scholarly journals Sexual Violence and Women Empowerment in India: Findings from a Nationally Representative Sample Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shewli Shabnam

Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and elimination of violence against women was recognised as an important component in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Intimate partner violence is one of the most common forms of gender based violence throughout the world. Empowering women is an effective measure required to tackle the problem of domestic violence. There are various parameters that are used to measure women empowerment like education, work force participation, women’s decision making capacity in the family etc. In this paper we have analysed the relationship between women’s experience of spousal sexual violence and women empowerment using the ecological model of domestic violence proposed by Heise. We have used the data of the 4th National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) conducted in India in 2015–2016. Our results show that common empowerment related factors like education was not significantly associated with women’s experience of sexual abuse. Moreover, the likelihood of facing sexual abuse by husband was found higher among working women. We observe that relational and contextual factors like husband’s assertion of control over wife, cultural norms that condone wife abuse significantly increased women’s likelihood of experiencing sexual violence by husband.

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110213
Author(s):  
Annah Vimbai Bengesai ◽  
Evelyn Derera

This study examined the relationship between women’s empowerment and different dimensions of emotional violence in Zimbabwe using cluster analysis and logistic regression. We used data from the 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey, a nationally representative household study of fertility, health, and mortality indicators among women aged 15 to 49 years. Our sample consisted of 2,966 currently partnered women at the time of the survey. Our results revealed that more than 60% of the women had experienced emotional intimate partner violence (IPV), of which controlling behaviors were the most prevalent form. The results showed that women empowerment in Zimbabwe is primarily characterized by economic empowerment, household bargaining power, and freedom of movement. At the same time, educational attainment, health decision-making, and attitudes toward gender-based violence had expected relatively weak empowerment effects. The results also revealed that economically empowered women were less likely to experience denigrating or threatening behaviors, whereas those who had high levels of freedom of movement had a lower risk of experiencing all forms of emotional IPV except for threatening behavior. These findings suggest that emotional IPV is a considerable societal problem in Zimbabwe, and interventions that increase economic empowerment and freedom of movement may reduce the risk. Future research studies may examine the likelihood of reverse causality between women empowerment and emotional IPV.


Author(s):  
Sundari Anitha ◽  
Ruth Lewis

This introduction discusses the context and contours of some of the recent and emerging debates on gender based violence (GBV) in university communities. It begins by defining GBV as ‘behaviour or attitudes underpinned by inequitable power relations that hurt, threaten or undermine people because of their (perceived) gender or sexuality’. GBV encompasses a continuum of behaviours and attitudes such as domestic violence, sexual violence, and expressions on social media which normalise sexism and sexual objectification. This introduction explains the nature of the problem associated with GBV, how to understand and respond to the possibilities and challenges that it presents, and how gender as a lens is increasingly becoming obscured when considering the causes and consequences of GBV. It also argues that we need to rethink the punitive responses, service provision and prevention education used to address GBV in universities. Finally, it provides an overview of the chapters that follow.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 172-180
Author(s):  
Sunil Gambhir ◽  
Akash Deep Aggarwal ◽  
Aatika Mahajan ◽  
Ritu Setiya

This paper examines violence against women, with a special focus on domestic violence, along with sexual violence and sexual assault, in multidimensional perspective for the period of two years so as to understand its magnitude and its impact on the rights of women in the northern part of India. Among all such cases, there were 57.2% cases of domestic violence, 20.3% cases of sexual violence and sexual assault, 17.8% cases of attempted poisoning, 1.5% cases of homicidal burns, and 1.2% cases of attempted suicide. The greatest number of cases was recorded during the spring, followed by summer. It was observed that the greatest number of cases (60.24%) was recorded under the homemaker (housewife) category of women followed by the working category (26.80%). The greatest number of cases is seen in the age group of 20 to 30 years (42.77%), followed by the age group of 30 to 40 years (23.49%). A slightly higher number of cases (51.20%) was reported from rural areas. The greatest number of cases was recorded under the domestic violence category. The second highest percentage of cases reported involved sexual violence and sexual assault. The greatest number of married cases had a duration of zero to ten years (43.37%), followed by the unmarried category (19.87%). With reference to duration of violence, the greatest number of cases is seen in the age group of zero to six months (32.53%). The greatest number of cases is seen under the no child category (40.96%). Regarding the alleged perpetrator, the greatest number of cases is seen under the husband category (23.79%), followed by unknown category (22.28%).


