International Development Title: Scaling Up Interventions to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence: An Analytical Report Summary: 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report on scaling up interventions to prev ent and respond to GBV was commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of its GBV Strategy Research Agenda to identify lessons learned from scaled-up GB - interventions to inform and to improve its global prevention and response me chanisms. The information presented in th is report may be used to assist in the identification of GBV interventions that are scalable, or in designing GBV interventions with sound plans to bring them to scale and to maximize impact. Scaling up refers to "taking successful projects, programs, or policies and expanding, adapting, and sustaining them in different ways over time for greater development impact." 1 While scaling up is a common goal of international development donors and implementers a like, there is no universal ly accepted methodology that is employed. The three scale-up methodologies e xplored in this report are: expansion of scope, replication and expansion of geographic coverage. The obje ctive of this report is to assist USAID staff in identifying and selecting scalable GBV interventions across four se ctors: (1) health, (2) youth and education, (3) democracy and govern ance, and (4) economic growth. It is a product of a three-pronged research method ology: (1) a literature review, (2) key informant interviews and focus group discussions conducted in Washington, D.C. and by telephone, and (3) data collected from site visits on scaled-up GBV interven tions in India and South Africa. Eighteen scaled-up GBV interventions were analyzed in the literature re view, eight interventions, which varied by sector and type of scale-up were chosen for further in-depth analysis during the site visits. The mixed-method research design was used to develop this analytic al report in order to better understand scaled-up activities to address gender-based violence. While best practices in the develo pment context are important to know when considering any scale-up, further field research was needed to refine this knowledge in the context of GBV. The research team conducted field research on eight innovative, evalua ted and scaled-up GBV inte rventions in the health, youth development and education, democracy and governance, and economic growth sectors. The best practices in scaling up focused on three key comp onents: program actions, assessing the enabling environment and influencing factors, an d ensuring institutional capacity. The following best practice examples were selected to illustrate initiatives that provide evidence of success in contributing to the prevention of GBV: - Health: One Man Can Campaign, Soul City, and Stepping Stones in South Africa - Youth and Education: Yaari Dosti and Gender Equality Movement in Schools in India - Democracy and Governance: South Africa's Thuthuleza Care Centers (TCCs) and the International Justice Mission (IJM) in India - Economic Growth: The Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS and Gender Equity (IMAGE) in South Africa. Details: Washington, DC: USAID, 2015. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 15, 2016 at: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/Scaling-up-Interventions-to-Prevent-and-Respond-to-GBV.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/Scaling-up-Interventions-to-Prevent-and-Respond-to-GBV.pdf Shelf Number: 139644 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women, GirlsViolence Prevention |
Author: European Institute for Gender Equality Title: Estimation of girls at risk of female genital mutilation in the European Union Summary: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a violent form of subordination of women and girls that stands in gross contradiction to principles of gender equality. Following a request from the European Commission, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) collected and processed first EU-wide data and information on the prevalence of female genital mutilation and then examined national FGM prevention approaches and finally published all the data in the report in 2013. This follow-up study proposing a methodology for the estimation of the number of girls at risk of female genital mutilation in the EU Member States was carried out in 2014. The countries chosen for pilot-testing the methodology were Ireland, Portugal and Sweden. This report analyses current legal and policy frameworks in the EU Member States, existing approaches to national FGM risk estimations in the EU and their methodological background. It presents quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including that of various focus groups, and carries out a comparative analysis of the selected Member States. The research highlights that strategies preventing female genital mutilation in the EU are effective and their success depends on cooperation between governments and the communities involved. The findings show that the female genital mutilation risk varies between the Member States according to the total number of first generation migrants originating from a country with high FGM prevalence. Methodology and indicators developed within the present study on FGM risk measurements give a better understanding of this harmful practice. Despite the difficulty to estimate exact numbers of girls at risk of female genital mutilation, the effectiveness of continuous prevention efforts and cooperation between concerned communities and regulatory bodies have been identified as influential factors. The report presents recommendations to the Member States on FGM risk assessment and policy development, including the adoption of the Istanbul Convention and effective implementation of the Victim's Rights Directive in national legal frameworks. Details: Vilnius, Lithuania: European Institute for Gender Equality, 2015. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2016 at: http://eige.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/MH0215093ENN_Web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Europe URL: http://eige.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/MH0215093ENN_Web.pdf Shelf Number: 139801 Keywords: Female CuttingFemale Genital MutilationGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Deutsche Sportjugend im Deutschen Olympischen Sportbund e.V. Title: Prevention of sexual and gender harassment and abuse in sports Initiatives in Europe and beyond Summary: Sport is currently a disputed social terrain: on the one hand it exposes individuals and society to positive values, but at the same time it also bears the potential to be harmful. Therefore, we believe that one of the main tasks of the European sporting movement is to work towards safeguarding the integrity of sport. Focusing on preventive measures and investing continuously into the education of European sportsmen and women, especially in our European youth sector, plays a vital role in accomplishing this long-term goal. Concerted European action is required to effectively promote the ethical values inherent to sport and in order to truly offer all individuals and groups in society equal opportunities to participate in and enjoy the benefits of sport. Bringing together a European project network and finding common denominators between various actors and bodies at different levels of the European sporting, social and scientific environments is a challenging task that is easily underestimated in terms of the resources necessary for such a project to run smoothly. Despite the fact that European coordination often means compromising, adjusting and adapting in previously unforeseen ways, initiating and being involved in projects such as this one always allows an organisation to grow and develop its capacities, networks and know-how. The November 2012 conference "Safer, better, stronger - Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse in sports" is the final stage of the EU-funded project "Prevention of sexualised violence in sports - Impulses for an open, secure and sound sporting environment in Europe" and a contribution to provide a platform not only for strengthening transnational and crosssector cooperation, but also for sensitising and raising awareness at all levels of the complex social environment that surrounds the problem of harassment and abuse. Bringing together individuals and organisations with differing competences is an ideal occasion to foster networking among experienced actors and beginners alike, to link European resources, to learn from and support each other as well as to encourage future collaboration. As a main outcome of this project, this catalogue of initiatives from Europe and beyond will support this intercultural learning to develop Details: Frankfurt am Main: Deutsche Sportjugend, 2012. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 25, 2016 at: http://www.whiteribbon.at/documents/227622494.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.whiteribbon.at/documents/227622494.pdf Shelf Number: 139821 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceSexual AbuseSexual HarassmentSporting EventsSports Violence |
Author: Giordano, Peggy C. Title: Anger, Control, and Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adulthood: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Summary: Drawing on a symbolic interactionist perspective, we critically evaluate the assertion that intimate partner violence (IPV) is not about anger, but about (male) power and control. This perspective provides a basis for expecting that: a) anger as well as control dynamics will be associated with higher odds of IPV perpetration, and that b) womens as well as mens attempts to control partners or aspects of the relationship will be associated with higher risk. To empirically evaluate these two hypotheses, we rely on the fourth wave of interviews conducted with respondents who participated in a longitudinal study (Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study) (n = 985). Results indicate that after controlling for traditional predictors such as exposure to coercive parenting practices, residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood and affiliating with violent peers (assessed at wave one), both male and female control attempts are associated with higher risk of young adult IPV, and the index of female control contributes to model fit. Subsequently we include two dimensions of anger (anger identity and relationship- based anger), and results indicate that these are significant, and also add to the fit of the model. Supplemental models explore the association between various combinations of anger and control and violence reports and incorporate interactions of gender and the anger and control constructs. Details: Bowling, Green, OH: Department of Sociology and Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, 2013. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: 2013 Working Paper Series: Accessed August 4, 2016 at: https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/center-for-family-and-demographic-research/documents/working-papers/2013/CFDR-Working-Papers-2013-13-Anger-Control,-and-Intimate-Partner-Violence-in-Young-Adulthood-A-Symbolic-Interactionist-Perspective.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/center-for-family-and-demographic-research/documents/working-papers/2013/CFDR-Working-Papers-2013-13-Anger-Control,-and-Intimate-Partner-Violence-in-Young-Adu Shelf Number: 130010 Keywords: Anger and AggressionGender-Based ViolenceIntimate partner ViolenceMasculinity |
Author: Gerome, Rebecca Title: Preventing Gender-Based Violence through Arms Control: Tools and guidelines to implement the Arms Trade Treaty and UN Programme of Action Summary: Our latest report provides tools and guidelines for effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons provisions related to gender-based violence. Based on interviews, research, and primary documents, it offers an overview of current practices in export licensing, including applications and documentations, risk assessments, information sharing, monitoring, and transparency. Analysising current practice, the report then offers guidelines for assessing the risk of GBV and suggests resources for export officials on this question. Details: New York: Reaching Critical Will, a programme of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, 2016. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2016 at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Publications/preventing-gbv.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Publications/preventing-gbv.pdf Shelf Number: 140091 Keywords: Arms ControlArms Trade TreatyGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Unizon Title: Pornography and Prostitution: a report on exploitation and demand Summary: Report on the links between pornography and gender-based violence, including legal policy proposals for Sweden with US comparisons. Part I (pp. 1-30) is written by Unizon (Swedish women's shelter umbrella NGO) and based on primary data from their member organizations. Part II (pp. 31-108) is written by Max Waltman in collaboration with Unizon. The four chapters in part II is based on Waltman's PhD dissertation (2014), making an analytical summary of the existing research, then followed by legal policy proposals. Adopting a problem-driven theoretical approach, the reality of pornography's harms is analyzed. Evidence shows its production exploits existing inequalities among persons typically drawn from other forms of prostitution who suffer multiple disadvantages, such as extreme poverty, childhood sexual abuse, and race and gender discrimination, making survival alternatives remote. Consumption is divided by sex. A majority of young adult men consumes pornography frequently; women rarely do, usually not unless initiated by others. After consumption, studies show many normal men become substantially more sexually aggressive and increasingly trivialize and support violence against women. Vulnerable populations - including among others battered, raped, or prostituted women - are most harmed as a result. The report concludes with a chapter outlining legal policy proposals. It analyzes their real and imagined obstacles and potential to address real empirically documented harms with law. First, a proposal for applying existing procuring provisions on production of pornography is made since pornographers literally "promote," and typically also "improperly economically exploit" that persons have sex for remuneration. Case law shows that freedom of expression is not an obstacle, so long as an application of general law on offenses committed during production does not directly target the dissemination of otherwise constitutionally protected expressive materials (cf. conviction of Anna Odell's Art Activism 2009, and convictions of rapists who systematically filmed their offenses to make pornography). Second, a legislation against dissemination via similar amendments in the Swedish basic law as for child pornography or alcohol commercials is proposed, but based on a more precise and narrowly tailored definition of the graphic sexually explicit subordinating, and dehumanizing and objectifying pornography that evidence-based research show causes more gender-based violence. Civil rights legislation against such sex discrimination is recommended, among other things since studies of the application of criminal pornography laws show serious deficiencies or non-enforcement when the initiative does not lie among those affected - an approach that does not account effectively for their perspectives and interests. The latter can be represented by actors with stronger incentives (e.g., women's shelter organizations) than disinterested, desensitized, or over-worked police officers and prosecutors. Details: Stockholm: Unizon, 2016. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2016 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2846737 Year: 2016 Country: Sweden URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2846737 Shelf Number: 140805 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolencePornographyProstitutionSex WorkersSexual Violence |
