scholarly journals Gender-based violence and infectious disease in humanitarian settings: lessons learned from Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19 to inform syndemic policy making

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Meinhart ◽  
Luissa Vahedi ◽  
Simone E. Carter ◽  
Catherine Poulton ◽  
Philomene Mwanze Palaku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based

Abstract Background The impacts of infectious disease outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics are not gender neutral. Instead, infectious diseases and gender-based violence (GBV) mutually reinforce each other. Women and girls in humanitarian settings are disproportionately impacted as crises exacerbate gender inequality, violence, and community transmission. A syndemic model of infectious disease and GBV draws attention to their critical linkage, enabling more effective approaches to address both infectious disease transmission and GBV prevalence. Main body Implementation of infectious disease control measures have been consistently absent of critical gender considerations in humanitarian settings. We drew learnings from Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19 to highlight how women and girls living in humanitarian settings have faced bi-directional syndemic vulnerabilities between GBV and infectious disease. Our findings indicate that Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19 exacerbated GBV risk and experience of GBV increased community transmission of these infectious diseases. Moreover, we identified a failure of existing policies to address this mutually deleterious linkage. Thus, we advocate for policymakers to ask three foundational questions: (i) What are the gendered bi-directional risk pathways between infectious disease and GBV?; (ii) How can we act on the gendered risk pathways?; and, (iii) Who should be involved in designing, implementing, and evaluating gender-sensitive policies? Conclusion Our syndemic policy framework challenges existing thinking on a neglected issue that disproportionally impacts women and girls. By offering foundational guidance to address and thwart the syndemic of infectious disease and GBV in humanitarian settings, we endeavor to proactively and holistically address the reinforcing linkage between GBV and current or emergent infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Risk and protective factors for GBV among women and girls living in humanitarian setting: systematic review protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Murphy ◽  
Mary Ellsberg ◽  
Aminat Balogun ◽  
Claudia Garcia-Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
World Health ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
The World ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Background While one in three women around the world are estimated to have experienced intimate partner or sexual violence, these rates are often exacerbated during conflict and humanitarian crisis. This systematic review seeks to provide an overview of existing research on risk and protective factors associated with gender-based violence (GBV) in conflict and humanitarian settings. Methods Studies will be searched from the following databases: PubMed (Medline); PsycINFO; Scopus; Global Health; and Cochrane Center trials registrar. In addition, targeted searches of the internet repositories for GBV will be conducted. We will include studies that are published between January 1995 and December 2020 and document risk or protective factors for gender-based violence against women and girls in conflict or humanitarian settings. Two reviewers will independently screen and extract data for the review, with a third reviewer arbitrating disputes and ensuring quality. A quality assessment of the included studies will be undertaken using a modified GRADE system. Narrative synthesis will be utilized to analyze the data. Discussion The results of this study will inform the design and delivery of GBV prevention programs in conflict and humanitarian settings as well as contribute to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 5. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be utilized at the World Health Organization to inform efforts to prevent GBV in conflict and humanitarian settings. Systematic review registration The protocol has been registered with PROSEPERO (CRD42020198695).

Inclusive gender: Why tackling gender hierarchies cannot be at the expense of human rights and the humanitarian imperative

2016 ◽  
Vol 98 (902) ◽  
pp. 625-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
Gender Binary ◽  
Humanitarian Interventions ◽  
Gender Hierarchy ◽  
Gender Hierarchies ◽  
Letting Go ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based

The “Debate” section of theReviewaims to contribute to the reflection on current ethical, legal or operational controversies around humanitarian issues. In its issue on “Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict” (Vol. 96, No. 894, 2014), theReviewpublished an Opinion Note by Chris Dolan entitled “Letting Go of the Gender Binary: Charting New Pathways for Humanitarian Interventions on Gender-Based Violence”, arguing for a shift in the conceptualization of gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian settings from an emphasis on gender equality to an ethos of gender inclusivity. Jeanne Ward's reply, “It's Not About the Gender Binary, It's About the Gender Hierarchy”, was published in a later issue of theReview(Vol. 98, No. 901, 2016). Ward suggested retaining a focus on women and girls in GBV work, while moving forward in partnership with those who wish to accelerate programming directed towards men and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities broadly. In this issue, Dolan responds to Ward's position, pointing to empirical and practical developments that have advanced the understanding of how to effectively respond to GBV, including GBV perpetrated against men, boys and members of the LGBTI community. Dolan calls for the IASC Guidelines to be revised in 2020 to be the guiding text on preventing and responding to GBV in humanitarian settings, and explores what it means to do inclusive gender while also tackling hierarchies.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 Related Lockdown on the Prevalence of Spousal Violence Against Women in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052199792
Author(s):  
Kazhan I. Mahmood ◽  
Sherzad A. Shabu ◽  
Karwan M. M-Amen ◽  
Salar S. Hussain ◽  
Diana A. Kako ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Spousal Violence ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
The Impact

