Gender-based Violence Research Articles

Fears of white population decline: the politics of race, gender, reproductive justice, and white supremacy in the US

ABSTRACT In fall 2019, U.S. House of Representative Steve King (Republican) from Iowa addressed a local group of constituents by discussing his long-held beliefs about abortion, in particular his opposition towards exceptions for rape and incest. ’What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?’ he asked at the event in Urbandale, Iowa. His comments quickly made national headlines and colleagues on both side of the political isle publicly shunned his statement. Upon closer examination, however, King’s comments were not necessarily out of line with a growing far-right movement in the United States that has linked access to reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion, to white population decline. In this analysis, denial of reproductive and gender-based health care, as well as a rise in discourse sanctioning the loss of democratic power constitutes gender-based violence in support of white supremacy. I contend that making these connections provides a critical framework for understanding the centrality of increased reproductive control in the US and around the globe decades to come.

KESENJANGAN GENDER DALAM PEMENUHAN HAK ASASI MANUSIA DI INDONESIA: FAKTOR PENYEBAB DAN SOLUSI

The gender gap in access to and fulfillment of human rights (HAM) in Indonesia is a significant issue that continues to grow and hinders women's full participation in society. Even though Indonesia has a constitution that guarantees gender equality, patriarchal social and cultural norms still limit women's freedom and opportunities in various sectors, including education, economics, politics and legal protection. Discrimination which takes the form of wage inequality, gender-based violence, and limited access to education and health prevents women from achieving independence and prosperity. Therefore, it is important to implement legal reforms, improve gender equality education, and create more inclusive policies. This research aims to identify forms of gender inequality and the factors that cause them, through literature reviews and normative legal research techniques. The results of this research show that cultural, economic, educational, legal and political factors play a major role in exacerbating gender inequality in Indonesia, and an integrated solution is needed to overcome this problem.

PERLINDUNGAN DAN PENEGAKAN HAM DALAM KASUS PELECEHAN SEKSUAL DI INDONESIA

Violence against women in Indonesia is still a complex and systematic problem, covering various aspects of life such as family, education, work, social, and politics. Gender inequality rooted in patriarchal culture causes women to be in a more vulnerable position to various forms of violence, whether physical, sexual, psychological, or economic. Gender stereotypes that place women in a subordinate position further exacerbate this condition. Therefore, this research aims to analyse the factors that cause violence against women, the forms of violence that occur, and the effectiveness of legal protection that has been implemented in Indonesia. This research uses a normative juridical method with a legislative approach and case studies to identify weaknesses in the legal protection system for victims. The results show that although there are various national and international legal instruments to protect women, policy implementation still faces various obstacles, including weak law enforcement and low public awareness. As a recommendation, it is necessary to strengthen legal policies that are more pro-victim, increase socialisation of women's rights, and public education to remove social norms that justify gender-based violence. With these steps, it is hoped that the protection of women can be optimised and justice can be realised.

Questions of harmonization with international legal and policy standards on violence against women and girls in Central Asia

This article focuses on the question of how four Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) harmonize their laws with the global VAWG frameworks that these states subscribe to. Specifically, it centers on two international documents, CEDAW (its General Recommendations 19 and 35 on gendered violence) and the Beijing Declaration, and explores the questions of alignment of these frameworks within the Central Asian region. The assessment employs seven key parameters derived from these documents: 1) strengthening legal responses, 2) developing national strategies on gender equality and plans of action, 3) establishing state offices for women’s policy matters, 4) collecting national data on VAWG, 5) ensuring regular reporting, 6) setting up crisis centers and shelters, and 7) implementing training programs. The second part of the research incorporates insights from gender experts in the four Central Asian countries to enrich its analysis. The respondents were interviewed about the overall impact of the international legal framework in regulating VAWG in their respective countries, followed by their perspective on whether the region should adopt the the Istanbul Convention or develop its own regional framework to more effectively combat gender-based violence.