Author: Mellish, Madison Title: Gender-Based Violence in Malawi: A Literature Review to Inform the National Response Summary: The government of Malawi has taken important actions to address gender-based violence (GBV), recognizing its detrimental impact on the people of Malawi and the progress of the country. The Department of Gender Affairs of the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare (MoGCDSW) coordinates the national GBV response and is working to strengthen GBV data systems and improve the use of data for GBV policy development and program implementation. In support of this effort, the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) conducted a literature review to identify and synthesize existing studies and key government documents on GBV in Malawi. The literature review focused on the following questions: • What are the various forms of GBV that exist in Malawi, and how prevalent are they? What are the trends? • What is known about GBV among specific populations or in specific settings? • What factors are associated with GBV? • What is the impact of GBV? • What interventions have been undertaken to address GBV and how effective have they been? • What key government documents on GBV exist and what do they say? This literature review provides answers to these questions by compiling information from available published and unpublished sources and presenting it in a succinct format so that researchers and policymakers can familiarize themselves with existing research and key documents, use it to inform policy and program decision making, and build a research agenda and portfolio that targets knowledge strengths and gaps. The review includes 74 documents related to GBV in Malawi. Most focus on various forms of violence experienced by women, including domestic or intimate partner violence (IPV). Several large nationally representative surveys have been conducted, notably the Malawi Demographic and Health Surveys 2004 and 2010, as well as a national GBV study that focused on IPV (Pelser et al., 2005). These provide prevalence estimates for GBV and a wealth of other information on factors associated with GBV experienced by women. Also, a large portion of the reviewed studies and policy documents examined GBV among children. One nationally representative study looked at the prevalence of several forms of violence experienced by school-aged children, both inside and outside the school environment (Burton, 2005). Another looked at experiences of GBV among girls and young women, and focused on educational impact (Bisika et al., 2009). A third nationally representative survey examined prevalence of coerced first sex in Malawi and three other African countries (Moore et al., 2007). About one-third of the reviewed research studies addressed GBV among specific populations, including people living in specific geographic locations, school children, employees, female domestic workers, female university students, prisoners, street children, people living with HIV, women with disabilities, and refugees. A slightly larger number of studies examined knowledge and attitudes related to GBV and other associated factors, including demographics, harmful traditional practices, the school environment, controlling behaviors, and substance use. Several of the reviewed studies examined the impact of GBV in Malawi, focusing on individuals’ health and education, as well as Malawi’s economy. Only a few studies were found that evaluated GBV interventions, despite the fact that many GBV interventions are occurring in Malawi. Summaries of findings from all reviewed studies are included in this report. Details: Washington, DC: Futures Group, Health Policy Project, 2015. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2016 at: http://www.healthpolicyproject.com/pubs/436_FINALHPPMalawiGBVLiteratureReview.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Malawi URL: http://www.healthpolicyproject.com/pubs/436_FINALHPPMalawiGBVLiteratureReview.pdf Shelf Number: 144998 Keywords: Domestic WorkersFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceStreet ChildrenViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Swegman, Casey Title: The Intersectionality of Forced Marriage with Other Forms of Abuse in the United States Summary: In the United States, forced marriage can impact individuals of any gender, age, socio-economic status, ethnic or religious background. In a 2011 survey, service providers in the U.S. (primarily legal and social services agencies in the domestic violence and sexual assault field but also including law enforcement, school and university staff, counselors, and other legal professionals) reported encountering as many as 3,000 known or suspected cases of forced marriage over a period of just two years (Tahirih Justice Center, 2011). Details: Harrisburg, PA : VAWnet, a project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, 2016. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Applied Research: Accessed November 16, 2016 at: http://www.tahirih.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AR_ForcedMarriage.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.tahirih.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AR_ForcedMarriage.pdf Shelf Number: 144844 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceForced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceSexual AssaultViolence against Women, Girls |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Home Affairs Committee Title: Female genital mutilation: abuse unchecked Summary: Background to this report 1. Our predecessor Committee published two reports on female genital mutilation (FGM) towards the end of the last Parliament. Its over-riding conclusion in July 2014 was that “FGM is a severe form of gender-based violence, and where it is carried out on a girl, it is an extreme form of child abuse. Everyone who has a responsibility for safeguarding children must view FGM in this way. While welcoming action taken by the Government and the impressive work undertaken by campaigners, the follow-up report, published in March 2015, concluded that insufficient progress had been made in tackling this pernicious problem, particularly in relation to prosecutions. We therefore decided it was right to revisit this issue to assess whether further positive developments had taken place. 2. In July 2016 we hosted a roundtable discussion on FGM that brought together survivors, grassroots organisations, clinicians, representatives from the criminal justice system and educationalists. In recent years the profile of FGM has risen significantly across Parliament, the media and the public, largely as a result of the tireless efforts by campaigners and public servants including those who attended the roundtable.2 We would like to thank all those who contributed to the discussion as well as those who attended the event as invited guests in the audience. The roundtable informed an evidence session with Karen Bradley MP, the then Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime, on 12 July 2016. The nature, scale and geographical spread of FGM 3. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines female genital mutilation as “all procedures involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons”. There are four main types: • Type 1 (clitoridectomy), which involves partial or total removal of the clitoris and, in rare cases, only the prepuce; • Type 2 (excision), which involves partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora; • Type 3 (infibulation), which involves narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal, which is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner or outer labia, with or without removal of the clitoris; and • Type 4 (other), which comprises all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, such as pricking, piercing or incision of the clitoris and/or the labia; stretching of the clitoris and/or labia; and cauterisation or burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissues. International bodies such as the United Nations and the WHO are unanimous that FGM has no health benefits and leads to short- and long-term physical and psychological harm. In the short term, FGM can result in severe pain, excessive bleeding, fever, urinary problems and even death. Longer-term effects include menstrual problems, difficulties in childbirth, sexual problems and psychological trauma. 4. FGM is practised in more than 29 African countries and by certain ethnic groups in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula and along the Persian Gulf. It is concentrated in the Horn of Africa but it is also highly prevalent in other countries in North, East and West Africa. The WHO has also reported FGM in India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kurdistan, Israel, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. It has been estimated that more than 200 million women worldwide have been subjected to FGM and three million girls are believed to be at risk each year. The map below shows the percentage of women and girls aged 15 to 49 years who have been subjected to FGM in countries where it is most prevalent. Details: London: House of Commons, 2016. 34p. Government Response, 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Ninth Report of Session 2016-17: Accessed December 9, 2016 at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmhaff/390/390.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmhaff/390/390.pdf Shelf Number: 140372 Keywords: Female CuttlingFemale Genital MutilationGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Arias, Eric Title: How Does Media Influence Social Norms? A Field Experiment on the Role of Common Knowledge Summary: How does media influence beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors? We know surprisingly little about this influence and I argue that two mechanisms account for its impact. Media provides new information that persuades individuals to accept it (individual channel), but also, media informs listeners about what others learn, thus facilitating coordination (social channel). Using a field experiment in Mexico, I disentangle these effects and analyze norms surrounding violence against women. I examine the effect of a radio program when it is transmitted privately versus when it is transmitted through public outlets. Although I find no evidence supporting the individual mechanism, the social channel increased rejection of violence against women, support for gender equality, and unexpectedly, increased pessimism regarding the future decline of violence. Details: Unpublished paper, 2016. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2017 at: https://wp.nyu.edu/ericarias/wp-content/uploads/sites/641/2016/04/AriasCommonKnowledge.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Mexico URL: https://wp.nyu.edu/ericarias/wp-content/uploads/sites/641/2016/04/AriasCommonKnowledge.pdf Shelf Number: 144566 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceMedia Social norms Violence Against Women |
Author: Australian Human Rights Commission Title: Australian study tour report - Visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women 2012 Summary: From 10-20 April 2012, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, including its causes and consequences, Ms Rashida Manjoo, undertook a study tour in Australia. The study tour was co-hosted by the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian Government (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)). The objectives of the study tour included: - gathering information on violence against women, its causes and consequences, from government and non-governmental organisations, including women's organisations; - gathering information on culture and violence against women in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; and - identifying strategies to eliminate all forms of violence against women and its causes, and remedy its consequences. Although the Special Rapporteur had highlighted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and communities as a particular focus of her visit, the study tour was structured to enable her to meet a cross-section of organisations and individual women. The tour encompassed meetings with the Federal Attorney-General, federal, state and territory government representatives, service providers, business representatives, academics and community representatives, including representatives from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from both urban and rural areas, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, women with disability, women of diverse sex, sexuality and/or gender, young women, and older women. In the course of the study tour, 27 roundtables, meetings and site visits were held across four states and territories, including: - Sydney, New South Wales - Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia - Alice Springs, Northern Territory - Melbourne, Victoria - Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Key issues Violence against women as a human rights issue - The failure to articulate violence against women as a human rights issue was a common concern in discussions. - The National Plan recognises the right to live safe and free from violence and this should also inform the implementation of the National Plan. - Where governments fail to address the issue in human rights terms it can lead to an inappropriate and inadequate response by government and state agencies with long-term social and economic consequences. -It was frequently noted that discrimination against women is a cause and consequence of violence against women. The risks of 'mainstreaming' and the need to ensure specificity and intersectionality in plans, programs and services addressing violence against women - 'Mainstreaming' violence against women programs results in a formal rather than substantive equality approach to program design and content. - Men's programs can often divert essential resources from critical women's services. - Integrating the specific needs of women with disability, women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or migrant and refugee communities into plans, programs and services aimed at the prevention and redress of violence against women is essential to effective outcomes. - The lack of recognition of the impact of intersectional discrimination based on sex, race, disability, and sex/gender identity on violence against women, often undermines the utility or effectiveness of plans and programs aimed at reducing violence. - The absence of integration of the role and impact of cultural, political, social historical and inter-generational trauma in understanding and addressing violence against women leads to simplistic justifications of violence and one-size-fits-all formulations of programs that lack requisite cultural and psychological training components. Effective program design and service delivery require comprehensive consultation, adequate funding, appropriate coordination and regular monitoring and evaluation - The disconnection between government plans, programs and projects aimed at preventing, addressing and reducing violence against women and the needs of women 'on the ground' is a manifestation of: " an inadequate meaningful and effective consultation with women, particularly in the implementation of the National Plan; - a lack of dedicated, sustainable resources and funding models for both preventative and response based services (which recognise the long-term, protracted nature of the crisis rather than short-term, quick-fix approaches); - a lack of service providers transferring skills and building capacity within communities who are well-positioned to deliver effective services; and - a lack of regular monitoring and evaluation of programs, in particular the lack of independent monitoring and evaluation of the National Plan, and of service providers to inform programs; this is exacerbated by the lack of disaggregated data and analysis. - Although many state governments have developed impressive integrated (cross-departmental) models to address and prevent violence against women, there was a concern around the lack of coordinated implementation of the National Plan, within and across governments. - In the absence of the Council of Australia Governments (COAG) first three-year implementation plan, the execution of the National Plan to date has been ad-hoc and implemented without adequate consultation. - The need for governments across all jurisdictions to demonstrate their leadership to addressing violence against women and fully commit to the effective implementation of the National Plan was repeatedly noted. - There is a need for central focal points within government to address violence against women and ensure cross-departmental or integrated development of programs. For example: - the lack of adequate housing and homelessness arose as a constant issue, especially within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: dire over-crowding exposes children to violence and alcohol/substance abuse and early sexualisation due to lack of privacy; limited opportunities for learning and playing exist; refuges meet a limited short-term need, but are unable to effectively provide follow-up services; - workplace/industrial relations and health departments need to work collaboratively on the long-term impact (physical and emotional) of domestic violence in workplaces; and - the lack of gender-specific correctional facilities gives rise to women prisoners (often victims with a history of domestic violence) being held in maximum security prisons with male prisoners leading to an increased risk of abuse. Impacts of violence against women on children - Although the study tour had a specific focus on women experiencing violence, the immediate and long-term impact of violence on children - both as victims and observers - was a key issue of discussions. Educational initiatives (the development of healthy and respectful relationships) were seen as important, but the urgent need to address impact meant that crisis services were under considerable and increasing pressure and prevention strategies are, consequently, under-resourced. Details: Sydney: The Commission, 2012. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2017 at: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/UNSRVAW%202012%20Web%20Version.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/UNSRVAW%202012%20Web%20Version.pdf Shelf Number: 145155 Keywords: Children Exposed to ViolenceFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceHuman RightsIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: McGuire, Magdalena Title: The Right to Refuse: Examining Forced Marriage in Australia Summary: This project drew on The Right to Refuse forum (a cross-sectoral forum on forced marriage which was held by the research partners) and the literature to devise some key findings about forced marriage. These findings are that: h- Forced marriage is primarily a human rights and gender equality issue, not a cultural issue. Having said this, any interventions around forced marriage need to be approached with cultural sensitivity. h- Forced marriage is a form of violence against women and girls. It can lead to a range of negative consequences for victims, including physical, sexual, and psychological violence, economic abuse, denial of education, social isolation, and mental health problems.1 h- Forced marriage and arranged marriage are two distinct practices. While forced marriage is unlawful and harmful, arranged marriage is an acceptable practice (to the extent that it allows potential partners to consent to the marriage). Currently, there is little awareness in the community about the difference between forced marriage and arranged marriage. h- Little is known about the prevalence and manifestation of forced marriage in Australia. Nonetheless, it is clear that forced marriage happens to a diverse range of women and girls in the Australian community. Young women and women with cognitive impairments can be particularly at risk of experiencing forced marriage. h- School personnel, especially school welfare officers, are in a key position to identify potential cases of forced marriage involving girls and young women. h- Forced marriage cases are complex and cross over multiple service sectors. It is rare for victims of forced marriage to present with only one problem for which they require assistance. h- Many women and girls who have experienced forced marriage will require the assistance of domestic violence support services. Domestic violence services can be the first place where forced marriage is identified and responded to. h- Women and girls who have experienced forced marriage can be reluctant to engage with services. A key way to address this barrier is to establish a relationship of trust between the victim of forced marriage and a worker within the relevant service. h- A challenge for support workers is striking an appropriate balance between establishing trust with the victim of forced marriage and maintaining their own professional boundaries. This is because women and girls who have exited situations of forced marriage tend to be very socially isolated. Under these circumstances, they may come to regard their workers as the most important people in their lives. h- Women and girls who have experienced forced marriage may require years of intense support to help them live safe and productive lives Details: Melbourne: Good Shepherd Youth & Family Services, Domestic Violence Victoria, 2014. 99p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2017 at: https://www.goodshep.org.au/media/1222/right-to-refuse_final-report_v2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: https://www.goodshep.org.au/media/1222/right-to-refuse_final-report_v2.pdf Shelf Number: 145333 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceForced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Women and Conflict in Afghanistan Summary: As the presidential election approaches in 2014, with the security transition at the year's end, Afghan women, including parliamentarians and rights activists, are concerned that the hard-won political, economic and social gains achieved since the U.S.- led intervention in 2001 may be rolled back or conceded in negotiations with the insurgents. Afghanistan's stabilisation ultimately rests on the state's accountability to all its citizens, and respect for constitutional, legal and international commitments, including to human rights and gender equality. There will be no sustainable peace unless there is justice, and justice demands that the state respect and protect the rights of women, half its population. Following the Taliban's ouster, Afghan women worked hard to reverse the damage wrought by more than two decades of a civil war that deprived them of the limited progress towards gender equality experienced in earlier times. As a result of international support, donor aid and their own efforts, women are now an essential part of the post-Taliban order and have played a major role in reconstructing the state and its institutions. 40 per cent of all schoolchildren are girls. Women are more than 27 per cent of parliament. They are in the bureaucracy, the judiciary and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and are lawyers, entrepreneurs, journalists and civil society activists. In the last twelve years, women's legal status has improved considerably. Gender equality is enshrined in the constitution. The Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law criminalises rape for the first time. The state is now legally bound to protect women from violence. The ministry of women's affairs (MOWA) and the government's National Action Plan for Women (NAPWA) place empowerment at the heart of state building. Yet, women still struggle to avail themselves of their rights and to consolidate and advance their progress. The implementation of laws to ensure women's rights and support their political and economic participation is uneven. Years of prioritising counter-insurgency over community policing have impeded the emergence of a police force able and willing to protect women from violence. Women are a mere 1 per cent of the Afghan National Police (ANP). Female police are marginalised and often incapable of responding effectively to incidents of violence against women. A fraction of the incidents of gender-based violence are tried under the EVAW law. Very few cases even make it to the formal justice system; most are decided by jirgas or shuras (local councils) mainly dominated by strongmen. Moreover, persistent insecurity and violence threaten women's political, economic and social rights. Those in positions of authority are regularly threatened; many have been killed by insurgents. Militants have attacked girls' schools, students and staff. Qualified female teachers and health workers are reluctant to work outside relatively secure urban centres, undermining rural women's and girls' access to education and basic health services. Since the formal transfer of the security lead to the ANSF in mid-2013, insurgent threats to women have increased. Their rights are also under attack from yesterday's warlords, now powerbrokers both within and outside government. Rearming their militias as a hedge against what may happen in the 2014 elections or after the transition and attempting to consolidate their electoral base, including by demonstrating independence from the West, they could undo women's fragile gains. The reversal of progress is already evident. With presidential and provincial council elections due in April, the latest electoral law has reduced the quota - guaranteed seats - for women in provincial assemblies from a quarter to a fifth. If passed by both houses of parliament, a change in the Criminal Prosecution Code disqualifying relatives of the accused from testifying against them would severely constrain women's ability to take abuse cases to court. Conservative members of parliament have strongly opposed the EVAW law, calling it un-Islamic when it was introduced in parliament in May 2013. Though it remains valid at least until a vote in parliament, the attention its detractors have received could undermine its already limited use. A wide range of Afghan and international women's rights organisations have urged President Hamid Karzai, who enacted it by decree in 2009, to speak in favour of the law and endorse its implementation. In the July 2012 Tokyo Framework defining the terms for continued donor aid after the security transition, Kabul pledged to improve governance, enforce rule of law and protect human rights, including by the EVAW law. Signalling that it will not accept the erosion of women's rights, the international community should continue to support women activists and NGOs and in the interest of sustainability help such NGOs gain financial independence by giving core, as well as project-based funding. If patchy implementation of the laws that protect and empower women raises doubts of Kabul's commitment, women are as much, if not more concerned about the efforts, with international backing, to broker peace with the Taliban. They have been sidelined in a process that will determine their future and that of their country. The role of female representatives in Kabul's High Peace Council (HPC) and Provincial Peace Councils (PPC) is largely limited to public outreach. It does not extend to talks with the insurgency. Given their exclusion and the opacity of the negotiations, there is reason for concern. The government and parliament may be tempted to backtrack on pro-women constitutional provisions and laws to assuage conservative powerbrokers within and outside the armed insurgency. Women activists and parliamentarians are not comforted by rhetoric from Kabul and the international community, including U.S. and EU assurances that any peace settlement would be based on respect for the constitution and women's rights. Agreement on protecting the rights of women must be a prerequisite rather than an elusive desired outcome of any reconciliation process. Details: Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2013. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Asia Report No. 252: Accessed May 13, 2017 at: https://d2071andvip0wj.cloudfront.net/women-and-conflict-in-afghanistan.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Afghanistan URL: https://d2071andvip0wj.cloudfront.net/women-and-conflict-in-afghanistan.pdf Shelf Number: 131253 Keywords: Conflict-Related ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceHuman Rights AbusesViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Hughes, Christine Title: Legislative Wins, Broken Promises: Gaps in implementation of laws on violence against women and girls Summary: his multi-country research report examines the problem of implementation gaps - government failures to fulfill their legislative obligations to address and prevent violence against women and girls. It presents a comparative analysis of shortfalls between government commitments as laid out in laws, and the realities for survivors of violence as they try to access services and justice. Drawing also on positive examples, lessons are shared about what can be done to improve the implementation of laws, and how civil society organizations can more effectively hold governments to account, so that laws can have a greater impact on ending violence against women and girls. Details: Oxford, UK: Oxfam, 2017. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 19, 2017 at: https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/rr-legislative-wins-broken-promises-vawg-080317-en.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/rr-legislative-wins-broken-promises-vawg-080317-en.pdf Shelf Number: 145638 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Mills, Elizabeth Title: Turning the Tide: The Role of Collective Action for Addressing Structural and Gender-based Violence in South Africa Summary: The case study discussed in this Evidence Report explores the value and limitations of collective action in challenging the community, political, social and economic institutions that reinforce harmful masculinities and gender norms related to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). As such, the concept of structural violence is used to locate SGBV in a social, economic and political context that draws histories of entrenched inequalities in South Africa into the present. The research findings reinforce a relational and constructed understanding of gender emphasising that gender norms can be reconfigured and positively transformed. We argue that this transformation can be catalysed through networked and multidimensional strategies of collective action that engage the personal agency of men and women and their interpersonal relationships at multiple levels and across boundaries of social class, race and gender. This collectivity needs to be conscious of and engaged with the structural inequalities that deeply influence trajectories of change. Citizens and civil society must work with the institutions - political, religious, social and economic - that reinforce structural violence in order to ensure their accountability in ending SGBV. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, 2015. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Evidence Report No. 118: Accessed May 27, 2017 at: https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/5858/ER118_TurningtheTide.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2015 Country: South Africa URL: https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/5858/ER118_TurningtheTide.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 145830 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceInequalityViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: International Center for Research on Women Title: Economic Impacts of Child Marriage: Global Synthesis Report Summary: The international community is increasingly aware of the negative impacts of child marriage on a wide range of development outcomes. Ending child marriage is now part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet investments to end the practice remain limited across the globe and more could be done. In order to inspire greater commitments towards ending child marriage, this study demonstrates the negative impacts of the practice and their associated economic costs. The study looks at five domains of impacts: (i) fertility and population growth; (ii) health, nutrition, and violence; (iii) educational attainment and learning; (iv) labor force participation and earnings; and (v) participation, decision-making, and investments. Economic costs associated with the impacts are estimated for several of the impacts. When taken together across countries, the costs of child marriage are very high. They suggest that investing to end child marriage is not only the right thing to do, but also makes sense economically. Details: Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group, 2017. 99p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2017 at; http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/530891498511398503/pdf/116829-WP-P151842-PUBLIC-EICM-Global-Conference-Edition-June-27.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/530891498511398503/pdf/116829-WP-P151842-PUBLIC-EICM-Global-Conference-Edition-June-27.pdf Shelf Number: 146486 Keywords: Child MarriageEconomic AnalysisGender-Based ViolenceRights of the Child |
