The Implications of a Narrow Understanding of Gender-Based Violence

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) has increasingly been recognised as a global issue. While initially focused primarily on men’s violence against women (VAW), in response to extremely high rates of VAW globally, the definitions of GBV used by different governments and organisations have expanded to include violence against the LGBTQIA+ community, and sometimes violence against men. However, in practice, many organisations still apply narrow understandings of VAW. This article argues that the exclusive focus on VAW in GBV prevention efforts may in fact hinder their effectiveness, by excluding many groups who also experience GBV, often at higher rates than the cis-gendered women who are traditionally seen as its victims or survivors. Thus, a narrow focus on VAW may result in the exclusion of violence against those in the LGBTQIA+ community from interventions, support, and legal and other protective mechanisms. Similarly, it may result in the exclusion of violence against and between men, despite the overwhelming societal heteropatriarchal pressure on them to enact and receive violence. With a particular focus on South Africa as a case study, this article posits that failing to address the full range of gendered violence may result in a failure to effectively address GBV at all.