From aspirational laws to the implementation of legislation against gender-based violence: bottom-up pressure in Peru and Argentina

Gender-based violence is a rampant problem in Latin American countries. Historically, state policy to prevent and sanction it has developed slowly, usually having limited impact because of a lack of resources and political will. While the process of policy adoption involved feminist organizations and international norms diffusion, little is known about when and why policy to address gender-based violence can become a political priority. Based on a comparative case study of Peru and Argentina, we show that sustained mass mobilization was the key variable marking a turning point in both countries in state capacity building in that domain. The latter was importantly enhanced as a consequence of the Ni Una Menos protests. Through process-tracing analysis, we show that there was a substantial increase in state resources and personnel, as well as institutional innovation. This transformation occurred in response to the unprecedented mass mobilization of various sectors of society.

More than Connecting the Gender Dots: Exploring a Deep Relations Approach in Environmental Peacebuilding

This article proposes a paradigm shift in environmental peacebuilding beyond the peaceful distribution of resources, cooperative approaches and integrative frameworks and offers a feminist-relational approach that puts relations between men and women, communities and ecosystems at the centre of peacebuilding. Three disconnects mark environmental peacebuilding currently. Firstly, cooperation remains largely between state or elite actors. Secondly, environmental peacebuilding neglects gender and the differential impacts of climate-induced conflict, where women more frequently experience food insecurity, gender-based violence and increased care work. Lastly, when gender is included, it is conflated with women who are simply added to human rights-based frameworks without addressing power imbalances. In contrast, a deep relational approach foregrounds the historical-political situatedness, quality, effects and pluriversality of relations rather than actors. To challenge the actor-centric nature of environmental peacebuilding, I draw on African and indigenous feminist perspectives and a case study of the Karamoja Cluster (in Uganda and Kenya specifically) to illustrate why contexts where gender roles, cattle-rustling, climate crises and conflict intersect should be read through a deep relational lens.

Regulatory and legal regulation of the protection of the rights of children who have suffered from domestic violence

The article is devoted to the study of the regulatory and legal framework for the regulation of the protection of the rights of children who have suffered from domestic violence. The protection of children’s rights is one of the priority tasks of the state, because the future of the Ukrainian people depends on the upbringing of the younger generation - future citizens of the country. In this context, the socio-legal protection of children from domestic violence is especially important. Despite positive developments in the field of legislative regulation, the process of implementing the provisions of the Istanbul Convention into national law faces a number of problems. In particular, there are challenges in harmonizing administrative and legal norms with international standards, delimiting competences between state authorities in the field of violence prevention, as well as ensuring effective enforcement of newly introduced norms. The issue of defining and applying administrative liability for new offenses, such as sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and failure to comply with urgent prohibitory orders, requires special attention. An important aspect is also the expansion of the legal status of victims, in particular the recognition of children who have witnessed domestic violence as victims, which requires appropriate changes to the mechanisms of legal protection and assistance. It should be noted that the authorized units of the National Police of Ukraine perform their functions in the field of preventing and combating domestic violence, taking into account international standards for law enforcement response to cases of domestic violence and risk assessment. At the same time, despite the developed legislation in the field of combating domestic violence, this phenomenon still remains widespread at the household level. This is due, in particular, to the fact that many victims do not realize that they are being subjected to violence, do not believe in the possibility of receiving real help, as well as due to insufficiently strict punishment measures for perpetrators. Only if every person, and therefore society as a whole, recognizes domestic violence as an unacceptable phenomenon for the modern civilized world, can we hope for a significant reduction in its incidence. Overcoming this phenomenon is impossible without public awareness of the importance of preventing violence, as well as a prompt response to known cases of its commission.