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Gray

While recognising the importance of policy designed to tackle conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, scholars have increasingly critiqued such policies for failing sufficiently to apprehend the multiple forms of this violence – from rape deployed as a weapon of war to domestic violence – as interrelated oppressions located along a continuum. In this article, I explore a connected but distinct line of critique, arguing that sexual and gender-based violence policies are also limited by a narrow understanding of how gender-based violences relate to war itself. Drawing on an analysis of the British Government’s Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, I identify a key distinction which emerges between those types of sexual and gender-based violence which are considered to be part of war, and those which are not. This division, I suggest, closes down space for recognising how war is also enacted within private spaces.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052098330
Author(s):  
Elyse J. Thulin ◽  
Andrew Lustig ◽  
Violette Perrotte ◽  
Marx Lwabanya ◽  
Tyler Evans

Conflict settings are often the context of some of the highest rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Although women are disproportionately the victims of SGBV, they are not the only victims. Indirect impacts of SGBV also impact men, families, and communities. Examining SGBV as only a woman’s concern reinforces the hegemonic gender-binary view that SGBV somehow does not include men, who can be direct victims of SGBV, family members of female victims of SGBV, and/or perpetrators of SGBV. This qualitative study seeks to fill a gap by exploring the impact of SGBV on individuals, families, and communities, and potential options to ameliorate those issues. Data were collected in 2019 from community-based discussions in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Women described being direct victims of SGBV, as well as the burden of being at constant alert to the possible threat of violence. Men talked more about SGBV being perpetrated against women, and the indirect effect on men’s perception of their social husband and/or father role to protect and provide for their family. Taken together, women and men describe three types of violence: sexual violence by an unknown assailant who is often associated the rebel groups or the military; sexual violence from a known assailant within one’s community; and sexual or physical violence within intimate partnerships (i.e., intimate partner violence). Women focused more on community-based solutions to reduce their exposure to violence, while men discussed the government’s responsibility to end the long-standing conflict that has severely disrupted lives. Practically, these findings support the need to specify different types of SGBV, and the opportunity to tailor interventions by type.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jéssica Andrade da Fonseca ◽  
Giovanna Burgos Souto Maior E Viviane Colares

Introdução: As infecções sexualmente transmissíveis (IST´s) estão acometendo cada vez mais a população adolescente. Entre os fatores responsáveis, é possível citar a diminuição da idade para início da vida sexual, não uso de preservativo e o aumento no número de parceria sexual. Alguns estudos relatam ainda a relação entre a violência e o risco para as IST´s. Objetivo: Avaliar a violência como fator de risco as infecções sexualmente transmissíveis em adolescentes. Materiais e métodos: A busca bibliográfica foi realizada nas bases de dados BVS, LILACS, PubMed e SciELO, a partir da estratégia PECO, na qual, P (população) é composta por adolescentes; E (exposição) à violência; C (comparação), não houve e, no O (outcomes ou desfecho), temos infecções ou doenças sexualmente transmissíveis. A partir disso, utilizou-se a seguinte estratégia de busca: ((adolescent OR teen OR child) AND (violence OR sex offenses OR exposure to violence OR child abuse OR violence against women OR gender-based violence OR domestic violence OR intimate partner violence)) AND (sexually transmitted infections OR sexually transmitted disease). Foram incluídos: estudos clínicos, estudos comparativos, teste clínico controlado, estudo multicêntrico, estudo observacional e ensaio clinico randomizado. A revisão sistemática foi registrada no PROSPERO sob o número CRD42021273079. Os revisores foram cegos e independentes durante as fases de seleção por títulos/resumos e leitura do artigo na íntegra. Resultados: Foram encontrados 502 artigos nas bases de dados selecionadas, destes 18 (duplicados) foram excluídos. Resultando em 484 artigos para triagem de títulos e resumos por 2 (duas) autoras, realizou-se o teste de KAPPA que apresentou um índice de concordância entre as autoras de 0,9, considerado excelente. Restando 78 artigos para leitura na integra. Considerações finais: Com o seguimento das próximas etapas do presente estudo, avaliaremos a violência como fator de risco para IST´s.


