Gender-Based Violence: Power, Use of Force, and Consent

What is Power?
 Max Weber defined power as the “the probability that one actor within a social
relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance,
regardless of the basis on which this probability rests” (Weber, 1978: 53).

Power and GBV

 Perpetrators can have “real” or “perceived” power
 Examples of types of power and powerful people:
(a) Social – peer pressure, bullying, leader, teacher, parents
(b) Economic – perpetrator controls money or access to
goods/services/money/favors; sometimes the husband or the father
(c) Political – elected leaders, discriminatory laws, President of the RoP

Examples of types of power and powerful people:

 Physical – strength, size, use of weapons, controlling access or security;
soldiers, police robbers, gangs;
 Gender-based (social) – males are usually in a more powerful position than
females; and
 Age-related – often, the young and elderly people have the least power.

 Power is directly related to choice – the more power one has, there are more
choices available; the less power, the fewer choices available
 Unempowered people have fewer choices and therefore, more vulnerable to
abuse
 GBV involves abuse of power
 Unequal power relationships are exploited or abused

Use of Force/Violence
 Force might be physical, emotional, social, or economic in nature
 May involve coercion or pressure
 Force also includes intimidation, threats, persecution, or other forms of
psychological or social pressure
 Violence consists of the use of physical force or other means of coercion such
as threat, inducement, or promise of a benefit to obtain something from a
weaker or more vulnerable person
 Using violence involves forcing someone to do something against her/his will –
use of force.

Informed Consent
 Consent means saying “yes,” agreeing to something – means making an
informed choice freely and voluntarily by person in an equal power relationship
  Acts of GBV occur without informed consent – even if she says “yes”, this is not
true because it was under duress – the perpetrator(s) used some kind of force to
get her say “yes”
 Children (below 18 y.o.) are deemed unable to give informed consent for acts
such as female genital cutting (FGC), marriage, sexual relations, etc.

Cycle of Violence
 Refers to repeated acts of violence in a relationship
 Starts with minor incidents and moves on to more serious levels of violence
 May start in a child who is a victim or witness to violence and may be repeated
when the child becomes an adult
 The impact of being a victim or a witness to violence on a child is traumatic.
 It can make a child scared, unhappy, lonely, lose self-confidence, blame
themselves, lose sleep, and pick up fights with peers.
 Children should understand that having conflict is alright, but resolving conflict
through violence is not right.
 When children understand that violence is not acceptable, they will grow up into
adults