Author: Mills, Elizabeth Title: 'They Call Me Warrior': The Legacy of Conflict and the Struggle to End Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Sierra Leone Summary: A relatively small country with just over 6 million people, Sierra Leone has been the focus of considerable public and policy attention because of the recent Ebola epidemic and, before that, the decade-long civil war. Given the concern with finding ways to 'build Sierra Leone differently' in the post-Ebola context, this paper considers some of the legacies of the country's history. It focuses on gender and the emergence of a dynamic network of actors that reveal not only the country's history of violence but also its capacity for 'rebuilding differently' to foster resilience and create long-term social transformation. During the war, from 1991 to 2002, an estimated 50,000 people were killed and more than 500,000 were forced to flee their homes to escape violence. Statistics can never sufficiently capture the horror of the war, but they can indicate the extent to which multiple forms of violence permeated people's lives. The legacy of violence is equally difficult to quantify but, as we found in our fieldwork in Sierra Leone from 2014 to 2015, it is woven into people's everyday lives, and particularly in their sense of trust in each other and in formal and informal institutions. This report focuses on one particularly pernicious form of violence - sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) - as it is, and was, experienced by men and women. The impact of the war and the country's transition to democracy surfaces in lesser known ways too; in this paper we describe how networks of actors emerged in refugee camps and coalesced around a shared struggle to transform harmful gender relations and end violence. Based on fieldwork with these actors, we outline some of the social, economic and infrastructural challenges they face in their work to collectively foster gender equality and end SGBV. According to the activists we engaged with in Sierra Leone, the challenge of addressing SGBV has sometimes been exacerbated by a limited conception of development, which too often assumes that models for social and economic 'progress' can be imported and implanted into highly complex contexts. Far greater attention therefore needs to be paid to local specificity, to the effects of sexual and gender violence on all genders, and to the recommendations made by those people and organisations working to create sustained and positive change in these complex contexts. The findings of this study speak to this complexity and are organised, first, around the factors that underpin SGBV and, second, around the key actors working to transform harmful gender dynamics through collective action. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies (IDS), 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Evidence Report no. 155: Accessed August 26, 2017 at: https://www.ids.ac.uk/publication/they-call-me-warrior-the-legacy-of-conflict-and-the-struggle-to-end-sexual-and-gender-based-violence-in-sierra-leone Year: 2015 Country: Sierra Leone URL: https://www.ids.ac.uk/publication/they-call-me-warrior-the-legacy-of-conflict-and-the-struggle-to-end-sexual-and-gender-based-violence-in-sierra-leone Shelf Number: 137053 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Sutherland, Georgina Title: News Media and the primary prevention of violence against women and their children: Emerging Evidence, Insights and Lessons Summary: The news media (referred to as media throughout this report) have been identified in numerous Australian state and national policy documents as a priority area for action on preventing violence against women, including in the Council of Australian Government's National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022. The media features as a priority area in primary prevention because of its potential influence on public understanding of violence against women. News reports are a key factor in shaping community understanding because they report on current events and provide a framework for their interpretation. Who or what is selected to appear in the news and how those individuals and events are portrayed can have a profound influence on people's attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Violence against women and its prevention are legitimate topics of public interest and research shows that media reporting on the issue in Australia is extensive. This research identified that while some aspects of reporting on violence against women in Australia are changing for the better, there remains much room for improvement. A key question is how to sustain positive shifts and foster further improvement. This emerging evidence paper aims to identify effective approaches or 'issues to consider' in engaging with, and building the capacity of the Australian media, to embed primary prevention as part of their work in reporting on violence against women. It is designed to inform and stimulate thinking about what future initiatives might look like if they are to be responsive to the current evidence-base, while being well suited to practical and policy considerations. Our synthesis of the key national and international scientific and grey literature, together with emerging evidence from research and evaluation projects, showed that approaches to engaging with media in primary prevention are more likely to be effective when they are evidenceinformed, developed collaboratively and involve multi-faceted, integrated and appropriately resourced strategies that consider the following key elements. Details: Melbourne: Our Watch, 2017. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Evidence Paper: Accessed August 28, 2017 at: https://www.ourwatch.org.au/getmedia/0c1126a1-4a75-4271-8fc4-81862ed20a86/Emerging-evidence-guide-media.pdf.aspx Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: https://www.ourwatch.org.au/getmedia/0c1126a1-4a75-4271-8fc4-81862ed20a86/Emerging-evidence-guide-media.pdf.aspx Shelf Number: 146922 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceMass MediaMedia and ViolenceViolence Against Women, Children |
Author: SafeLives Title: Your Choice: 'honour'-based violence, forced marriage and domestic abuse Summary: Our fourth Spotlight report focuses on domestic abuse victims and survivors who are at risk of so called 'honour'-based violence, including forced marriage. Throughout this report we will refer to this type of abuse using the acronym HBV, though this in no way indicates any actual sense of honour being conferred on this type of activity by SafeLives or by contributors to this report. The numbers The prevalence of 'honour'-based violence (HBV) is extensive in the UK and around the world, but the true scale of the problem is unknown. In 2014 a Freedom of Information request to UK police forces revealed that over 11,000 cases of so-called 'honour' crime were recorded between 2010-141 . Forced Marriage is a significant part of the abuse for many victims of HBV, with the Government's Forced Marriage Unit supporting over 1,400 cases in 20162 . Many more crimes are never reported, with numerous barriers preventing victims from coming forward. For instance, reporting the abuse may trigger further HBV, and can lead to isolation from family and communities. The context 'Honour'-based violence is in evidence across countries, cultures and religions. Circumstances which may lead to the abuse are wide ranging and not culturally specific. It is important to remember that, despite the use of this label, there can be no 'honour' in abuse, and where culture or tradition are used to exert power or control over others, this can only be a misuse of that culture. HBV affects people of all ages, but often begins early, in the family home. This can lead to a deeply embedded form of coercive control, built on expectations about behaviour that are made clear at a young age. Often the control is established without obvious violence against the victim, for instance through family members threatening to kill themselves because of the victim's behaviour. Women are particularly at risk of 'honour'-based violence, and as such it is important to recognise this form of abuse within the wider context of violence perpetrated against women and girls, resulting from an underlying denial of their human rights. Data from the Crown Prosecution Service on cases flagged as 'honour'-based violence reveals that (where gender was recorded) 76% of victims were female3 . Many contributors to our Spotlight highlighted the links between HBV and patriarchy, with women being tasked with carrying the 'honour' of their fathers, their husbands and their sons. Despite the strong evidence of disproportionate effect on women and girls, 'honour'-based violence is experienced by both men and women, with factors such as sexuality and disability putting some men at particular risk. As we will explore, perpetration of this type of abuse is also a complex picture. Details: Bristol, UK: SafeLives, 2017. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Spotlight Report #Hidden Victims: Accessed February 12, 2018 at: http://safelives.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Spotlight%20on%20HBV%20and%20forced%20marriage-web.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://safelives.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Spotlight%20on%20HBV%20and%20forced%20marriage-web.pdf Shelf Number: 149092 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceForced MarriageGender-Based ViolenceHonor-Based ViolenceViolence-Against Women |
Author: Brennan, Deirdre Title: Redefining an isolated incident Summary: Femicide is generally defined as the killing of women because they are women, though some definitions include any killing of women or girls. Femicide has been identified globally as a leading cause of premature death for women, yet there is limited research on this issue. The Global Study on Homicide in 2011 indicated that whilst there had been a decrease in the number of homicides worldwide, there had been an increase in the number of femicides. In December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on femicide, urging Member States to undertake a range of measures to address the gender-related killing of women and girls, including the need to enhance data collection and analysis. The recent report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women (SRVAW) to the UN General Assembly noted that the UN and its Member States have repeatedly concluded that the comparability and availability of data is key to defining and understanding femicide, and its manifestations, causes and consequences. The SRVAW cited the UK's Femicide Census in her report as a laudable example of best practice in this regard, and recommends that States "collect and publish data on femicides and on other forms of violence against women (VAW) and establish Femicide watch or observatories on VAW with such functions." The Femicide Census is a database currently containing information on almost 1,000 women killed by men in England and Wales since 2009. The data on all cases is not yet complete, and thus this report summarises the early findings on cases of femicide between 2009 and 2015, involving a total of 936 women. The Femicide Census was developed in partnership by Karen Ingala Smith and Women's Aid, with support from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Deloitte LLP. Where possible, the census has captured a wide range of information about each case including: (i) the name of the woman and her killer, and their age, occupation and health status; (ii) the incident and date of the killing itself; (iii) details of the relevant police force area, the weapon and recorded motive; and (iv) other available details on children, ethnicity and country of birth. The census aims to provide a clearer picture of men's fatal violence against women, committed by partners, ex-partners, male relatives, acquaintances, colleagues and strangers. The killing of a woman, especially in a domestic setting, is often reported as an 'isolated incident with no further threat to the public'. Such descriptions dismiss the scale of the issue, and diminish the fact that gender-based violence is a society-wide issue. The Femicide Census collates the details of hundreds of femicides committed by men, to explore whether lessons can be learnt by viewing these cases together. The initial analysis finds that these are not isolated incidents, since too many of them followed a similar pattern of violence and were premeditated. Data analysed from the Femicide Census showed that many femicides were committed in similar settings, where similar weapons were used, and similar relationships existed between the perpetrators and victims. By highlighting the trends in cases of femicide, this report further shows that through social, institutional and state changes, instances of femicide can be reduced, if not completely prevented. Details: Bristol, UK: Women's Aid Federation of England, 2016. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://1q7dqy2unor827bqjls0c4rn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/The-Femicide-Census-Jan-2017.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://1q7dqy2unor827bqjls0c4rn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/The-Femicide-Census-Jan-2017.pdf Shelf Number: 149217 Keywords: Femicide Gender-Based ViolenceHomicide Murder Violence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Avon Global Center for Women and Justice at Cornell Law School Title: Combating Acid Violence in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia Summary: Acid violence involves intentional acts of violence in which perpetrators throw, spray, or pour acid onto victims' faces and bodies. This report examines acid violence in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia from an international human rights perspective. Using this framework, it identifies the causes of acid violence and suggests practical solutions to address them. Acid violence is prevalent in these countries because of three related factors: gender inequality and discrimination, the easy availability of acid, and impunity for acid attack perpetrators. Acid violence is gender-based violence that reflects and perpetuates the inequality of women in society and as such is prohibited by international laws. To eradicate acid violence, governments must address its root causes - inequality and discrimination against women. In the short-term, governments should take the following steps to address acid violence: (1) enact laws that adequately punish perpetrators of attacks and limit the easy availability of acid; (2) enforce and implement those laws; and (3) provide redress to victims, including compensation for health care costs. Bangladesh is the only country among the three countries studied to adopt specific criminal laws and procedures relating to acid attacks and to enact particular laws to curb the easy availability of acid. Neither Cambodia nor India has adopted such legislation. Since Bangladesh adopted these laws in 2002, the rate of acid violence has decreased by 15% to 20%, while reported acid attacks continue to rise in Cambodia and India. Details: Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 2011. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2018 at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/HarmfulPractices/AvonGlobalCenterforWomenandJustice.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Asia URL: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/HarmfulPractices/AvonGlobalCenterforWomenandJustice.pdf Shelf Number: 149567 Keywords: Acid Violence Gender-Based ViolenceHuman Rights Abuses Violence Against Women |
Author: Roper, Laura Title: Strategic Review of the Program to Prevent Gender-Based Violence: El Salvador and Guatemala, National level, 2013-2015 Summary: Oxfam America's Campaign for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (CPVG) was launched in 2005 in El Salvador. Targeting both national and municipal government and using a creative combination of popular campaigning, research, innovative capacitybuilding with a range of actors, and lobbying, Oxfam America and its partners and allies successfully placed Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention on the policy agenda. From there, these efforts helped forge an unexpected political alliance so that legislators from the two main, and widely divergent, political parties approved the Comprehensive Special Law for a Life Free from Violence for Women, known as LEIV by its Spanish acronym, in 2011. Seeing the potential of this approach to address the scourge of GBV, Oxfam America introduced the program in Guatemala in 2010. In the aftermath of this policy success and other related policy advances, the campaign revised its strategy and shifted its "focus on the application of new laws and policies in both El Salvador and Guatemala. It [looked] for political openings in different spaces on multiple levels: central, departmental, and municipal. This phase [had] a strong focus on generational change - in seeing youth (both male and female) as primary actors who can radically change the collective imagery with respect to gender relations and the decisions they can make to prevent gender-based violence." Under the new formulation, the Program for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (PPGV) continued to work with women at the community level to empower them to exercise their rights; to work with both boys and girls and adolescents in public schools to change their attitudes and practices regarding gender roles and the permissibility of GBV in the home, school, or community; to work with municipalities and women's organizations in inter-institutional spaces to further develop and implement GBV prevention strategies and activities; and to achieve implementation of public policies through the strengthening of social and institutional mechanisms for the obligatory application of national and local laws. This focus was meant to capitalize on the formal, systemic change Oxfam had helped foster, taking advantage of legal frameworks in each country that had a series of laws addressing domestic violence, gender-based violence, laws against trafficking, and laws and policies related to the rights of the child and gender equality. At the same time, it sought to address informal norms, beliefs, and practices regarding GBV in a broader context of societal (gang) violence and a culture of impunity that disempowers the public. FOCUS AND METHODOLOGY OF STRATEGIC REVIEW This strategic review, which covers program implementation between 2013 and 2015, focuses primarily on activities at the national level within the judicial, legal, and, to some extent, educational systems, with some attention of the interface at the municipal level. The review is based primarily on open-ended, semi-structured key informant interviews conducted in Guatemala and El Salvador over a two-week period in January. These interviews were held with government officials engaged with the program; cofunding/collaborating organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, USAID/CHECCHI, Educo, and UN Women; and three partner organizations consisting of the Foundation for Justice and Gender, the Cultural Association for Performing Arts (Escenica), and the Association of Women of Santa Tecla. Additional material was gathered from document review of Oxfam and the Foundation of Justice and Gender (FJG) reports and primary source material from government websites. Finally, two one-day validation exercises were held in San Salvador on March 15, 2016 and in Guatemala on March 17, 2016. Relevant commentary and ideas from these sessions have been incorporated in this draft. There were several design limitations, principally very limited time in Guatemala, relatively limited documentation on the program, and inability to coordinate with the consultant doing a review of the community-level work. Consequently, there are some information gaps in the document, but sufficient information to draw strong conclusions in some areas and more qualified ones in others. Details: Boston: Oxfam America, 2016. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2018 at: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/static/media/files/Strategic_Review_of_the_Program_to_Prevent_Gender-based_Violence_-_Final_Report_2015.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Latin America URL: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/static/media/files/Strategic_Review_of_the_Program_to_Prevent_Gender-based_Violence_-_Final_Report_2015.pdf Shelf Number: 149540 Keywords: Family ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women, GirlsViolence Prevention |
