GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

DEFINING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

• Violence against women and girls is one of the most systematic and widespread human rights violations.
• It is rooted in gendered social structures rather than individual or random acts.
• Definition of ‘Violence Against Women’ by UN
• “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 private life.”
• It also mentions issues like violence inside family, sexual abuse, female genital mutilation, dowry related
violence, etc.

• Difference between ‘Gender-based Violence’ and ‘Violence against Women’

• Gender-based violence refers to violence direct against a person because of his gender which may include males
as well.
• Violence against women specifically refer to the violent acts committed to harm women mentally or physically.
 THEORIES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

1. Direct Violence Theories

1. Social Learning Theory
2. Personality Characteristics and Psychopathology
3. Biological Theory
4. Exchange Theory
5. Resource Theory

2. Indirect Violence Theories

1. Feminist Theory
2. Family Violence Perspective
3. Subculture of Violence
4. Cultural Acceptance of Violence
5. Stress
 DIRECT VIOLENCE THEORIES

1. Social Learning Theory

• Individuals learn how to behave through both experience and exposure of violence.
• Intergenerational transmission of violence.

2. Personality Characteristics and Psychopathology

• Individuals who use violence against women have some sort of personality disorder or mental illness
that might get in the way of otherwise normal behavior.
• People engaged in violence, especially against women, are considered sick.
• However this theory has been criticized because it allows the abuser to not take responsibility for
his/her actions.
 DIRECT VIOLENCE THEORIES

3. Biological Theory
• Violence against women is a natural process.
• Rape is viewed as an extreme response to the natural selection or pressure on men to reproduce.
• It also eliminates responsibility for the offender.

4. Exchange Theory
• Individuals use violence against women to advance their interests.

5. Resource Theory
• Violence occurs in a family to maintain power.
• The power of decision-making lies with the powerful members of the family capable of violence.
• Men may consider themselves superior in the domestic household resulting in violence against
women.
 INDIRECT VIOLENCE THEORIES

1. Feminist Theory
• Violence occurs as a result of male-dominated social structure and the socialization practices that teach
gender-specific roles for men and women.
• Patriarchy and gender roles are the reasons for violence against women according to feminists.

2. Family Violence Perspective

• Nature of family structure is wrong.
• Man is the head of the family which carries over to everything else.
 INDIRECT VIOLENCE THEORIES

3. Subculture of Violence
• Certain groups in society are more likely to be violent towards women as compared to others.

4. Cultural Acceptance of Violence

• Cultural approval of violence such as in movies, gaming and sports events may spill into real life as
well.

5. Stress
• Stressed males may use violence against women.
 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN PAKISTAN

1. Physical violence
2. Sexual violence
3. Psychological violence
4. Economic violence
 PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

1. Domestic violence
2. Rape and sexual assault
3. Stove burning/Bride burning and dowry murder
4. Acid attacks
5. Sexual harassment
6. Trafficking of women and girls
 PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

7. Honor killing
8. Girls as compensation
9. Forced and child marriages
10. Denial of inheritance rights
11. Injustice in marriage contract
12. Forced hospitalization in psychiatric facilities
 STRATEGIES TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

1. Investing in gender equality and women empowerment

2. Ensuring all human rights and fundamental freedoms for women and girls
3. Ensuring that women know their rights
4. Improving girls access to quality and safe education
5. Increasing women’s access to and control over economic resources
6. Promoting a critical mass of women
 STRATEGIES TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

7. Women in decision-making positions

8. Addressing the socio-cultural norms and attitudes
9. Role of NGOs
10. Role of political parties
11. Role of media
12. Role of religious leaders