3 . Violence against women
3 . Violence against women
Aim . To clarify what is meant by gender-based violence ( GBV ) and emphasise that violence against women in its various forms , including sexual violence , is a serious human rights violation .
In 1993 , the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women offered the first official definition of GBV : “ 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 deprivations of liberty , whether occurring in public or in private life ”.
PART I : POINTS OF DEPARTURE
From a power perspective , it is obvious that the weaker of two parties is always more vulnerable and at greater risk of harm . Gender inequality can therefore be linked to acts of GBV . However , this is sometimes considered to reflect a Western way of thinking . It is sometimes argued that advocacy to prevent GBV is not always about protection or upholding international human rights , but imposing Western values . We believe that culture cannot be used as an excuse to justify GBV . The trauma , fear and vulnerability which women experience when they suffer violence promote and reinforce traditional and cultural power relations that entrench conditions and relationships that allow GBV to persist . For instance , they can deepen the assumption that a woman is to be blamed if she is raped ( Yuksel 2012 ).
Women ’ s human rights are frequently violated in many places . Kofi Annan ( 1999 ) said : “ Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation . And it is perhaps the most pervasive . It knows no boundaries of geography , culture or wealth . As long as it continues , we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality , development and peace .” ‘ Violence against women ’ refers to a wide range of acts that violate women ’ s human rights , including physical , psychological , and sexual harm or threats of harm . It occurs within families and in the community ; it often takes place in the home , involving individuals with whom the woman has close relationships ; but it is also committed in public , in the street . In both cases , those responsible are frequently allowed to get away with what they do to women , though their acts have serious consequences for the women themselves and for their families and communities .
In recent years , the United Nations and a growing number of governments have taken an important step forward by recognising that violence against women is a human rights issue – a social mechanism by means of which women are forced into a subordinate position relative to men , and often marginalised and isolated . Protecting women against this form of violence has become an international priority . It is no longer seen to be just a private matter : states have a duty to prevent it , punish those responsible , and provide redress to those who have been harmed .