Epidemiological insights into sexually transmitted infections and pregnancies among gender-based violence victims in the Northern province of Rwanda: Findings from the Isange One-stop Center at Ruhengeri Referral Hospital

Introduction: Gender-based violence (GBV) is violence directed against a person because of their gender. Both women and men experience gender-based violence, but the majority of victims are women and girls. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are transmitted from one person to another through sexual contact. There is evidence that GBV increases the risk of STIs and pregnancy. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of STIs and pregnancy among GBV patients attending the Isange One Stop Center at Ruhengeri Referral Hospital. Methodology: This retrospective study involved the consultation of archived data and recorded data in files for all GBV cases received from January to December 2021. The victim’s information, such as laboratory findings, residential sector information, demographic characteristics, and months in which GBV cases were recorded. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 308 GBV cases were reported, 93.8% of which involved females. Most victims (46.4%) were adolescents aged 11–20 years. Urban areas, particularly the Muhoza (26%) and Cyuve (22.1%) sectors, reported the highest number of cases. The prevalence of STIs among GBV victims was 68.5%, with trichomoniasis (18.2%) and gonorrhoea (14.6%) being the most common infections. Hepatitis B and syphilis were identified in 6.2% and 5.2% of the patients, respectively. Conclusion: Although efforts are being made in Rwanda to fight against GBV, the number of GBV cases is continually increasing, with the incidence of STIs and undesirable pregnancies increasing, especially among young adolescents. Therefore, additional focus and efforts are needed to lower this rate of GBV among young adolescents. Preventive measures should be improved to eliminate GBV cases and subsequent effects. Keywords: Gender, Sexual violence, intimate partner violence, STIs, pregnancy.

Gender-Based Violence and Associated Factors Among Adolescent Girls in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Turkana County, Kenya

Gender Based Violence (GBV) has been rampant in refugee camps as documented by the Independent International Commission of inquiry. Incidences were reported in 45% of Syrian refugees who resided in Lebanon refugee camps and 47 % of those who dwelt in Kurdistan region of Iraq. In Uganda 425 incidences were reported from 13 districts. 61% of women accessing GBV centers in Dadaab Refugee camp reported an increase in intimate partner violence. The broad objective of this study was to determine Gender based violence and associated factors among adolescent girls. The Ecological Model of Violence guided this research. The specific objectives were to determine the prevalence of gender-based violence. The study adopted analytical cross-sectional research design. The number of adolescents who reside in Kakuma Refugee camp is 16307 as per the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] records. This study was done in all the 4 regions of Kakuma Refugee camp (Kakuma 1, Kakuma 2, Kakuma 3 and Kakuma 4) which were purposely selected to ensure proper representation of all nationalities and diverse cultural backgrounds. Using simple random sampling researcher picked the first student on the admission list and every fifth student on that list for interview. However, the number of participants was proportionate to the population of adolescent girls in that region as follows: - Kakuma 1 had 132 respondents representing 34.38%, Kakuma 2 had 116 respondents representing 30.21%, Kakuma 386 respondents representing 22.4% while Kakuma 4 had 50 respondents representing 13.02%. This gave a sample size of 384 respondents as demonstrated by the Fischer’s formula. Quantitative data was collected in this study through questionnaires. Self-administered questionnaires were used for literate middle and late adolescents under the supervision of research assistants. Ethical consideration was approval from Kenyatta University Ethics and research committee, National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation, and the camp leadership, while informed consent and assent was signed by the respondents. Descriptive statistics were used to determine prevalence of gender based violence. The overall prevalence of adolescent GBV in Kakuma refugee camp was found out to be 60.4%. From composite analysis, the overall prevalence of sexual violence was 22.7%, physical violence 52.1% while emotional violence was at 48.7%. This study concluded that In Kakuma Refugee Camp, it was found out that the prevalence of physical violence was the highest form of adolescent GBV. To improve the overall welfare of teenage girls, this research recommended that initiatives reinforcing social support systems should be improved, boost the efficacy of governmental interventions, and execute targeted interventions that specifically tackle the underlying factors contributing to gender-based violence, such as poverty and cultural norms.