Author(s):  
David Gadd

This chapter outlines the key definitional and aetiological issues surrounding domestic violence perpetration. It begins with international estimates of the prevalence of domestic violence, many of which confine themselves to assessments of the percentage of women worldwide who have ever been physically or sexually assaulted by a partner. The second section of the chapter reviews the British historical literature to show how Victorian concern with the protection of respectable women from ‘wife-beaters’ yielded to a medical-psychiatric discourse that blamed hysterical women for provoking men with quick tempers. It then outlines how twentieth-century feminist accounts reframed the problem of ‘wife-beating’ variously in terms of ‘domestic violence’, ‘domestic abuse’, ‘intimate partner violence’, ‘coercive control’, and ‘gender-based violence’ in efforts that exposed the roles of sexism, inadequate legal protection, and gender inequality in perpetuating a ‘continuum’ of abuse against women under patriarchy. The third part of the chapter appraises the critique of gender-based perspectives provided by: psychological studies, some of which point to ‘gender symmetry’ in the perpetration of domestic violence and some of which reveal personality differences between perpetrators and non-violent men; and sociological studies that expose how the intersections between gender and ethnicity, sexuality and age manifest themselves, both in incidents of domestic violence and in official reactions to them. The chapter concludes by pointing to the challenge of finding a common voice capable of capturing the collective experiences of those in need of protection from domestic violence as well as the need to find ways of responding to perpetrators whose attitudes, motives, backgrounds are not necessarily identical to each other. These challenges are rendered more acute when the law is revealed as unpredictable in its capacity to determine the culpability of the small minority of men who perpetrate grievous assaults on their partners.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-243
Author(s):  
Michelle L. T. Wojcik ◽  
Batya Y. Rubenstein ◽  
Amber A. Petkus ◽  
Maria Racadio ◽  
Valerie R. Anderson ◽  
...  

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an insidious public health concern that affects people of all demographic backgrounds. In the city of Cincinnati, Ohio there has been a significant increase in IPV-related homicides over the past 5 years. Women Helping Women (WHW), a nonprofit organization that works to prevent gender-based violence, collaborated with Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) to create the Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT). Researchers from the University of Cincinnati School of Criminal Justice were invited to work with WHW to evaluate the program. This article discusses the history of the DVERT program and collaboration, obstacles that ensued, lessons learned, and successes of the relationship between the researchers, WHW, and CPD. Implications for other researchers and practitioners looking to form partnerships are discussed.


Author(s):  
Abdul Hadi

Intimate Partner violence is not a culturally limited practice, but prevails in every country, irrespective of culture, class, and ethnicity. Violence is one of the mechanisms used by men to control and subjugate women; and is a manifestation of unequal power relationship sustained by patriarchy. Patriarchy makes violence necessary for the sake of its existence. Intimate partner violence, the most common forms of gender-based violence entails the exertion of power over a partner in an intimate relationship through a behavior that is intimidating, threatening, harassing or harmful. The spouse can be harmed physically, as well sexually, emotionally, and psychologically, the violence can occur multiple times. Intimate partner violence in Pakistan persists almost in every family because women have subjugated and vulnerable status and are generally treated as second class citizens. Generally, the occurrence of violence at home is effectively condoned and regarded it as ‘private matter’ which does not require any intervention. it is seldom recognized as a crime socially unless it takes an extreme form of murder or attempted murder which could range from driving a woman to suicide or engineering an accident (frequently the bursting of a kitchen stove). This study aims to find out the factors which precipitate Intimate partner violence in Pakistan and what are the factors which preclude the reporting of Intimate partner violence and seeking legal redress. This study has found that strict cultural and patriarchal system and values precipitate intimate partner violence and also preclude victims to report the incidences by not giving them appropriate moral, cultural and legal support.


Author(s):  
Zorica Saltirovska Professor ◽  
Sunchica Dimitrijoska Professor

Gender-based violence is a form of discrimination that prevents women from enjoying the rights and liberties on an equal level with men. Inevitably, domestic violence shows the same trend of victimizing women to such a degree that the term “domestic violence” is increasingly becoming synonymous with “violence against women”. The Istanbul Convention defines domestic violence as "gender-based violence against women", or in other words "violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately." The situation is similar in the Republic of Macedonia, where women are predominantly victims of domestic violence. However, the Macedonian legal framework does not define domestic violence as gender-based violence, and thus it does not define it as a specific form of discrimination against women. The national legislation stipulates that victims are to be protected in both a criminal and a civil procedure, and the Law on Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence determines the actions of the institutions and civil organizations in the prevention of domestic violence and the protection of victims. The system for protection of victims of domestic violence closely supports the Law on Social Protection and the Law on Free Legal Aid, both of which include provisions on additional assistance for women victims of domestic violence. However, the existing legislation has multiple deficiencies and does not allow for a greater efficacy in implementing the prescribed measures for the protection of victims of domestic violence. For this reason, as well as due to the inconsistent implementation of legal solutions of this particular issue, the civil sector is constantly expressing their concern about the increasingly wider spread of domestic violence against women and about the protection capabilities at their disposal. The lack of recognition of all forms of gender-based violence, the trivial number of criminal sentences against persons who perform acts of domestic violence, the insufficient support offered to victims – including victim shelters, legal assistance, and counseling, and the lack of systematic databases on domestic violence cases on a national level, are a mere few of the many issues clearly pointing to the inevitable conclusion that the protection of women-victims of domestic violence is inadequate. Hence, the functionality and efficiency of both the existing legislation and the institutions in charge of protection and support of women – victims of domestic violence is being questioned, which is also the subject for analysis in this paper.


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