Author: Backbone Collective Title: Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire: Women's experiences of the New Zealand Family Court Summary: The report, Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire (2017), is based on an online survey of 612 women who had experienced violence and abuse. 496 of those women had used the Family Court. The report notes that the Family Court is a critical part of the response system that women may rely on for protection and further safety following separation from an abusive partner. However the report states, "The women who participated in this survey reported serious negative outcomes from being involved with the New Zealand Family Court. ... Women told us that the Family Court actively undermined their and their children's safety in a multitude of ways. They described the Family Court as somewhere where their experience of violence and abuse was not believed, was minimized and not responded to, where their abuser was seen as safe and any risk to them and their children was neither assessed nor considered. Some women talked about experiencing discrimination and Māori women reported racism. Women went to the Family Court often seeking protection for themselves and their children but once their found that their children were not listened to and were subsequently placed in unsafe situations. Women told us of being wrongly accused of a range of things that impacted negatively on decisions being made about them and their children's lives." Key findings of this Family Court survey include: Wāhine Māori experienced racism and found that cultural beliefs and practices are not comprehended in the Family Court. 417 women said their experience of violence and abuse was not believed or responded to, was minimised, or was not accepted into evidence. 83% of women said the Family Court treated their abuser as safe. 58% of women attending Family Court-related appointments, fixtures, or hearings have been threatened, intimidated, or physically assaulted by their abuser. 93% of women do not feel psychologically or physically safe when the Family Court forces or coerces them into joint activities with their abuser. 155 women said the Family Court had forced their child/ren to spend time with the abuser. All of these women were worried about their child's safety while in the abuser's care. 107 women have been denied a support person in court or mediation. 120 women have been ordered by the Family Court not to talk to their child about the violence and abuse - thereby forcing women and children to pretend their trauma does not exist. 84 women have been ordered by the Family Court not to talk to others about what is happening to them in the Family Court. 50% of the 'gagging orders' against women were initiated by the Judge or the Lawyer for Child. 93% of women have suffered negative health impacts because of how they have been treated during Family Court proceedings. 9% of women have been involved in Family Court proceedings for between 7 and 22 years. Women are up to $500,000 in debt due to having to fund their Family Court proceedings. Given the consistent and "overwhelmingly negative feedback" from so many women, the Backbone Collective is calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Family Court. The authors state: "A Royal Commission of Inquiry is the only forum where the women and their families or whanau would feel sufficiently safe to tell their stories, where witnesses with specialist insights into the workings of the Family Court could share their views in confidence and where all their court documents (transcripts, reports, minutes and orders) and procedures can be independently reviewed." The report notes that the overall purpose of the Backbone Collective is to enable women to safely tell the Government, the media, and the public about how the 'system' responded to them when they experienced violence and abuse, and how they need it to respond in order to be safe and rebuild their lives. Details: s.l.: The Collective, 2017. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed March 27, 2018 at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57d898ef8419c2ef50f63405/t/59386e6a15d5db8350f9157f/1496870522432/Family+Violence+Survey+report+080617+-+embargoed+until+1am+Thursday+%281%29.pdf Year: 2017 Country: New Zealand URL: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57d898ef8419c2ef50f63405/t/59386e6a15d5db8350f9157f/1496870522432/Family+Violence+Survey+report+080617+-+embargoed+until+1am+Thursday+%281%29.pdf Shelf Number: 149582 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily CourtFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: American University. Washington College of Law. Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Title: Gender Perspectives on Torture: Law and Practice Summary: I once asked a Guatemalan public defender how she knew when a woman's murder was the result of gender-based violence and not a simple homicide. She showed me several pictures of women's half or fully naked bodies exhibiting obvious signs of torture, mutilation, and violent sexual assault prior to their deaths. She said that was how women's bodies were usually found. That was the difference between gender-based violence and simple homicide. Women's bodies are often used as instruments to send messages of terror, or as instruments of pleasure, or as instruments of experimentation. In all of these cases, gender-based violence is recognizable because of its profound denial of personhood. The common thread running through the collection of articles presented in this publication is that women's bodies are still looked at and treated as instruments, or means to achieving a goal, rather than as autonomous individuals. Killing a body to end a life is different than killing a body to send a signal. In both cases, the person is refused her or his basic right to life, but in the latter, the person is a mark, a sign for others to see and use. The first chapter of this volume elaborates on the notion of gender-based violence, the need to incorporate a gender perspective in legal systems in general, and the responsibilities of States with regard to those at the margins of legal protections. Although gender-based violence has existed since the beginning of time, it has only entered the realm of human rights as a specific issue within the last decades. International human rights law, traditionally, has not protected women from the harms they have suffered as a result of being women. As with the rest of legal and political institutions, women have had to struggle for their experiences to be recognized. The invisibility of women's harms has also included a lack of reparations with a gender perspective; if the suffering women have endured is not understood, its consequences cannot be adequately addressed. Owing to the inclusion of a gender perspective, human rights treaty bodies have started to include reparations that put women, and not only their families or communities, at the center of their analyses. The new trends in international human rights are welcome by the international community, but they have not necessarily translated into substantive protection of women's and girl's rights, and States must work to ensure that they carry through with their obligations to investigate incidents of gender-based violence and provide redress for victims. Chapter two examines specific forms of violence that women and girls experience throughout the world, including honor killings, female genital mutilation, pregnancy and virginity testing, and the use of forced contraception and addresses the need to advance the humanization of women's rights. States have been reluctant to introduce laws opposing these forms of violence on grounds that certain practices are based on culture or religion. Although international human rights law protects the right to freedom of religion, sexual-based violence cannot be excused on religious grounds, and it has taken too long for laws to begin to act against practices that constitute torture or ill-treatment. The chapter invites readers to view women as the protagonists of human rights standards rather than continually framing men as the central figures of such rights; the standard of protection cannot always be viewed through the lens of male actors. The chapter then moves beyond the gender perspective as a tool to protect women and analyzes the need for the specific recognition of harms suffered by trans and intersex individuals. Perhaps one of the most important challenges that legal systems face is the deconstruction of the male-female binary, and international human rights is not shielded from this challenge. The chapter reinforces the need for human rights to go beyond the binary with regard to the protection of individuals by analyzing how torture and ill-treatment has played an intricate role in the lives of a whole category of individuals. For many trans and intersex persons, torture and ill-treatment are a constant in their lives and this chapter invites us to better understand what torture and ill-treatment means from the perspective of these individuals. The third chapter focuses specifically on deprivation of liberty, and the torture and ill-treatment that often take place under custodial settings. Vulnerability increases in detention facilities, even when the detention is considered lawful. In the cases of LGBTI individuals, who are at greater risk of being in contact with the criminal justice system, once in custodial settings they are subject to brutality and abuse by prison authorities and fellow inmates. This violence is usually underreported and tends to be ignored by State officials because of the underlying assumption that people of diverse sexualities "deserve punishment" for not conforming to traditional gender roles. For custodial settings to cease being places of torture and ill-treatment for LGBTI individuals, violence must be understood from a gender and sexuality perspective. For prison officials, this means not placing trans individuals, whose legal names may not correspond to the gender with which they identify, in solitary confinement because they are unsure of where to house them-it simply replaces one form of violence with another form. The chapter also addresses how criminal justice systems are structured around the idea of a male detainee. Incarcerated women-and their visitors-often endure invasive and humiliating searches, where the women are forced to undress in front of unqualified male officers who may also perform unnecessary body cavity searches. These techniques are not used with the legitimate purpose of ensuring safety within the detention facility, but rather to dehumanize and assert power over the already powerless. This is even more serious when it affects young girls. Criminal justice systems are also not structured with families in mind; "ideal perpetrators" are not only male but also single and with no dependents. Women detainees tend to be mothers with children and usually in a position of vulnerability with nobody to care for their children. In these conditions, it is not uncommon to find detention facilities and jails where children live with their mothers for some time, increasing the incarcerated population to include children, who at a young age, develop their first connections with the world through the prism of a detention facility. A gender perspective requires legal frameworks that look at detained persons not as isolated beings, but as individuals with dependents and family connections. Chapter four considers torture and ill-treatment within the context of women's health care and reproductive rights. Women face mistreatment when seeking maternal health care, undergo forced sterilizations, can face criminal repercussions for self-inducing abortions, and are often denied safe and legal abortion services. It is not uncommon for women in custodial settings to deliver their babies while in shackles, and this chapter explores how the lack of adequate maternal health care can amount to ill-treatment or torture. Depriving women of their right to reproductive self-determination is an additional example of how States have long-ignored the needs of women as citizens. A traditional concept of torture does not allow for an understanding of the common experiences of women, and this chapter expands on the idea that torture and ill-treatment not only occur in situations where government actors themselves are the perpetrators of harm, but when the government allows harms to occur out of a complete disregard for women's bodies. To understand how the lack of adequate maternal care or reproductive rights can be so severe that it amounts to ill-treatment and even torture, one simply has to compare the experiences of women-be it forced sterilization, lack of access to painkillers during childbirth, or lack of abortion regulations-with international human rights standards, and it becomes clear that often ill-treatment, torture, and the experiences of women are all the same. In that sense, this volume expands on the important and influential report by the former Special Rapporteur on Torture on the issue of women and torture. Restrictions on reproduction have long been used to control women's bodies and entire populations, and legal systems, including the norms, standards, and rules of international law, have denied women from seeing their harms recognized as such. Rape was not considered torture until recently; it was not worth the time of special war crime tribunals or worth the time of international treaty bodies. But this is changing, and this publication is a testament to that change. Seeing torture as a gendered practice requires a specific gaze that for most people is a learned process. Only recently have our legal systems started viewing and treating women as individuals. Only recently have legal systems understood and given a name to women's specific harms. In the case of LGBTI persons, those strides are still in their infancy. Despite how widespread and deep-rooted violence against women has been for centuries, torture and ill-treatment were primarily viewed and analyzed through a "male as the main victim" lens. This publication takes a formidable step toward debunking the myth of heterosexual cisgender men as exclusive victims and reinforces the need to integrate women's rights and sexuality perspectives into the mainstream of international human rights. Details: Washington, DC: The Center, 2018. 