This document provides an overview of gender-based violence (GBV). It defines gender and GBV, describes the types and consequences of GBV. GBV affects women's physical and mental health, as well as communities. Contributing factors include poverty, alcohol, and history of abuse. The cycle of abuse involves tension building, a violent episode, and calm. Prevention requires changing social norms, health care provider training, and legal/policy reforms. Comprehensive prevention addresses issues before, during and after violence occurs.

1. UNDERSTANDING
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Lori Michau, Raising Voices

2. Lecture Overview
 What is gender?
 What is GBV?
 Types
 Consequences
 Extent of Problem
 Cause, Contributing Factors, Indicators
 The cycle of abuse
 Why do women stay?
 What can be done?
 Prevention and Response

3. What is gender?
 Women
 Weak
 Emotional
 Dependent
 Men
 Strong
 Unemotional
 Independent
 Women
 Breastfeed
 Give birth
 Men
 Have beards
Gender: Social Sex: Biological

4. Common ‘definition’ of gender
 Gender = Women and Men
 This is incorrect!
 Gender = The imbalance of power between
women and men

5. Implications of Gender?
 Limited roles and expectations
 Different value places on females/males
 Both sexes constrained
 Women subordinate as a group to men
(patriarchy)
 Injustice
 Violence
 Inequality

6. What is GBV?
Gender Based Violence (GBV) is 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 deprivations
of liberty, whether occurring in public or in
private life.
(UN Declaration of Elimination of all forms of Violence Against Women 1993).

7. Types of GBV

8. Types of GBV
 Beating/hitting/slappin
g
 Kicking
 Burning
 Pulling hair
 Using a weapon
 Choking
 Pinching
 Murder, etc
 Insulting
 Belittling
 Shouting
 Coercion
 Threats
 Intimidation
 Ignoring
 Withholding affection
 Isolation, etc
Physical any act that
harms the body of a girl or
woman
Emotional any act that
involves psychological or
verbal abuse and/or
controlling behavior.

9. Types of GBV (cont.)
 Rape (including marital
 coerced sex (being pressured
into having sex—emotional,
socially or economically)
 sexual assault (unwanted
sexual attention or contact)
 transactional sex (feeling
pressured into having sex
outside any intimate
relationship sex as payment
or in exchange for money or
material assistance)
 being forced to have sex
without protection or with the
knowledge or fear that you
 Withholding food /
basic needs
 Not allowing her to
work
 Taking her earnings
 Refusing joint
decision making
around family
finances, etc
Sexual: any act that limits a
woman’s power over her body,
her sexuality or her
reproductive health.
Economic: any act that
harms a girl or woman’s
financial well-being, or that
uses money to control her.

10. Consequences of GBV

11. GBV
Non-Fatal
Outcomes
Physical
Health
Injury,
disability
Negative Health
Behaviors
Alcohol/drug abuse,
sexual risk taking
Chronic
Conditions
Chronic pain,
gastrointestinal
disorders
Reproductive Health
Unwanted pregnancy,
STIs/HIV, unsafe abortion,
miscarriage/low birth rate
Mental Health
PTSD,
depression,
anxiety, low self-
esteem
Fatal
Outcomes
Homicide
Suicide
Maternal
Mortality
AIDS-
related
Health Impact of GBV
From: Center for Health and Gender Equity (2008)

12. Beyond Health Impacts:
Consequences for Women and
Girls
 lack self-confidence
 avoid participating in activities
 stop visiting friends or family
 experience sadness and low
self-esteem
 experience anxiety and fear
 early marriage
 unhappy at home
 fearful of their partners
 at increased risk for HIV
infection

13. Consequences for Men and
Children
 feel tense and angry
 have tension in their homes
 have children who fear and
distrust them
 lack intimacy and enjoyable
sexuality with their partner
 have partners who lack
affection and trust for them
 be rejected by their families
and community
 feel disrespected by others
 feel pressure to maintain their
power in the home
 have to spend money on
treating injuries caused by
their violence
 be fearful of and distrust their
fathers
 feel afraid for their mothers
 feel sad and depressed
 perform poorly in school
 run away from home
 have nightmares
 behave violently toward other
children
 withdraw from activities and
friends
 grow up believing that
violence in normal
Men who use violence
may…
Children who witness
violence may…

14. Consequences for Communities
 lose out on women’s
participation
 spend resources responding
to family conflicts
 have increased crime
 have overburdened social
services (health care, police,
social services)
 experience less or slower
development
 have greater prevalence of
HIV/AIDS
 lack solidarity and harmony
Communities that are silent
about GBV…

15. GBV is a
public
health and
a human
rights
issue

16. Is GBV really a problem?

17. 2006 UDHS Percentage of women who have experienced
physical violence since age 15
North 54%
Eastern
77%
West Nile
64%
Western
56%
Central 2
59%
Central 1
59%
Southwest
54%
East
Central
66%
Women
Kampala
52%
> 70%
0 – 60%
60% - 70%
Kara
moja
49%
IDP
53%
The Reality in Uganda:
Physical

