By Joseph Akim Gordon
Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender. Gender-based violence can include sexual, physical, mental, and economic harm inflicted in public or in private. It also includes threats of violence, coercion, and manipulation. This can take many forms, such as intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child marriage, and female genital mutilation.
The consequences of gender-based violence are devastating and can have life-long repercussions for survivors; they can even lead to death. The effect of gender-based violence is due to a lack of physical security, poverty, discrimination, and social and cultural laws, norms, and practices. These are some of the major causes of gender-based violence. Gender-based violence has negative impacts such as homicide and suicide, injury and shock, disability and sleeping disorders, reproduction problems, emotional and psychological problems, and social and economic problems such as increased gender inequalities.
Gender-based violence is an issue faced by people all over the world. Women are disproportionately harmed by gender-based violence; in other words, women are mostly affected by gender-based violence. Despite the fact that gender-based violence is so prevalent, it is underreported because of stigma and a lack of access to resources and support systems. Gender-based violence can impact anyone regardless of their geographical location, socio-economic background, race, religion, sexuality, or gender identity. While women and girls are the most at risk and the most affected by gender-based violence, boys, men, and sexual and gender minorities also experience gender-based violence, which can have serious physical, mental, economic, and social repercussions.
For instance, sexualized violence can lead to unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and the transmission of diseases, as well as isolation and depression. It can also prevent survivors from achieving economic prosperity because of the stigma or physical and psychological trauma caused by violence. The prevalence of gender-based violence worldwide is largely due to systematic inequality that disempowers women, girls, and other minorities and stifles their voices so that their stories are not heard, and their natural human rights can be easily taken away. The cycle of violence is further perpetuated by a lack of justice, the unavailability of resources, or a lack of economic opportunities, which leads to the survivor becoming dependent on the abuser. Lack of justice will encourage the perpetrators to become bold and continue abusing their victims without fear of repercussions.
Gender-based violence is a crime that must be eradicated. We must educate the victims of gender-based violence. In many cases, the victims are afraid to expose those who commit this crime, but because of the stigma attached, many do not come openly so that the perpetrators face the court of law. In this manner, they will become scared to face justice. Some of our cultures are not good enough. As soon as a woman is raped, the assumption is that she is no longer useful, as if she invited the rapper to commit this crime. Once a wife is known to have been raped, the husband becomes suspicious and even has a negative relationship with the wife. If a virgin is raped, the likelihood of marriage is questionable. For this reason, a woman will keep a case of rape secret because if it is known, she will have no respect in the community. For this reason, we must educate our community members to understand cases of gender-based conflict and their positive contribution to eradicating or minimizing cases of gender-based violence.
To effectively combat gender-based violence, we need to understand the issue. Relevant data collection is key to implementing successful prevention measures and providing survivors with the right support. Strengthen relationship skills: Equipping adolescent girls and youth with vital soft skills like strengthen positive family relationships: Families have a critical role in children’s upbringing. Facilitate access to post-GBV care services: With the interconnectedness of communities, build capacity to respond to service providers need specific skills to minimize cases of gender-based violence. The world needs stronger protection mechanisms to prevent and eliminate violence, harassment, threats, intimidation, and discrimination against women.
Email: akimgordon555@yahoo.com