344p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2018 at: https://www.wcl.american.edu/impact/initiatives-programs/center/documents/gender-perspectives-on-torture/ Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.wcl.american.edu/impact/initiatives-programs/center/documents/gender-perspectives-on-torture/ Shelf Number: 149650 Keywords: Female Genital MutilationGender-Based ViolenceHonor-Based ViolenceHuman Rights AbusesTortureViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Carrillo, Roxanna Title: Not A Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women Summary: Violence against women and girls kills and maims vast numbers; it fills their lives with pain and terror, from which some never recover. It exists in every country of the world in some form, and the statistics paint a horrifying picture: 40 per cent of all female homicide victims in the United Kingdom are killed by their intimate partners; every year thousands of women suffer dowry-related deaths or are disfigured by acid thrown in their faces by rejected suitors in Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. In 2002, the Council of Europe declared violence against women a major cause of death and disability for women 16 to 44 years of age and called it a public health emergency. And in the United States, the health-related costs of rape, physical assault, stalking and homicide by intimate partners are more than $5.8 billion every single year. Globally, the World Bank estimates that violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer and a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined. One in three women throughout the world will suffer this violence in her lifetime; she will be beaten, raped, assaulted, trafficked, harassed or forced to submit to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM). In the majority of cases, the abuser will be a member of the woman's own family or someone known to her. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that violence in general has not abated. Whether it breaks out as full-scale war, ethnic or religious conflict, terrorism or the violence that regular unabated? The answer is deceptively simple, but the solution is deeply complex: gender inequality fuels violence against women and the power imbalances it creates are not easily rectified. As long as women in diverse countries do not have access to property and employment and equal wages, to the seats of power, to education, it is possible for governments to ignore them and their needs. Our work to end violence against women must be a conscious part of our work towards the empowerment of women in general. We cannot change the basic structures of society overnight. But each step in the ongoing effort to eradicate violence puts more pressure on those who condone the violence and allow it to exist. Each step makes it harder to ignore the international agreements to protect and promote women's human rights. This is the moment for a renewed commitment to build on the achievements of the last decades and find the resources for meaningful action. Without this commitment, much of what has been achieved may be lost. That would be a tragedy for all of us, since, as we have learned, women's security is tied to global security. In the words of the UN Commission on Human Security (Human Security Now, 2003): "The security of one person, one community, one nation rests on the decisions of many others, sometimes fortuitously, sometimes precariously." In our interconnected world, we are all affected by the decisions of individuals and nations whether close to home or on the other side of the world. Gender-based violence is part of an intricate web of violence. The trafficking of women is linked to the trafficking of drugs and arms, and an increase in criminality. Rape and sexual abuse are tied to the devastation caused by HIV/AIDS and the destruction of families. Impunity for violence against women suggests impunity for criminal behaviour and the disintegration of the rule of law. Violence against women is tied also to the brutality of war, an issue that was taken up extensively in Women War and Peace, an independent expert assessment commissioned by UNIFEM and published in 2002. Our goal in this report is to highlight achievements and indicate what must be done to build on these achievements. The report provides examples of good practices as well as of efforts that did not meet the goals set out for them - and explores why not. It looks at the challenges ahead, and asks what the most fruitful next steps might be. The work of the last decades indicates several directions for the future, but one of the most critical areas is the need for collaboration and partnerships. No one government or international agency or civil society organization can hope to have an impact alone. Pooling resources, sharing strengths and knowledge and listening to local leaders will allow end-violence efforts to move to the next level. We hope that that the lessons gathered here will serve as a tool, a prod and an inspiration to those entrusted with building the rule of law and honouring human rights as the basis for human security everywhere. Details: New York: United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), 2003. 114p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 10, 2018 at: https://www.un.org/ruleoflaw/files/312_book_complete_eng.pdf Year: 2003 Country: International URL: https://www.un.org/ruleoflaw/files/312_book_complete_eng.pdf Shelf Number: 117087 Keywords: Dowry DeathsGender-Based ViolenceGenital MutilationHomicideHuman traffickingRapeViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Chung, Donna Title: Young Women from African Backgrounds and Sexual Violence Summary: Service providers have recently reported increasing numbers of young African women accessing unplanned pregnancy and relationship services, with related concerns about domestic violence. This research explores how young women, aged 18 to 25 years, from African refugee and migrant backgrounds understand and experience sexual coercion and violence, and how service providers respond to their needs. The study drew on an online survey of service providers, individual and group interviews with young women from African backgrounds, and focus groups with service providers. The researchers faced challenges due to the sensitive nature of the topic of sexual violence and the silence that surrounds it, but achieved interviews and focus groups involved 21 young women. They found no agreement among the young women about what constitutes sexual violence, which was mostly defined in terms of stranger rape. Concerns about community judgement and exclusion, arising from stigma associated with sexual violence and the myths, beliefs and attitudes surrounding it created barriers for young women from African backgrounds speaking about men's sexualised behaviour. These barriers were compounded by other barriers such as language, transport, caring responsibilities, work/study commitments and other settlement issues. Service providers' input to the study highlighted the need for future service efforts being directed towards education and awareness raising, using culturally appropriate methods and sites. There is a need for increased cultural sensitivity and responsiveness of organisational and worker practices to improve their capability of working with young people from African backgrounds, together with specialist sexual violence responses for younger women in their early teens. Details: Canberra: Criminology Research Advisory Council. 2018. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 30, 2018 at: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1718/07-1213-FinalReport.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1718/07-1213-FinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 149969 Keywords: African Women Domestic ViolenceGender-Based Violence Migrants Refugees Sexual Coercion Sexual Violence Victim Services Violence Against Women |
Author: Greater London Authority Title: A Safer City for Women and Girls: The London Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2018-2021 Summary: Measures in the Mayor's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy include: Prevention A wide-ranging programme to improve safety in public spaces at all times of day and night including a new Women's Night Safety Charter, partnership to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network and a new campaign to tackle attitudes of everyday sexism and misogyny Working with partners across London to gain accreditation to the UN Women's Safer Cities and Safe Public Spaces initiative Work to encourage positive attitudes, behaviours and healthy relationships amongst children and young people with specialist advocates in schools and pupil referral units, Safer Schools Officers and a whole school prevention pilot in Croydon Supporting a Good Work Standard to address the #MeToo phenomenon and ensure abuse is not tolerated in the workplace Tackling perpetrators Working with police and criminal justice partners to ensure the most effective handling of dangerous individuals including over $3m to expand the rehabilitative Drive project which provides additional support to help reform the behaviour of perpetrators New measures to tackle stalking Calling on the Government to create a register for perpetrators of domestic abuse and violence, and for tougher sentences for image-based offenses such as 'upskirting' and 'revenge porn' Protection and support for victims $200,000 to support the London Councils Harmful Practices programme - training nurses, midwives and social workers to recognize abuses such as FGM and intervene A complete review of adherence to the Victims' Code of Practice, a new online portal for victims of crime, and a study into rape cases from a victim's perspective Significant investment in general and specialist services for victims including $13m for sexual violence services, $5m for Domestic Violence services, and over $9m for services in London's boroughs The Strategy was informed by a major consultation exercise which included: Consultation with survivors - 15 focus groups with 133 survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), 19 one-to-one interviews and an online survey with 90 respondents. 12 consultation workshops on evidence and data sharing, female offenders, BAME, perpetrators, prevention, enforcement, support for victims, prostitution, harmful practices, priority boroughs plus a roundtable with survivors and another with partners and stakeholders. 400 face-to-face interviews with members of the public across the areas of London where VAWG is most prevalent. Details: London: GLA, 2018. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2018 at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/vawg_strategy_2018-21.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/vawg_strategy_2018-21.pdf Shelf Number: 150056 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceRevenge PornographyStalkingViolence PreventionViolent Against Women, GirlsViolent Crime |
Author: Ibrahim, Zainab Title: Counting the Cost: The Price Society Pays for Violence Against Women Summary: A new global report launched by the international relief and development organization, CARE International, estimates that violence against women (VAW) costs society upwards of 2% of global GDP, and states that the problem is serious in low, middle and high income countries alike. "First and foremost, violence against women is a fundamental human rights violation that demands condemnation and action. While all costs cannot be easily measured, an understanding of the economic costs to society provides additional perspectives as to why governments, donors and the private sector need to come together to address this pandemic", said Sofia Sprechmann, Program Director for CARE International. The report, "Counting the Cost: The price society pays for violence against women," draws on studies from 13 different areas of the world and presents the economic costs of VAW in relation to national economies. Three of the case studies were conducted by CARE which looked at intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh and Zambia and sexual harassment in the workplace in Cambodia. Survivors bear the highest costs but States bear costs in service delivery to victims while the private sector pays for reduced productivity. Costs and lives are therefore saved when laws and proper investments address preventing violence, education, and thus the implementation of behavioural, legal and regulatory solutions across sectors. The cost of violence to GDP greatly exceeds the cost of prevention and intervention. For example, in Uganda, implementing the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act of 2010 for both prevention and response was slated at just over US$ 8 million over three years while the cost of violence occurring was estimated at US$ 30.7 million for just one year. "These figures - both the billions of US dollars that violence costs and the more than one billion women likely to suffer that violence in their lifetime - point to one inescapable conclusion: violence against women has a devastating and lasting impact on all of us and demands that we pledge support and take urgent action" said Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, one of the co-authors of the report from Chrysalis, Sri Lanka, an affiliate member of the CARE International network. _"__Violence and harassment against women are among the abuses that leave women vulnerable at avoidable cost to them, their families, and whole economies. In the case of workplace protection, more than one-third of the world's countries have no laws prohibiting sexual harassment at work. This is why CARE is encouraging more governments and employers to join the many other governments that have taken a position in support of the adoption of an International Labour Organisation (ILO) __Convention on ending violence and sexual harassment in the world of work as one critical step," said Milkah Kihunah, Deputy Director of Global Advocacy of CARE USA._ The report recommends actions to prevent and respond to violence against women across the government and private sectors and by donors. These include increased resources, support for women's and grassroots movements, and strong laws. CARE is also calling on governments, businesses, trade unions and others to support the establishment of an ILO Convention to end harassment and violence in the world of work. Given the legal gaps in how national laws and current international standards address this issue, a binding ILO Convention would provide a critical guidepost and address the challenges that women and marginalised groups face in accessing the right to work free from violence and harassment. Details: Geneva, SWIT: CARE International, 2018. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 11, 2018 at: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Counting_the_costofViolence.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Counting_the_costofViolence.pdf Shelf Number: 150155 Keywords: Costs of ViolenceEconomic AnalysisFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Title: The responsibility to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence in disasters and crises : research results of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention and response before, during and after disasters in Indonesia, Lao PDR and the Ph Summary: This report contributes new evidence on why and how sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) risks increase during humanitarian disasters. It details how humanitarian actors can better prevent and respond to such escalation of SGBV, and better meet the needs of affected women, girls, men and boys. This research is based on community views of disaster-affected women, adolescent girls, men and adolescent boys in three South-East Asian countries: Indonesia, Lao PDR and the Philippines. This research directly contributes to Priority Programme 4: PROTECT of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2016-2020 and calls for all members of the IFRC to strengthen implementation of the IFRC Minimum Standards on Protection, Gender and Inclusion in Emergencies (2018) and related protection standards. Data for this report was collected in two disaster affected sites in each of the three participating country locations , to: 1. Understand how SGBV affects women, girls, men and boys differently in all disaster affected ASEAN countries during and after disasters; 2. Map essential SGBV response services in the health, legal, security and psychosocial sectors, that remain functioning during a disaster; 3. Document how public authorities (including ASEAN coordinated response) and humanitarian actors (especially the Movement actors) have responded to disaster affected communities in the areas of SGBV prevention and response. Collect and document good practices but also recommend what could be done better. Local volunteers of the Lao Red Cross, Palang Merah Indonesia and Philippine Red Cross were trained to identify and conduct safe data gathering on SGBV issues in their communities. Through these local humanitarian actors, 1,779 disaster affected individuals (846 men and 933 women) participated in household surveys, 358 disaster affected individuals (83 adult men, 93 adult women, 91 adolescent boys and 89 adolescent girls) participated in the focus group discussions (FGDs) and 58 individuals shared perspectives in key informant interviews (KIIs), representing the health, legal, security and psychosocial sectors. Their voices, views, and needs are presented as a call to action. SGBV is an issue faced by all the communities. It is often life threatening and impacts a survivor's daily life, dignity, rights, livelihoods and health. SGBV during and after disaster situations and other emergencies is under-researched and largely ignored in policy circles. Few studies focus on low-income, developing countries and go beyond researching the gendered effects on women and girls of SGBV. Consequently, many humanitarian agencies not only overlook needs of females, but also completely overlook men, boys and sexual minority groups as SGBV survivors in their needs assessment, discussions with communities, during data collection and follow-up community-based and humanitarian response programming. Key findings in this research, illustrate that the risks of SGBV are exacerbated during disaster situations in Indonesia, Lao PDR and the Philippines and that "disaster responders" and actors addressing needs of SGBV survivors are not working together adequately to reduce these risks. This research shows that this is a trend applicable to other disaster contexts. Details: Geneva: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2018. 115p Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2018 at: http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/07/17072018-SGBV-Report_Final.pdf.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Asia URL: http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/07/17072018-SGBV-Report_Final.pdf.pdf Shelf Number: 150984 Keywords: Disasters and Crime Gender-Based ViolenceSexual Violence Victims of Crime |