18. 2006 UDHS
Percentage of women who have experienced
sexual violence since age 15
North 32%
Eastern 43%
West Nile
25%
Western
43%
Central 2
32%
Central 1
46%
Southwest
41%
East Central
53%
Women
Kampala 28%
Kara
moja
33%
IDP
28%
The Reality of GBV in Uganda:
Sexual

19. WHO 2006
18
19
22
29
29
30
30
48
48
15
10
11
21
21
13
25
27
36
Cambodia
India
Dominican…
Egypt
Haiti
Nicaragua
Zimbabwe
Zambia
Uganda
Ever
Percentage of married women 15-49 who have experienced physical violence
by their current husband/partner.
Partner Violence: Country
Comparison

20. GBV: Some Facts
 Sexual violence and rape are the least reported of all
violent crimes (MRC 2010)
 The toll of violence on women’s health exceeds that of
traffic accidents and malaria combined (USAID 2009)
 Globally, violence kills and disables the same number of
women between the ages of 15 and 44 as cancer does
(USAID 2009)

21. Cause, Contributors,
Indicators

22. Why does GBV happen?
 GBV happens when there is an imbalance of
power in relationships, in which one person feels
they are entitled to control and use their power
over the other person.
 Typically, men have power over women. Many
men feel entitled to impose their will on women by
whatever means necessary, including using
violence.
 One adult controlling the life and decisions of
another adult is unjust. In a relationship, when one
person uses his/her power over the other to take
control, it is violence.

23. Contributing Factors
 Poverty
 Alcohol
 Stress
 History of experiencing/witnessing abuse

24. Indicators of Abuse
Women experiencing
violence may show some
of the following
characteristics or
behaviors:
 lack of self-confidence
 reducing or ending her
participation in activities
 not wanting to see friends
 visible physical injuries
 making excuses for physical
injuries
 sadness and loss of energy
 loss of appetite or inability to
sleep
 increased health problems
 heightened anxiety

25. Indicators of Abuse
Children living in violent homes
may show some of the following
characteristics or behaviors:
 sleeping problems or nightmares
 problems in school
 fear of the dark
 clinging to mother or siblings
 increased violent behavior
 difficulty getting along with other
children
 withdrawal from activities, play,
or friends
 verbal abuse or talking back
 shyness
 oversensitive or easily upset

26. Do men experience violence?
 Some men do experience violence from
women.
 It is far less common
 It is on an individual basis, not the subjection
of one sex to another
 It is often in self-defense, retaliation

27. The Cycle of Violence

28. Cycle of Intimate Partner
Violence
Tension
Building
Violent
Episode
Calm hope
love
fear
dependenc
e

29. Why don’t women leave?
 Stigma
 Economic dependence
 Social dependence
 Children
 Lack of self-confidence/self-determination
 “I don’t want to leave him, I just want the violence
to stop”
 Lack of services, structures for assistance
Violence is the responsibility of the user, not the
survivor

30. Prevention and Response
What can be done?

31. Understanding Prevention
 Primary - activities that take place before violence
has occurred.
 Secondary – immediate activities after the
violence has occurred to deal with the short-term
consequences of violence.
 Tertiary – long term activities after violence has
occurred to deal with the lasting consequences of
violence. (WHO, 2002)
When all three types (primary, secondary, and
tertiary) are used together, they create a
comprehensive response to GBV.

32. Prevention: changing social
norms

33. Changing Social Norms: It’s up to
you!
 Commit to never using violence in your relationships.
 Be aware of the indicators of domestic violence. If you notice
them, talk with that person at a private and appropriate
moment.
 Talk about violence with your friends, family, neighbors, and
colleagues. Brainstorm what you can do to prevent violence.
 Role model non-violent ways of resolving conflicts to your
children.
 Show your children and others, by example, that violence is
never acceptable.
 Raise the issue of domestic violence at your place of worship.
Discuss ways in which the religious community can take
action against violence.
 Contact local organizations, and ask how you can help.

34. Health Care Providers:
Opportunities
 Educate yourself about
violence and its
consequences.
 Reflect on your own
relationships – how are
you using your power?
 Ask clients about their
relationships.
 Health Chats in waiting
rooms.
 Use village health teams to
raise awareness.
 Establish policies and
procedures for asking
about violence.
 Be willing to take time to
ask women about
violence.
 Provide non-judgmental
care and support.
 Ensure you have an up-
to-date referral list and
know how to use it
 Reassure survivors that
violence is
Primary Prevention Secondary Prevention

35. Opportunities (cont.)
 Enact policies/laws preventing
violence.
 Budget sufficiently for
meaningful implementation of
laws/policies.
 Train service providers (health,
police, LCs) on GBV
prevention and response.
 Institute training within
professional sectors (health,
education, security, legal, etc).
 Strengthen counseling /
psychiatry to make more
doctors available.
 Establish community-based
prevention and response
infrastructure.
Tertiary

36. Raising Voices www.raisingvoices.org
GBV Prevention Network
www.preventgbvafrica.org
Interested in learning more?