How to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls

Eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls

#BreaktheBias
​#StopViolence
#MeToo

Close your eyes and picture three little girls that you know. In our current world, at least one of them is likely to experience some form of violence at some point in her life. What’s worse, she is likely to die or experience extreme physical or psychological harm as a result. 
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In this article, we are going to discuss some of the ways in which this gross violation of the rights of a gender that forms approximately half of the world’s population can be eliminated. 
To begin, we must remember the famous words of Sun Tzu: “Know your enemy”. Before we can adequately tackle any issue, we must first understand it. 

What Constitutes Violence Against Women?

Violence can have several roots and forms. When it is directed at a person mainly because of the person’s gender, it is a unique form of violence referred to as gender-based violence (GBV). Although men can be victims of gender-based violence, it is an issue that disproportionately affects women. 
When we hear the term “violence”, what typically comes to mind are acts that cause physical harm. But there is so much more to it. One doesn’t have to be beaten to be a victim of violence. 
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According to the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the UN General Assembly, violence against women is “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” 
Keeping the above definition in mind, here are a few common forms of violence against women:

Photo by Mélodie Descoubes on Unsplash

Child Marriage
The issue of child marriage might seem like a thing of the past to some people, but it is still very much a problem. Just over a year ago – in 2019 – one in five women between the ages of 20 and 24 were found to have been married before the age of 18. 

How is child marriage a form of violence, you ask? First of all, with the nature of marriage in many societies, it robs a girl of her autonomy – which she probably did not have in the first place, but marriage is likely to make it worse. Secondly, it often leads to early pregnancy which has a long list of complications that could cause her physical harm. And lastly, it often results in psychological and social harm by leading to social isolation and interrupted schooling. 

Female Genital Mutilation     
An estimated 200 million women and girls have experienced genital mutilation across 31 nations where the practice is common. In countries such as Guinea, where at least 9 in 10 girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 have been cut, female genital mutilation is nearly ubiquitous. 
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Not only does this practice have a long list of physical complications, including bleeding to death, but it causes immense psychological harm and can have life-long consequences.

Sexual Violence 
​The term sexual violence encompasses a wide range of acts that rob a person of their right to choose when, where, how, and with whom to have sex. This includes rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and so on. The term sexual violence also refers to sexual acts with people that cannot choose/consent to them e.g. child sexual abuse and statutory rape.   

The prevalence of sexual violence is staggering. As many as 15 million teenage girls -  aged 15 to 19 - have experienced forced sex and, according to a report by the WHO, 1 in 5 women experienced sexual abuse as children. 

Intimate Partner (or Domestic) Violence
One of the saddest truths is that women are more likely to experience violence from people that they are close to - or were once close to - as opposed to strangers. Broadly speaking, the term intimate partner violence refers to violence exerted by a current or former intimate partner e.g. a spouse. 

Globally, nearly one-third of women who have been in a relationship say that they have, at some point in their lives, experienced some form of violence from an intimate partner. The effects can be fatal with up to 38% of females murders being committed by a male intimate partner.

Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash

How do we Eliminate Violence Against Women?

The issue of violence against women is something so pervasive and widespread that, at times, it can seem like an impossibility to eliminate. And with the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have exacerbated the issue, it is easy to lose hope. The truth, however, is that violence against women is preventable, and if we all take a stand against it, we can put an end to it. Here are a few things that need to be done to achieve this goal:

1. Promote Gender Equality
​The idea that women are somehow less valuable or less important than men is one of the major contributors to gender-based violence. This idea is portrayed almost anywhere that you look in our society today, manifesting itself in various ways: socio-culturally, economically, and even legally. All forms and manifestations of gender inequality need to be addressed. 

Legal Inequality
All around the world, discriminatory laws against women exist. Many of these laws basically classify women and girls as second-class citizens in aspects such as nationality, education, marriage and parenthood, employment, inheritance, and rights to property. For instance, with respect to nationality, in many countries:

Women do not have the same rights as men to acquire, change or retain their nationality.

Marriage to a husband of a different nationality automatically changes the nationality of the wife. 

Women do not have equal rights with men with regards to the nationality of their children. There are up to 25 countries in the world that prohibit women from passing their nationality on to their children.​

According to a report by the World Bank’s Women Business and the Law,  only 6 countries globally have enacted legal equality between men and women. They are Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Sweden. This needs to change. If even the law discriminates against women and girls, where can they possibly turn? 
Laws that discriminate against women must be abolished and replaced by those that protect them and promote their rights as equal citizens with men.

