Gender-Based Violence: Survivor, Victim, Perpetrator, and

Human Rights

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
 any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will
 based on socially-ascribed (gender) differences between males
and females (Inter-agency Standing Committee Guidelines for
Integrating Gender-Based Violence in Interventions in
Humanitarian Action 2015).

Introduction
 gender-based violence is one of the most widespread and
human rights abuses, but least recognized in the world.
 refers to any harm perpetrated against a person’s will on the
basis of gender, the socially-ascribed (gender) differences
between males and females.
 has devastating consequences not only for victims, but also for
society as a whole
 results in physical, sexual, and psychological harm to both
men and women
 includes any form of violence or abuse that targets men or
women on the basis of their sex
 in the Philippines, gender-based violence has clearly been
placed in the realm of women’s human rights over the past
decade.
 prior to 1993, most governments regarded violence against
women largely as a private matter between individuals. (loi et.
al 1999)
 experience by women and girls refers to battering and other
forms of intimate partner violence including
a) marital rape h)forced marriage
b) sexual violence i) female genital cutting
c) dowry-related j) sexual harassment in
violence the workplace and
d)female infanticide educational
e) sexual abuse of female institutions
children in the k) commercial sexual
household exploitation
f) honor crimes l) trafficking of girls and
g) early marriage women
CONSEQUENCES OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

A. Health Consequences
 Unwanted pregnancies
 Complications from unsafe abortions
 Sexually transmitted infections including HIV
 Injuries
 Mental health
 Psychosocial effects (depression, anxiety, post-
traumatic stress, suicide and death)
 Children’s survival
 Development
 School participation

B.Social Consequences
 extend to families and communities
 families can be stigmatized as a consequence of
GBV
 when children are born following a rape, or if
family members choose to stand by a survivor,
fellow members of their community may avoid
them

C.Economic Consequences
 Cost of public health and social welfare systems
 Reduced ability of many survivors to participate
in social and economic life

SURVIVOR, VICTIM, AND PERPETRATOR

1. Survivor
 Preferred term (not a “victim”) of a person who has
lived through an incident of gender-based violence
2. Perpetrator
 a person, group, or institution that inflicts, supports, or
condones violence or other abuse against a person or
group of persoCharacteristics of perpetrators include:
a. persons with real or perceived power;
b. persons in decision-making positions; and
c. persons in authority

In all incidents of GBV, there is always a survivor/victim

and a perpetrator. Therefore, all actions in the prevention
and responses to GBV need to address both the survivor
and the perpetrator.

 Survivor is the preferred term for those who have lived

through GBV incident.
 A perpetrator is a person who commits an act of GBV.
 There might be only one perpetrator, or there might be
more.
 In any act of GBV, there is a survivor and a perpetrator.
 All actions in prevention must address potential
survivors and potential perpetrators.
 Also, all actions in response need to address both the
survivor and the perpetrator.

HUMAN RIGHTS

 Human rights are:

a. universal
b. inalienable
c. indivisible
d. interconnected
e. interdependent
 Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms
without distinction of any kind such as race, color, sex,
language, religion, political or other opinion, national
or social origin, property, birth, or other status.
 Prevention of and response to gender-based violence is
directly linked to the protection of human rights.
 Acts of gender-based violence violate a number of
human rights principles enshrined in international
human rights instruments and in our Philippine
Constitution.

These include the following, amongst others:

 the right to life, liberty, and property of persons;
 the right to the highest attainable standard of physical
and mental health;
 the right to freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman,
or degrading treatment or punishment;
 the right to freedom of opinion and expression and to
education (UNFPA, 2014).

Summary
GBV is a worldwide phenomenon which must be
given attention nationally and internationally. The
consequences capture almost all spheres of our lives
(family, socially, economically, and health).
A main focus of gender-based violence is
violence against women and girls across their
lifespan. VAW also covers a continuum of violence
which appeared to be unending, with an array of
elements of abuse, coercion, or force.
The survivor and perpetrator are important
actors in GBV and VAW cases. GBV and VAW are
clear violations of human rights.
All these points to the essence that these acts of
violence are a global and national concern.