Empowering Girls and Women: Reducing HIV Risk through Education

Education is very important to women and girls who are at the greatest risk of contracting the HIV virus. However, more emphasis is needed to look at the information on how education improves the transmission of HIV among girls and women and also reduces the inequalities of gender roles which are able to increase infection rates. There is a growing evidence that a significant proportion of girls are able to postpone first intercourse, protect themselves against HIV and AIDS through safer sex practices and advocate condom use in combination with regular HIV testing through an effective sexuality education curriculum. Additionally, as women who have greater control over their sexual and reproductive health are less likely to engage in activities that expose them to HIV, education promotes gender equality, which is crucial in lowering HIV risk. Education provides a complete response to the epidemic by tackling the underlying factors that contribute to HIV susceptibility, including as poverty, gender-based violence, and early marriage. Girls and women who receive education are more capable of fending against forceful and exploitative circumstances that may expose them to HIV. Keywords: HIV prevention, gender equality, women’s education, adolescent health, empowerment

Book Review: Gender-Based Violence in the Global South: Ideologies, Resistances, Responses, and Transformations , Edited by Ramona Biholar and Dacia L. Leslie Gender-Based Violence in the Global South: Ideologies, Resistances, Responses, and Transformations. Edited by BiholarRamonaLeslieDacia L.London: Routledge, 2024, 310 pp., $152 (cloth); $31.99 (electronic).

Book Review: <i>Gender-Based Violence in the Global South: Ideologies, Resistances, Responses, and Transformations</i> , Edited by Ramona Biholar and Dacia L. Leslie Gender-Based Violence in the Global South: Ideologies, Resistances, Responses, and Transformations. Edited by BiholarRamonaLeslieDacia L.London: Routledge, 2024, 310 pp., $152 (cloth); $31.99 (electronic).

Socio-cultural barriers to child sexual abuse investigation in Uganda: Experiences of police officers at Kamuli District central police station

Child sexual abuse has been widely recognised as a global crisis and a violation of fundamental rights of children. Irrespective of this recognition, child sexual abuse remains pervasive, underreported and poorly investigated. This paper forms part of a qualitative case study that aimed at establishing challenges faced by police officers in investigating cases of child sexual abuse in Kamuli District, Eastern Uganda. The study utilised purposive sampling to select 14 police officers from three departments of Kamuli District central police station which included; Criminal Investigation Department, Child and Family Protection Unit and Sexual Gender-Based Violence Department. Data collection was conducted using face-to-face in-depth interviews. The instruments of data collection were the semi-structured interview guides while data analysis was done using thematic analysis. One of the major themes that were generated through interviews with police officers included the socio-cultural factors that hinder them from investigating child sexual abuse. Discussed in this paper are these factors, which include; failure and delayed disclosure of abuse/abusers, ignorance, community beliefs, inadequate cooperation from parents and guardians, and taboos regarding discussion of sex in public. Apart from reflecting limited education and awareness about the impact of child sexual abuse, these challenges show that in Uganda, child sexual abuse is taken as a private matter which should be settled informally between the perpetrators and victims’ families. The findings of this study make a contribution to limited research about child sexual abuse in Uganda and to the policy-making and practice on crimes of the kind.

Attitudes Regarding Gender Roles and Recurrence of Dating Violence in Spanish and Mexican Adolescents

Gender-based violence is recognized as both a violation of human rights and a significant public health problem due to its widespread prevalence. Gender-based violence has also been shown to be associated with sexist beliefs. Furthermore, cultural background significantly influences how individuals develop attitudes toward gender roles. This study aims to examine the recurrence of dating violence among young couples in relation to their cultural context. The study involved 9759 participants (40.85% women and 59.15% men) with an age range between 13 and 26 years (M = 18.1, SD = 2.32) residing in either Spain (67.28%) or Mexico (32.72%). Participants completed two questionnaires: the Dating Violence Questionnaire (CUVINO) and the Role Attitudes Scale of Gender (GRAS). Gender-based violence was more recurrent in the Spanish context, especially among women. Spanish participants also held more stereotypical gender role attitudes than Mexican participants, with evidence linking these attitudes to higher rates of gender violence. It is confirmed that an issue as complex as gender violence in dating relationships is influenced by multiple determining factors, including cultural context.

Evaluation of a Training Program Aimed At Young Lawbreakers to Prevent Gender-Based Cyber Violence

Evaluation of a Training Program Aimed At Young Lawbreakers to Prevent Gender-Based Cyber Violence

The Devastating Effects of Gender-based Violence on Household Well-being: A Case Study from Kinondoni Municipal, Tanzania

The Devastating Effects of Gender-based Violence on Household Well-being: A Case Study from Kinondoni Municipal, Tanzania

The Role of Theatre Testing in Prevention Science.