There is increasing concern about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown’s social and economic consequences on gender-based violence. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender-based violence by comparing the prevalence of spousal violence against women before and during the COVID-19 related lockdown periods. This study was conducted in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq using a self-administered online questionnaire survey after the COVID-19 lockdown period in June 2020. Data were collected from a sample of 346 married women about the occurrence, frequency, and forms of spousal violence before and during the lockdown period. Significant increases in violence were observed from the pre-lockdown period to the lockdown period for any violence (32.1% to 38.7%, p = .001), emotional abuse (29.5% to 35.0%, p = .005), and physical violence (12.7% to 17.6%, p = .002). Regarding emotional abuse, humiliation (24.6% to 28.3%, p = .041) and scaring or intimidation (14.2% to 21.4%, p < .001) significantly increased during the lockdown. For physical violence, twisting the arm or pulling hair (9.0% to 13.0%, p = .004) and hitting (5.2% to 9.2%, p = .003) significantly increased during the lockdown. Forcing to have sexual intercourse also significantly increased during lockdown (6.6% to 9.5%., p = .021). The concerned authorities and women’s rights organizations should collaborate to enhance the prevention of violence against women. An effective prevention strategy should emphasize recognizing and acknowledging the extent of the problem, raising awareness about the problem and the available resources to address it, and ensuring social and economic stability. Lessons learned about the increased prevalence of spousal violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to adopt appropriate strategies to prevent and address it will be valuable for similar future crises.

Positive Masculinities and Gender-Based Violence Educational Interventions Among Young People: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483802110302
Author(s):  
Vanesa Pérez-Martínez ◽  
Jorge Marcos-Marcos ◽  
Ariadna Cerdán-Torregrosa ◽  
Erica Briones-Vozmediano ◽  
Belen Sanz-Barbero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Young People ◽  
Hegemonic Masculinity ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Transformative Approach

Background: Hegemonic masculinity has been recognized as contributing to the perpetration of different forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Abandoning hegemonic masculinities and promoting positive masculinities are both strategies used by interventions that foreground a “gender-transformative approach.” Preventing GBV among young people could be strengthened by engaging young men. In this article, we aim to systematically review the primary characteristics, methodological quality, and results of published evaluation studies of educational interventions that aim to prevent different forms of GBV through addressing hegemonic masculinities among young people. Main body: We conducted a systematic review of available literature (2008–2019) using Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, the CINAHL Complete Database, and ERIC as well as Google scholar. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication was used for data extraction, and the quality of the selected studies was analyzed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. More than half of the studies were conducted in Africa ( n = 10/15) and many were randomized controlled trials ( n = 8/15). Most of the studies with quantitative and qualitative methodologies ( n = 12/15) reported a decrease in physical GBV and/or sexual violence perpetration/victimization ( n = 6/15). Longitudinal studies reported consistent results over time. Conclusions: Our results highlight the importance of using a gender-transformative approach in educational interventions to engage young people in critical thinking about hegemonic masculinity and to prevent GBV.

scholarly journals Opinion Review of Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-2019 on Women's Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victory U. Salami ◽  
Stanley I. R. Okoduwa ◽  
Aimee O. Chris ◽  
Susannah I. Ayilara ◽  
Ugochi J. Okoduwa
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Maternal Complications ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Clinical Procedures ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based

The global battle to survive the onslaughts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in December 2019 and continues today. Women and girls have borne the brunt of the hardship resulting from the health crises. This paper examined the effects of COVID-19 on women. Socioeconomic factors resulting from the pandemic, especially in relation to women's health, were discussed after studying published articles. They include gender specificity and COVID-19, the economic toll of COVID-19 on women, pregnancy and COVID-19, gender-based violence due to COVID-19, and health-care impacts of COVID-19. Making up the majority in the healthcare workforce, women were at higher risk of infection with COVID-19 due to their exposure as caregivers to infected patients. The pandemic took its toll on them as part of the greater population in the informal sector of the economy due to the lockdown directive, as many experienced severe monetary shortages and job losses. Pregnant women infected with COVID-19 were prone to severe diseases, maternal complications, and death due to their weakened immunity and exposure during clinical procedures. Gender-based violence was observed to have increased across the globe for women. The results of this review strongly indicate that women are disproportionately affected by the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. This review will help health-care professionals and policymakers arrive at properly-thought-through decisions to better manage health crises. Governments and all key players should address the challenge by devising effective policies with a gendered view.