Author: Ruiz, Damaris Title: Breaking the Mould: Changing belief systems and gender norms to eliminate violence against women Summary: In Latin America and the Caribbean, 1831 women died at the hands of men in 2016, and three out of ten women have suffered male violence during their lives. In recent years, countries in the region have made significant progress in tackling the problem by adopting national laws to protect women. This legislative progress is a significant step forward, but gaps in implementation allow a culture of impunity for men who commit violence against women and girls. Without adequate financing and effective means to prevent, report and punish violence against women, the problem will not go away. This report provides insights into the prevalence of belief systems and gender norms among young women and men in the region. It looks in depth at the most entrenched beliefs and behaviours among the younger population and provides ample evidence that we must challenge and change the prevailing belief systems and gender norms if we are to make real progress in guaranteeing the right of all women and girls to a life free from violence. Details: Oxford, UK: Oxfam International, 2018. English summary; Full report in Spanish. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 10, 2018 at: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/breaking-the-mould-changing-belief-systems-and-gender-norms-to-eliminate-violen-620524 Year: 2018 Country: Latin America URL: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/breaking-the-mould-changing-belief-systems-and-gender-norms-to-eliminate-violen-620524 Shelf Number: 151103 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Asghar, Khudejha Title: Preventing Household Violence: Promising Strategies for Humanitarian Settings Summary: Violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC) are both global epidemics with prolonged impact on the health, well-being, and safety of both individuals and communities. The epidemics are also intimately interconnected, as VAW and VAC tend to co-occur within the same homes and exposure to VAC predicts VAW in adulthood. Yet despite a growing body of evidence indicating alarming levels of both VAW and VAC in emergencies, most interventions to address these issues have been fragmented across the gender-based violence (GBV) and child protection (CP) sectors. The goal of this review was to use a holistic lens to examine the landscape of interventions that have been used in humanitarian contexts and that may have applicability to primary prevention of any form of interpersonal household violence, including VAW, VAC or both. A combination of electronic database searches, published or publicly available reviews of violence prevention interventions, and communication with practitioners in the field was employed to identify interventions that met this criteria. Details: Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, CPC Learning Network; Unicef, USAID, 2017. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 27, 2018 at: http://www.cpcnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Landscaping-review-Final-Jan-2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: http://www.cpcnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Landscaping-review-Final-Jan-2017.pdf Shelf Number: 151263 Keywords: Domestic Violence Family Violence Gender-Based ViolenceInterpersonal Violence Violence Against Women, Girls |
Author: United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women Title: Engaging Men to Prevent Gender-Based Violence: A Multi-Country Intervention and Impact Evaluation Study Summary: Over three years Instituto Promundo, with support from the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, implemented a multi-country project to engage men and boys in preventing violence against women and promote gender equality. Project activities in each country varied but all included educational workshops with men and young men on gender equity and training programs with partner staff on evidence-based methodologies for the prevention of violence against women. The project deliberately sought to test and evaluate an array of interventions to engage young and adult men in GBV prevention, namely: 1 A community-based intervention (India); 2 A sports-based intervention (Brazil); 3 A health-sector-based intervention (Chile), and; 4 A work-place-based intervention (Rwanda). The interventions in three of the four settings Chile, Brazil and India were subject to a quasi-experimental impact evaluation. In all three settings, there was a statistically signi!cant change in attitudes correlated with use of violence against women, and a statistically signi!cant selfreported decrease in use of violence against female partners (in the previous three months). Qualitative results further af!rmed that the group education and campaign activities used in each site led to increased discussion by young and adult men about gender equality and decreased support for attitudes that encourage men's use of intimate partner violence. Limitations of the data include the lack of randomization (although there were control groups in similar communities in India and Brazil), and the lack of women's reports (with the exception of India). In India, through youth groups, advocacy campaigns and community outreach more than 1500 men and youth were educated on the consequences of gender-based violence and prevention tools. Themes of masculinity, gender, violence against women and sexuality were central to the efforts. As a result of workshops, men self-reported doing their own washing and participating more equally in household responsibilities and boys self-reported advocating for their sisters' right to an education. Participants developed individual plans to address the prevalence of violence against women in their own lives. Additionally, the group as a whole devised community education plans for their villages to educate their neighbors on these issues. In Brazil, workshops and campaigns aimed to increase awareness about inequitable gender norms and the consequences of violence against women amongst adult and young men. Additionally, a football (soccer) tournament was held amongst participants to bring the messages of the workshops to the communities at a more informal and social level and to encourage higher participation by men in the activities. Results show a change in attitudes among men in the intervention community and in the control community (where "contamination" inadvertently occurred through a football club organizer.) Ninety-two percent of participants in the soccer tournament said that they spoke about the themes of the campaigns with others. The project received the region Nike/Change Makers prize for the competition "Changing Lives Through Football" for its use of sports in mobilizing men and boys to address violence against women. In Chile, CulturaSalud conducted educational workshops for 260 young men via the public health sector and in public schools on the prevention of violence against women, alternatives to violence and gender equity. More than 90 percent of participants strongly agreed that the topics covered in the workshops were important and interesting and all agreed that the people in charge of the workshops had a good handle of the issues. Following the workshops participants increased their use of condoms, increased their knowledge of different forms of violence, and were more likely to reject violence against women. In Rwanda, the Rwandan Men's Resource Center (RWAMREC) worked with three local coffee cooperatives to conduct gender-based violence prevention trainings. The trainings served a dual purpose: when men and women worked alongside each other through the cooperatives they were educated on how to prevent gender-based violence and promote healthy families while also increasing coffee production and related incomes. Following the trainings, there was a reported increase in the questioning of gender-based violence by men, as well as a decrease in the number of gender-based violence cases and more equitable division of labor. Results in Rwanda are informal and not backed up by a control group nor systematized pre- and post-test results. Details: Washington, DC: PROMUNDO, 2018(?). Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2018 at: http://www.ncdsv.org/images/IP_EngagingMenToPreventGBVMulticountryInterventionImpactStudy_2012.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: http://www.ncdsv.org/images/IP_EngagingMenToPreventGBVMulticountryInterventionImpactStudy_2012.pdf Shelf Number: 151316 Keywords: Abusive MenFamily ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceIntimate partner ViolenceViolence Against WomenViolence Prevention Programs |
Author: Dicker, Nicole Title: Policy Analysis: Australia's Commitments to Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Summary: This paper analyses Australia's commitments to ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG) overseas as articulated in Australian aid policies and strategies as well as in domestic, regional and global documents. It answers the central question prompting the policy analysis: what has been Australia's policy position/emphasis on EVAWG over the last decade? The paper identifies the way in which sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has been positioned in key policies over the last ten years that have influenced the delivery of the Australian aid program; Australia's targets, commitments and public focus with respect to EVAWG; and emerging trends and issues of coherence. The paper has been prepared for the Office of Development Effectiveness which will be conducting an evaluation of Australia's development assistance towards EVAWG. This will be a ten-year follow up to ODE's 2008 evaluation Violence against Women in Melanesia and East Timor. The evaluation will assess the effectiveness of Australian policy engagement and development assistance to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls since 2008. This paper on Australia's policy commitments to EVAWG will inform the evaluation, particularly its accountability dimension. The findings presented in the paper derive from a desk-based review of key documents: Australian aid policy and strategy documents, including current Aid Investment Plans and Aid Partnership documents; Australian domestic policy and strategy documents; and global and regional policy, strategy and legal documents. The analysis revealed the Australian Government's strong commitment to promoting gender equality, empowering women and girls, and preventing and reducing SGBV, both within Australia and internationally. The documents reviewed consistently highlighted the unacceptably high prevalence of SGBV, globally. They position SGBV as inherently linked to, and resulting from, gender inequality. The documents describe SGBV as criminal, a significant human rights violation, a form of discrimination against women, and threat to development. A major finding of this analysis is that gender equality and EVAWG have consistently been given importance in the policies of Australian Governments over the past decade. Documents reviewed also show that the emphasis Australia gives to promoting gender equality internationally has increased over the course of the last decade. This has been accompanied by a greater focus on EVAWG across the aid program. While EVAWG has been a consistent theme across Australian Government policies of the past ten years, Australia's policy emphasis on EVAWG has shifted. The Australian aid program has evolved over the last decade from positioning SGBV as principally a health concern, to a justice and security issue, to a complex development challenge requiring a variety of interventions spanning many sectors and issues and involving a broad range of partners. Aid policy documents show the Australian aid program to now emphasise a comprehensive approach to addressing SGBV. The approach combines improving the quality of services and responses, access to justice, and prevention. The documents reviewed contain numerous targets and commitments for EVAWG, cutting across a range of development issues/themes: gender equality, empowerment of women and girls and violence against women and girls; peace, justice and strong institutions; service provision; prevention; women and girls in conflict and disaster zones; disability-inclusive development; an integrated approach to EVAWG; global, regional and bilateral engagement with governments; research and reporting. The specific commitments are set out in the document; a list containing all targets and commitments is provided at page 16. Australia's development assistance can then be cross-checked against this list to assess the extent to which Australia has met its commitments to EVAWG. Details: Canberra, ACT: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2017. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 4, 2018 at: https://dfat.gov.au/aid/how-we-measure-performance/ode/strategic-evaluations/Documents/ode-evawg-policy-analysis.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: https://dfat.gov.au/aid/how-we-measure-performance/ode/strategic-evaluations/Documents/ode-evawg-policy-analysis.pdf Shelf Number: 152827 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Equality Institute Title: Literature Review: Ending violence against women and girls Summary: The Office of Development Effectiveness (ODE) is undertaking a strategic evaluation of Australia's development assistance to end violence against women and girls. This will be a ten-year follow up to ODE's 2008 strategic evaluation Violence against Women in Melanesia and East Timor (Ellsberg et al. 2008). The evaluation will assess the effectiveness of Australian support, and to make recommendations and provide practical lessons for Australia's future aid program and policy engagement. The evaluation team will visit Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Indonesia, with Skype interviews conducted with key stakeholders in Vanuatu and Pakistan. The objective of this literature review is to inform the ODE evaluation. This review provides a desk-based analysis of the available evidence about trends, innovations, and approaches to ending violence against women and girls. It informs the evaluation's key evaluation questions and will be used to triangulate other qualitative and desk-based evidence generated as part of the evaluation. While other literature reviews exist on this topic, this review intends to add a specific Asia and Pacific lens, with a focus on the approaches and research that are most strategic and relevant to Australia's aid program. The intended audience is DFAT staff with aid management responsibilities, Australian NGOs and implementing partners who may use the literature review and evaluation findings to improve future assistance to end violence against women and girls. Details: Canberra, ACT: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2018. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed October 4, 2018 at: http://apo.org.au/system/files/194461/apo-nid194461-1013371.