Theatre Testing, a method extensively employed in marketing research and advertising, involves presenting materials to an audience in a controlled setting to gather feedback and insights. While the application of Theatre Testing in marketing and advertising is long-standing, its increasing application in prevention science raises several critical questions. This article describes the Theatre Testing process, debates the merits and drawbacks of the method, and exemplifies the pros and cons by discussing the method in relation to gender-based violence prevention within the Swedish 'open preschool' context. Advocates of Theatre Testing argue that simulating interventions before actual implementation offers valuable insights into participant responses, which can enhance the acceptability and effectiveness of these interventions. However, the controlled setting of Theatre Testing may not accurately reflect real-world conditions, leading to potentially misleading conclusions about the intervention. One promising development in addressing certain limitations, such as reaching the target group, is the introduction of social media-based Theatre Testing.

Empirical Evaluation of the Role of African Traditional Religion in Promoting Gender-Based Violence in Southeast Nigeria

Empirical Evaluation of the Role of African Traditional Religion in Promoting Gender-Based Violence in Southeast Nigeria

Conceptualizing and Measuring Violence: A Feminist Critical Measurement Analysis of Gender-Based Violence Research in a Government Policy-Based Setting.

Feminist methodological advances in gender-based violence research have yet to be comprehensively integrated into policy-based research. This article discusses methodological concerns identified when reviewing the UK government's public consultation for its 2021 Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. We apply intersectional feminist perspectives and critical measurement analysis, and discuss two areas of methodological concern: issues with conceptualizations of violence, and issues with the measurement of public experiences, attitudes, and opinions, and implications for the accuracy of the survey. In response, we consider feminist research practices that could address these issues and support feminist goals in policy-based gendered violence research.

Educating a woman is a way towards gender-based violence among women in Tanzania: A case of Kawe Ward in Kinondoni Municipal Council

This paper intends to examine how education is used as a tool against gender-based violence among women. The study was carried out at Kinondoni Municipal Council specifically in Kawe ward. Questionnaires were used in data collection while an in-depth interview guide was used to collect information from key informants such as ward leaders, gender desk officers, and ward social welfare officers. A total of 208 respondents were sampled for the survey, whereby 75 were male and 133 were women. A mixed method was employed, whereby quantitative data from the questionnaires was examined and subjected to statistical tests mainly chi-square (P≥ 0.05), while qualitative data was coded, and themes developed. The findings of the study reveal that gender-based violence is prevalent in both women with education and those without education. Causes of gender-based violence in the study were established to include; low financial capacity, culture, education level, behaviour, upbringing, moral decline and family decline. Additionally, study findings describe the effects of gender-based violence, which include suicide, poverty, family disintegration, a generation without morals, human rights violations, diseases, and psychological torture. Additionally, study findings reveal that women, children, and single mothers are more affected group by gender-based violence. This study recommends that comprehensive approaches should be employed in the eradication of gender-based violence. They include sensitisation of societal members on gender-based violence matters, education to the girl child, women empowerment, application of religious teaching, and development of strict laws against gender-based violence.

Navigating emotions and resilience: Women’s battle against sexual harassment in public spaces in Nepal

This study explores sexual harassment experienced by women in the public spaces of Kathmandu, Nepal, with a focus on their emotional responses and the mediating resources they employ to cope with such experiences. Theoretically, the study draws on the sensibilities of emotions that result from violence by examining the women’s understanding to perceive, interpret, and respond to emotions in a manner that helps them manage their presence in public spaces. Data were collected from semi-structured individual and group interviews with women who frequently used public spaces. Adopting a constructivist approach, the findings discuss three sub-themes: (1) the emotional impacts of sexual harassment, encompassing a wide range of emotions among respondents; (2) responses to these emotions and incidents through freeze, flight, and fight mechanisms; and (3) the coping strategies and social support mechanisms utilized to deal with the situation. This research significantly contributes to our understanding of the convergence of the sociology of emotions with gender-based violence, with specific attention to sensibilities, in rapidly transforming societies.