scholarly journals A Feminist Future for the Pacific

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Cliffe
Keyword(s):  
Sexual And Gender Minorities ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Gender Minorities ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

The COVID–19 pandemic continues to devastate the lives and wellbeing of millions of people around the world; women and girls, people with disabilities, youth, older people, and sexual and gender minorities are most at risk of ‘being left behind’. While confirmed cases of COVID–19 are low in the Pacific compared with other regions, the threat of the virus remains and the wider social and economic impacts are already evident. Pacific Island countries grappling with pervasive inequality, sustainable development challenges and climate change now must consider their response to the COVID–19 pandemic. This paper envisions an inclusive and transformative feminist response focused on four key outcomes: preserving access to healthcare and essential services; promoting women’s economic empowerment; protecting women and girls from gender–based violence; and supporting vulnerable and marginalised groups to express their voice and claim their rights amid the pandemic.

Digital Technologies and Interventions Against Gender-Based Violence in Rural Areas

2021 ◽  
pp. 105756772110404
Author(s):  
Andrea Adams ◽  
Suzanne G. Lea ◽  
Elsa M. D’Silva
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Indian Women ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Culture Of Silence ◽  
Common Barriers

This study reports experiences of combining digital technologies and facilitated interventions to address gender-based violence in rural areas. The methodology was based on the Safecity platform with a combination of communicative methods, digital technologies, and participant-led interventions to address gender-based violence in the State of Bihar and the Satara district in rural India. The findings indicate that the most common barriers to creating change in rural communities include patriarchal mindsets that foster a culture of silence around women's rights, lack of education, digital illiteracy, and lack of access to digital tools and services. Notwithstanding these obstacles, rural Indian women and girls participated in an intervention to create a new narrative informed by technological solutions that addressed gender violence in their communities.

Accountability for Sexual and Gender-based Violence During Mass Repression and in Conflict

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-324
Author(s):  
Daniela Kravetz
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
International Criminal Law ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
National Courts ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Domestic Level

Abstract This article examines how national courts in Argentina and Guatemala are applying the international criminal law framework to address sexual violence perpetrated during mass repression and in conflict. It focuses on the emerging domestic jurisprudence in both countries and explores the challenges to prosecuting sexual and gender-based violence at the domestic level and the lessons learned from these experiences.

scholarly journals Geographically dependent individual-level models for infectious diseases transmission

Biostatistics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M D Mahsin ◽  
Rob Deardon ◽  
Patrick Brown
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Social Deprivation ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Disease Models ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
New Class ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Infectious Disease Models

Summary Infectious disease models can be of great use for understanding the underlying mechanisms that influence the spread of diseases and predicting future disease progression. Modeling has been increasingly used to evaluate the potential impact of different control measures and to guide public health policy decisions. In recent years, there has been rapid progress in developing spatio-temporal modeling of infectious diseases and an example of such recent developments is the discrete-time individual-level models (ILMs). These models are well developed and provide a common framework for modeling many disease systems; however, they assume the probability of disease transmission between two individuals depends only on their spatial separation and not on their spatial locations. In cases where spatial location itself is important for understanding the spread of emerging infectious diseases and identifying their causes, it would be beneficial to incorporate the effect of spatial location in the model. In this study, we thus generalize the ILMs to a new class of geographically dependent ILMs, to allow for the evaluation of the effect of spatially varying risk factors (e.g., education, social deprivation, environmental), as well as unobserved spatial structure, upon the transmission of infectious disease. Specifically, we consider a conditional autoregressive (CAR) model to capture the effects of unobserved spatially structured latent covariates or measurement error. This results in flexible infectious disease models that can be used for formulating etiological hypotheses and identifying geographical regions of unusually high risk to formulate preventive action. The reliability of these models is investigated on a combination of simulated epidemic data and Alberta seasonal influenza outbreak data ($2009$). This new class of models is fitted to data within a Bayesian statistical framework using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document