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: http://apo.org.au/system/files/194461/apo-nid194461-1013371.pdf Shelf Number: 152832 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Yoder, P. Stanley Title: Numbers of women circumcised in Africa: The Production of a Total Summary: This report was written in response to a request from the World Health Organization's Division of Family & Community Health, Department of Reproductive Health & Research, Gender, Reproductive Rights, Sexual Health & Adolescence team (FCH/RHR/GRR) to produce an estimate of the number of women in Africa who have been circumcised, or have undergone female genital cutting (FGC). The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United States Agency for International Development, UNFPA, UNICEF, (USAID), and various NGOs have provided estimates of the "number of women and girls worldwide" who have undergone FGC, but those estimates vary widely and do not include information on how the numbers were obtained. Given the limitations of the data on FGC in some African countries, the team at Macro agreed to provide a number, but a number for women 15 years old and older, not one for "women and girls worldwide." In order to provide a methodological context for that number, we have also written a brief report about how the numbers were produced for each country. Readers could then judge for themselves if the calculations seemed reasonable. In countries where FGC data are available from a national survey with a representative sample of women, most often from a Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), the calculations are straightforward. Where such data are lacking, the calculations involve a series of assumptions related to the various estimates available and the ethnic composition of the population. The text provides a total number and accounts of its derivation for women 15 years old and older in African countries who have been circumcised. The estimates do not include girls younger than 15 years old, although Appendix A provides an estimate for girls 10-14 years old. Two types of data are needed for such calculations: a reliable estimate of the number of women 15 years old and older for each country, and a national prevalence rate for FGC for the same women. After a brief discussion of the importance of obtaining numbers as accurate as possible, the text describes the procedures used to estimate the numbers of women circumcised in countries with population-based national surveys. The next section describes how prevalence estimates were done for the countries without such data. The report concludes with a discussion of the assumptions made and the relative strength of the calculations used. Details: Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2008. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: DHS Working Paper no. 39: Accessed October 12, 2018 at: https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/wp39/wp39.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Africa URL: https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/wp39/wp39.pdf Shelf Number: 152912 Keywords: Female Circumcision Female Genital Mutilation Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: 28 Too Many Title: Country Profile: FGM in Senegal Summary: This Country Profile provides comprehensive information on FGM in Senegal, detailing current research on FGM and providing information on the political, anthropological and sociological contexts in which FGM is practised. It also reflects on how to strengthen anti-FGM programmes and accelerate the eradication of this harmful practice. The purpose of this report is to enable those committed to ending FGM, through the provision of information, to shape their own policies and practices to create positive, sustainable change. It is estimated that 25.7% of women (aged 15-49) have undergone FGM in Senegal. Details: London: 28 Too Many, 2015. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 12, 2018 at: https://www.28toomany.org/static/media/uploads/Country%20Research%20and%20Resources/Senegal/senegal_country_profile_v2_(august_2018).pdf Year: 2015 Country: Senegal URL: https://www.28toomany.org/static/media/uploads/Country%20Research%20and%20Resources/Senegal/senegal_country_profile_v2_(august_2018).pdf Shelf Number: 152913 Keywords: Female Genital Mutilation Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Islamic Relief Title: An Islamic Human Rights Perspective on Early and Forced Marriages: Protecting the Sanctity of Marriage Summary: Marriage, in the Islamic worldview, is an important part of building healthy and protective relationships, families, and societies. In order for an Islamic marriage to be valid, it has to meet certain criteria, which ensures the health, security and wellbeing of the couple, their families and their communities. In Muslim communities around the world, marriage takes on many local customs and cultural forms. Islam allows this cultural diversity as long as the practices do not cause harm - specifically, as long as they do not contradict the principles of Islamic law that seek to protect human beings. Islamic Relief is an independent aid agency that is guided by Islamic humanitarian principles and seeks to end poverty and suffering around the world, especially among vulnerable groups. As part of our commitment to ending suffering, we seek to protect children and establish gender justice by ending gender-based violence. Early and forced marriage (EFM) often take place in communities where there is a wider social context that denies women's and children's rights, and where EFM persists alongside other harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), gender-based violence and child abuse. We are committed to seeing an end to these harmful practices that are prevalent in many Muslim communities and often wrongly associated with Islamic teaching. Early and forced marriages (EFM) are practices that violate the God-given human rights of all, particularly women and children, as well as the sanctity of marriage in Islam. This guide presents an Islamic human rights perspective on EFM for those seeking to understand the issues and working to end the practices in Muslim communities. Islamic Relief believes that changing perceptions in order to end harmful practices in Muslim communities is best done through better understanding and raising awareness of human rights as enshrined in Islamic law. We call upon parents and guardians, imams and community leaders, teachers and health workers, governments and NGOs to work together to understand why EFM is practiced in Muslim communities, raise awareness about the harm it causes, tackle the complex issues that lead to its prevalence and seek to change perceptions and behaviour by promoting a better understanding of human rights enshrined in Islamic teaching. Details: Birmingham, UK: Islamic Relief, 2018. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 8, 2018 at: https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IRW-Islamic-persepctive-on-CM.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IRW-Islamic-persepctive-on-CM.pdf Shelf Number: 153358 Keywords: Forced Marriage Gender-Based ViolenceHuman Rights Abuses Muslims Violence Against Women, Girls |
Author: Global Women's Institute Title: Intersections of violence against women and girls with state-building and peace-building: Lessons from Nepal, Sierra Leone and South Sudan Summary: As part of the What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls program, funded by the UK Department for International Development, this study draw on three case countries - Nepal, Sierra Leone and South Sudan - to address gaps in evidence and understanding on violence against women and girls during post-conflict transition. In doing so, the study aims to increase recognition of the potential for state-building and peace-building processes to more effectively institutionalize approaches to violence against women and girls, and the role that addressing such violence can play in advancing sustainable peace. Details: Washington, DC: Global Women's Institute, The George Washington University, 2018. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 13, 2018 at: https://globalwomensinstitute.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs1356/f/downloads/P784%20IRC%20What%20Works%20Report_LR.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://globalwomensinstitute.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs1356/f/downloads/P784%20IRC%20What%20Works%20Report_LR.pdf Shelf Number: 153402 Keywords: Gender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women, Girls Violence Prevention |
Author: Healey, Lucy Title: Invisible Practices: Intervention with Fathers who Use Violence Summary: This project aimed to provide an evidence base for intervening with fathers who use domestic and family violence (DFV), in order to enhance support for women and children living with DFV. The project is a part of ANROWS's Perpetrator Interventions Research Stream. The project delivered an evidence-informed Practice Guide for workers and highlights the need for organisations to undertake systemic change to embed new practice approaches. Structured interventions with men who use violence mostly occur through the criminal justice system and specialist men's behaviour change programs. While other services, such as child protection and family support services, work with fathers who use violence, this work has never been documented or formalised. In other words, to date, this work has been largely "invisible". The project's findings are structured around four themes: - key skills identified for working with fathers who use violence and control; - key factors identified in partnering with women; key skills in ensuring a focus on children and young people; and - the role of organisations and practitioner capacity building. The project built upon earlier ANROWS research, including the PATRICIA (PAThways and Research Into Collaborative Inter-Agency practice) project, which investigated fostering collaboration between child protection and specialist DFV services. The Invisible Practices project also draws on evidence from other existing research, the expertise of practitioners in four states and the technical skills and knowledge of the US-based Safe & Together Institute's consultants David Mandel and Kyle Pinto. Details: New South Wales, Australia: Australia's National Research Organization for Women's Safety, 2018. 148p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2018 at: https://www.anrows.org.au/node/1307 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://dh2wpaq0gtxwe.cloudfront.net/Healey%20et%20al%20-%20Research%20Report%20-%20Invisible%20Practices.pdf Shelf Number: 153950 Keywords: Abusive MenDomestic ViolenceEvidence-Based InterventionFamily ViolenceFathersGender-Based ViolenceIntervention Programs |
Author: National Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence and Multiple Disadvantage Title: Breaking Down the Barriers: Findings of The National Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence and Multiple Disadvantage Summary: Recent work on multiple disadvantage has focused on a set of common issues: homelessness, offending and substance use. As a result, work on multiple disadvantage has predominantly focused on men who are identified as having higher rates of these three issues. When the definition of multiple disadvantage is changed to incorporate the impact of violence against women and girls, however, a different balance emerges. One in every 20 women have experienced extensive physical or sexual violence and abuse across their life course, compared to one in every 100 men. This equates to 1.2 million women in England alone. These women face very high rates of problems like mental ill-health, addiction, homelessness and poverty. More than half have a common mental health condition, one in five have been homeless and one in three have an alcohol problem. Gendered violence also mediates the pathway to women's criminalisation, as most women in contact with the criminal justice system have faced domestic or sexual violence. Furthermore, this is also reflected in the experiences of many women involved in prostitution. Recent work on multiple disadvantage has focused on a set of common issues: homelessness, offending and substance use. As a result, work on multiple disadvantage has predominantly focused on men who are identified as having higher rates of these three issues. When the definition of multiple disadvantage is changed to incorporate the impact of violence against women and girls, however, a different balance emerges. One in every 20 women have experienced extensive physical or sexual violence and abuse across their life course, compared to one in every 100 men. This equates to 1.2 million women in England alone. These women face very high rates of problems like mental ill-health, addiction, homelessness and poverty. More than half have a common mental health condition, one in five have been homeless and one in three have an alcohol problem. Gendered violence also mediates the pathway to women's criminalisation, as most women in contact with the criminal justice system have faced domestic or sexual violence. Furthermore, this is also reflected in the experiences of many women involved in prostitution. Details: London: Agenda; AVA; Lloyds Bank Foundation, 2019. 145p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2019 at: https://weareagenda.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Breaking-down-the-Barriers-full-report-FINAL.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://weareagenda.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Breaking-down-the-Barriers-full-report-FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 154774 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceGender-Based ViolenceHomelessnessProstitutionSexual ViolenceSubstance AbuseViolence Against Women and Girls |
Author: Great Britain. HM Government Title: Ending Violence against Women and Girls: 2016-2020. Strategy Refresh Summary: In March 2016 we published our new VAWG Strategy, which sets out an ambitious programme of reform, and was supported by increased funding of L80m. In March 2017, the Chancellor announced additional funding of 20m pounds to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse, bringing the total committed to L100m, over twice what was committed during the previous Parliament. Our long-term vision remains the same, and so this Strategy is set out according to our existing strategic pillars: prevention, provision of services, partnership working, and pursuing perpetrators. The crimes addressed through this strategy are the crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls, which are domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and so-called 'honour-based' violence including forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). We will continue to measure our success by seeking reductions in overall prevalence of these crimes as measured by the Crime Survey of England and Wales, and seek increased prosecutions and convictions, where appropriate. It is important to bring together our work in the UK with efforts to tackle these issues internationally, and so the 2016 Strategy, and this refresh, represents a 'One Government' approach. This Strategy Refresh also sits alongside other, closely linked pieces of work from across government such as the Victims' Strategy. We are clear that all victims of crime should be supported, but that particular hidden crimes merit their own, focused, response. We will also continue to ensure that our response to vulnerable people, and programmes of work to tackle modern slavery and child sexual abuse and exploitation, remain joined up and mutually supportive of this agenda. This refresh does not provide full details of all that has been achieved since 2016, and nor does it set out our full strategic vision for VAWG, which remains with the 2016 Ending VAWG Strategy. This document does not overtake the 2016 Strategy, and both should be considered together. Instead, this refresh provides a brief update on delivery achieved so far, captures additional programmes of work that have contributed to this agenda, and sets out new, additional actions that government will take forward that goes beyond those set out in the 2016 Strategy While we know that these crimes disproportionately affect women and girls, we also recognise that men and boys are victims too. The vision set out in this Strategy applies to male as well as female victims, but we have published a Male Victims Position Statement alongside this document, which clarifies and strengthens our response to male victims of these crimes, while still recognising the disproportionate impact on women. Details: London: Author, 2019. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2019 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/783596/VAWG_Strategy_Refresh_Web_Accessible.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/783596/VAWG_Strategy_Refresh_Web_Accessible.pdf Shelf Number: 155606 Keywords: Domestic Violence Family Violence Female Genital MutilationForced Marriage Gender-Based Violence Honor Based ViolenceModern Slavery Rape Sexual Violence StalkingViolence against Women and Girls |