Violence Against Women & Girls

2. Violence Against Women & Girls At least one in every three women, or up to 1 billion women, have been beaten, forced into sex, or otherwise abused in their lifetimes. Usually, the abuser is a member of her own family or someone known to her (L Heise, M Ellsberg, M Gottemoeller 1999). Up to 70% of female murder victims are killed by their male partners (WHO 2002). In Kenya more than one woman a week was reportedly killed by her male partner (Joni Seager 2003). In Zambia five women a week were murdered by a male partner or family member (Joni Seager 2003). In Egypt 35% of women reported being beaten by their husband at some point in their marriage (UNICEF 2000). In Bolivia 17% of all women aged 20 years and over have experienced physical violence in the previous 12 months (WHO 2002). In Bangladesh 50% of all murders are of women by their partners (Joni Seager 2003). A WHO study found that at least 30% of women in some locations reported that their first sexual experience was coerced or forced In Rwanda another WHO study found that incidence of HIV went up from 1% before the conflict to 11% in 1997. (WHO 2004)

3. Basic Principles VAW & HIV are human rights & public health crises-in the global North as well as the South Intersect in deadly ways Gender inequality fuels both Too few actors with capacity and political will States must respect, protect, fulfill all peoples’ rights Some policies & programs exacerbate crises Failure, lack of understanding = tragedies

4. What we already know….. VAW takes many forms, including sexual and physical. VAW is endemic, systemic, systematic State & non state actors are perpetrators Statistics often just a tip of the iceberg VAW is under reported; few governments track prevalence & incidence Fear, cultural norms, stigma, failures of justice systems perpetuate non-reporting of violence Few countries have specific laws, policies &/or effective implementation

5. Calling a spade by its biological name VAW is gender-based violence directed at women VAW is aimed at maintaining unequal gender roles, behaviors, power relations; it restricts women’s lives & choices Men who transgress gender norms are also victims of GBV GBV meant to “feminize” men/boys Women are MADE vulnerable It’s about POWER Culture is not “above” human rights

6. THE INTERSECTION Sexual violence; resulting in direct transmission Violence against WLWHA, stigma, discrimination Marital rape not universally recognized as VAW or crime Violence by state actors, forced sterilization, coerced abortion Violence against sex workers, women who use drugs “Corrective rape” and violence against lesbian, bi, trans women VAW in conflict, rape as weapon of war, sexual slavery All of these forms of VAW are human rights violations, Vienna (1993), UN Declaration on VAW (1993), Beijing (1995++)

7. All women: All rights Women are not a homogenous group; experiences of violence differ depending on: race, class, geography, caste, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. Intersection creates multiple layers of discrimination The dangers of heteronormativity Lesbian, bi, trans gender women have particular experiences of VAW Reluctance to acknowledge diversity of women in law, discourse and practice

8. Programming….as if there were no VAW ABC….are we assuming all sex is consensual? Treatment – VAW inhibits access & adherence How voluntary is the V in VCT in the context of VAW? Do partner notification interventions consider VAW? Risks of mandatory testing and non-consensual disclosure The danger of the donor numbers game: how responsive to VAW are we?

9. Evidence Demand, prioritise and provide resources for gender-sensitive evidence production Better use the evidence that currently exists, No research or data-collection project can fully reveal the true extent of violence against women because of under-reporting.

10. Show us the money! Too few resources addressing link between VAW and HIV (Women Wont Wait research; 2006, 2007, 2010 www.womenwontwait.org) Policy evaporation between HQ and “the field” Lack of consistent policy guidelines within key agencies Reduction in resources going to women’s groups since 1995 www.awid.org No VAW indicator/s in MDGs Women not sitting at the decision making tables at all levels High profile anti VAW campaigns good, but where is the money? Encouraging signals from some agencies to integrate VAW

11. Recommendations Recognize & prioritize VAW as a human rights issue, on its own and its intersection with HIV; reflect this in policies, programs, research, funding streams Governments must enact and implement stronger anti VAW laws & uphold international human rights standards Address roots of VAW and HIV; unequal power relations Challenge and change gender norms, values, cultures, heteronormativity Consistently apply intersectional analysis Invest in women’s empowerment: social, economic, political Strengthen evidence base Governments and donors must increase resources to VAW&HIV Strengthen collaboration between movements Work with, and strengthen women’s movements

12. Acknowledgements Neelanjana Mukhia – ActionAid, WWW campaign Gcebile Ndlovu – ICW Southern Africa Cynthia Rothschild – WWW campaign Sophie Dilmitis – World YWCA Beri Hull – ICW Ramona Vijeyarasa -ActionAid WWW coalition members All feminists worldwide International AIDS Society