Sexual & Gender Based Violence

1. Sexual & Gender Based Violence Engaging Young Men for Action By Adebanke Akinrimisi

2. OUTLINE • Session Objectives • Introduction • Definition of Key Terms • Forms of Violence Against Women • Effects of Abuse • How Bad is the Situation? • What can Men do to stop SGBV?

3. Session Objectives At the end of this module, participants should be able to: • Define violence, Violence Against Women(VAW) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) • Identify different types of violence especially domestic violence and violence in intimate relationships • Identify the factors that cause or perpetuate violence • Know the magnitude of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV)

4. Introduction • Violence against women and girls is a huge challenge and an obstacle to development across the world. It has been recognized as an obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace. • Over the years, several attempts have been made to tackle the problem of violence against women and girls but the challenge remains daunting • In recent years, there is an increased reportage or incidence of violence against women and girls across the world • Women have been talking to themselves for a long time and it is now obvious that such strategy is ineffective hence the need to work with men and equip them to become leaders in efforts at ending GBV.

5. Definition of Key Terms: Gender & Sex • Gender This refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women that are assigned in our families, our societies and our cultures. It includes the expectations held about the characteristics, aptitudes and likely behaviours of both women and men (femininity and masculinity). Gender roles and expectations are learned. They can change over time and they vary within and between cultures. Systems of social differentiation such as political status, class, ethnicity, physical and mental disability, age and more, modify gender roles. The concept of gender is vital because, applied to social analysis, it reveals how women’s subordination (or men’s domination) is socially constructed. As such, the subordination can be changed or ended. It is not biologically predetermined nor is it fixed forever. • Sex Sex refers to the biological differences between males and females. Sex differences are concerned with male and female physiology.

6. Definition of Key Terms: Gender Based Violence • Gender Based Violence Gender based violence (GBV) can be described as any form of violence that is directed at individuals on the basis of their gender. Women and girls constitute a majority of the victims of this form of violence. Gender-based violence affects women and girls irrespective of their race, ethnicity, class, age, economic or educational status, religious or cultural divide etc. • GBV is therefore ‘a continuum of acts that violate women’s basic human rights’. • GBV is also said to refer to a range of harmful customs and behaviours against girls and women, including intimate partner violence, assaults against women, child sexual abuse and rape

7. Definition of Key Terms: Violence Against Women (VAW) • Violence - act or behaviour involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something. • VAW is any act of gender–based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life (United Nations, 1993). • Simply put, violence against women includes acts of aggression experienced by women because of their sex. • Such acts include physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence and harmful traditional practices.

8. FORMS OF SGBV – GROUP WORK

9. Forms of Violence Against Women • Physical violence: also referred to as physical assault, is the use of physical force with the intent to cause bodily harm and suffering to women e.g. • Being pushed, shaken and having something thrown at her • Being slapped • Arm being twisted or hair pulled • Being punched with the fist or with something that could hurt • Being kicked, dragged around or beaten up • Attempts to choke her or burn her on purpose • Being threatened or attacked with a knife, gun, acid or any other weapon • Being a victim of at least one of these acts.

10. Forms of Violence Against Women • Sexual Violence, is any form of non-consensual or forced sexual activity, which includes rape, incest etc. Physical force and/or the threat of physical harm, including murder, are often used to intimidate and coerce women into having sex without their consent. E.g. • Being physically forced to have sexual intercourse • Being forced to perform any sexual act she did not want to

11. Forms of Violence Against Women • Psychological violence This can also be referred to as emotional violence. includes the use of verbal abuse, threats, insults, humiliation, put-downs and restriction of movement, finance, work etc. These are referred to as controlling behaviours. The commonest site of psychological violence against women is in intimate partner relationships i.e. marriages, cohabitation, courtships. e.g. • Said or did something to humiliate her in front of others • Threatened to hurt or harm her or someone close to her • Insulted her or made her feel bad about herself • Frequently accuses her of being unfaithful • Is jealous or angry when she talks to other men • Tries to limit her contact with her family

12. Forms of Violence Against Women • Harmful traditional practices involve cultural and traditional practices that are obnoxious and harmful to the health and wellbeing of women. These include: • Low status of women • Female genital mutilation • Harmful widowhood practices • Male child preference. • Dis-inheritance • Honour Killing • Child marriage • Trafficking of women and girls for exploitative labour and prostitution • Discriminatory laws