Socio-cultural Inequality
This refers to social and cultural norms that promote the idea that men constitute a superior gender. This particular form of gender inequality is alarmingly rampant and faced by women all over the world. 

For instance, from childhood, many men are imbibed with the mentality that they are superior to women and have a right to possess them - especially within the context of marriage. Such a mentality could very easily translate into the idea that they can do as they please with women, resulting in violence. 

Rape culture is another prominent social issue that is contributing immensely to sexual violence. From the objectification of women in the media to everyday terms used in relation to sex ( e.g. words like “bang”, “nail”, and “hammer” are such aggressive and violent terms that many use to describe sex), so much of our modern-day culture promotes and normalizes sexual violence. 

Socio-cultural inequality is arguably the hardest to tackle. It demands a remodelling of the mind-sets of millions – both males and females - globally. 

Economic Inequality
Education is a key factor for economic empowerment but women form greater than two-thirds of the world's illiterate people. Right from childhood, most women are placed in a position of disadvantage and not equipped with the tools needed to earn a good living for themselves. Despite this, two-thirds of the world’s work is done by women and women produce as much as half of the world’s food supply. However, they earn a mere 10% of the world’s income. 
This particular form of inequality leaves women vulnerable, especially in the case of domestic violence. Many women in abusive relationships remain because they do not have the means to provide for themselves and their children if they were to leave.

2. Create and Enact Laws Against Violence 
In several countries around the world, the perpetrators of gender-based violence often go unpunished. In the Gambia, many laws addressing the problem of gender-based violence exist. These include the Sexual Offenses Act of 2013 and the Domestic Violence Act of 2013. However, these laws are rarely implemented.

​3. Promote Awareness About the Dangers of Harmful Practices
As highlighted above, practices such as child marriage and FGM are still very common. Although their prevalence has decreased over the years, much more still needs to be done to create awareness of the harmful effects of these practices, especially in societies where they are rampant. 

How to Fight Gender-Based Violence on a Personal Level

So far, everything we have discussed might seem a bit abstract. You may be wondering, “What can I do to tackle this problem?” Every single person can fight and prevent gender-based violence in one way or the other. Below are a few ideas you can try out:

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

1. Talk to Your Children
If you have children, it is important to discuss topics such as gender roles and consent with them. From an early age, teach both your male and female children about their bodies, private parts that should be off-limits, and what to do if anyone ever touches them inappropriately. 

Also, talk to them about gender roles and stereotypes that they will constantly encounter. But don’t just stop at talking, ensure that you set good examples for them by practicing what you preach and making them practicalize it – e.g. by sharing childhood chores equally. 

Teach your children that violence is never the way to resolve an issue and nurture a mindset of respect towards all beings regardless of gender, age, race, etc. 

2. Listen to and Encourage Women and Girls to Speak Out
One of the major perpetuating factors of violence against women is under-reporting. Women are afraid to speak out and demand justice out of fear of backlash. This allows perpetrators of gender-based violence to walk free and continue wreaking havoc.

One of the most powerful things you can do as an individual is to combat the culture of victim-blaming. Listen to women and choose to believe them instead of automatically discrediting their stories or blaming them for their abuse. Always remember - and reiterate to others - the fact that abuse is never the fault of the victim. 

3. Use Social Media
One of the biggest obstacles to the elimination of GBV is the fact that potential victims are unaware of their rights. In the Gambia, more than 80% of women believe that it is okay for a man to hit his wife under certain circumstances.

You can use your social media accounts to educate people and take a stance against GBV. Share stories, facts, and statistics that highlight the severity of the problem and debunk harmful myths. You never know who you might enlighten and protect with a single post.

4. Support Organisations that Protect Women and Girls
From educating girls to providing shelter for survivors of abuse, there are tons of organizations out there doing a wide variety of things to protect women and girls. The SAGG Foundation, for instance, is helping female children in the Gambia build brighter futures for themselves through education. For as little as 10 pounds a month, you can make it possible for a girl to obtain basic education and reduce her risk of experiencing violence. 

Sponsor A Girl Here

Author: Victoria Alex
Content Writer

Victoria Alex, is a final-year medical student with an insatiable passion for writing. She channels her love for the written word into helping individuals and businesses grow their brands and connect with their target audiences via high-quality content. ​