13. Definition of Key Terms: Domestic Abuse • Domestic abuse, also known as spousal abuse, occurs when one person in an intimate relationship or marriage tries to dominate and control the other person. Domestic abuse that includes physical violence is called domestic violence. This can be towards wife, children, aids Examples of Domestic violence • Beating • Sexual harassment • Rape • Incest • Verbal abuse • Threats

14. Causes of SGBV: Theories of VAW • Psycho-dynamic Theory: defect in the character structure of some individuals predisposes them to the display of violence which is exacerbated when there is added stress. • Observational Learning: aggression and violence are learnt by people through direct experience and observation or through stories. When some individuals are brought up in violent environment, they tend to conclude that violence is a way of life. • Frustration-Aggression Theory: When some people are frustrated, it causes discomfort and they respond with violence.

15. Causes of SGBV: Theories of VAW • Socio-Psychological Theories: Certain characteristics of some people attract violence to them through appearance, physical defects or certain mannerisms. This theory has been criticized for blaming the victim. It is this kind of reasoning that promotes the term “battered wives” rather than “violent husbands.” • Sociological Theories: Social factors such as poverty, unemployment, stress and social isolation contribute to aggressive behavior.

16. Causes of SGBV: Theories of VAW • Family organization Theory: The composition of family contributes to aggressive behavior. Some scholars observe that men who beat their wives are poor, uneducated, either unemployed or stuck in a low paid, low status job and the son of a violent father. Pahl, Jan (1985), Private Violence and Public Policy: The needs of battered women and the response of the public services.

17. Causes of SGBV • Misunderstanding of leadership • Influence of alcohol, drug, cultism, sexual bondage etc.

18. Effects of GBV • destroy your self-worth • lead to anxiety • lead to depression/mental illness • make you feel helpless and alone • Has devastating effects on the children • You can be injured • HIV Infection • Loss of pregnancy • In extreme cases it can lead to death

19. How Bad is the Situation? • Available data show that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence • Some national violence studies show that up to 70% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime from an intimate partner • More than 64 million girls worldwide are child brides, with 46% of women aged 20–24 in South Asia and 41% in West and Central Africa reporting that they married before the age of 18.

20. HOW BAD IS THE SITUATION? • In Nigeria, one in 10 women has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 15 and One in 20 has been raped • Over one in five women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from either a current or previous partner • Just over one in 10 women indicates that they have experienced some form of sexual violence by an adult before they were 15 years old • Only 14 % of women reported their most serious incident of intimate partner violence to the police • Only 13 % reported their most serious incident of non-partner violence to the police.

21. HOW BAD IS THE SITUATION? • Women in the south-south zone of the country experienced higher rate of violence, at 52.10%, followed by north central, south-east and south-west at 31%, 29.6% and 28.9% respectively • Women in the north-east and north-west had the least rate of experience of violence at 19.7% and 13.1% respectively • Educational background also had its influence as women with primary (35.6%) and secondary (36.5%) education had higher level of experience of violence since age 15 than women who were never educated (15%) (NDHS, 2008)

22. WAY FORWARD • GROUP WORK

23. GROUP WORK 2 • List and describe in detail an incident of SGBV that you have witnessed • What are the factors responsible for SGBV your community? • What have you seen young men do to reduce SGBV • What do you think young men should do to curb/ eliminate SGBV? • Write on flip charts and make presentation by groups

24. WAY FORWARD? • Examine yourself & adjust where necessary • Speak out • Create Awareness • Research • Advocacy campaign • Abolition of HTPs • Legal reform • Reform of law enforcement • Organise Network of men leaders

25. WAY FORWARD? • 1. Monitor and document potential and actual incidents of GBV. • 2. Establish reporting mechanisms. • 3. Report potential cases of GBV to the local administration, police or community structure. • 4. Advise potential targets of GBV to take precaution. • 5. Remove potential targets of GBV from the point of danger. • 6. Warn potential perpetrators against their intended action. • 7. Collaborate with formal, informal and traditional structures as well as the administration and law enforcement agencies to prevent GBV

26. WAY FORWARD • 8. Educate community members on GBV and how to prevent it. • 9. Establish community vigilance systems e.g. through community action groups and area networks. • 10. Participate in community-based policing systems and structures. • 11. Transform socio-cultural norms that condone and encourage GBV • 12. Personally change to live a life of non-violence • 13. Socialise own children to practice gender equality and eschew violence. • 14. Mobilise other men to fight GBV. • 15. Petition for enactment of laws against GBV.

27. Thank you for Listening!!!!