Sexual and gender-based violence is a violation of human rights. This kind of violence perpetuates the stereotyping of gender roles that denies human dignity of the individual and stymies human development. The overwhelming majority of the victims/survivors of sexual and gender-based violence are women and girls.
Sexual and gender-based violence includes much more than sexual assault and rape. Sexual and gender-based violence includes much more than sexual assault and rape. To understand its root causes and consequences, it is essential to define and distinguish between the terms gender and sex.
Sex and Gender
The term sex refers to the biological characteristics of males and females. These characteristics are congenital and their differences are limited to physiological reproductive functions.
Gender is the term used to denote the social characteristics assigned to men and women. These social characteristics are constructed on the basis of different factors, such as age, religion, national, ethnic and social origin. They differ both within and between cultures and define identities, status, roles, responsibilities and power relations among the members of any society or culture. Gender is learned through socialization. It is not static or innate, but evolves to respond to changes in the social, political and cultural environment.
People are born female or male (sex); they learn how to be girls and boys, and then become women and men (gender). Gender refers to what it means to be a boy or girl, woman or man, in a particular society or culture. Society teaches expected attitudes, behaviours, roles and activities. Gender defines the roles, responsibilities, constraints, opportunities and privileges of men and women in any context. Gender is learned, and therefore changeable. This learned behaviour is known as gender identity. People are born female or male (sex); they learn how to be girls and boys, and then become women and men (gender).
Key terms in SGVB
Violence is a means of control and oppression that can include emotional, social or economic force, coercion or pressure, as well as physical harm. It can be overt, in the form of a physical assault or threatening someone with a weapon; it can also be covert, in the form of intimidation, threats, persecution, deception or other forms of psychological or social pressure.
Abuse is the misuse of power through which the perpetrator gains control or advantage of the abused, using and causing physical or psychological harm or inciting fear of that harm.
Coercion is forcing, or attempting to force, another person to engage in behaviours against her will by using threats, verbal insistence, manipulation, deception, cultural expectations or economic power.
Power is understood as the capacity to make decisions. All relationships are affected by the exercise of power. When used to dominate, power imposes obligations on, restricts, prohibits and makes decisions about the lives of others.
Consent is when a person makes an informed choice to agree freely and voluntarily to do something. The phrase against her will is used to indicate an absence of informed consent. There is no consent when agreement is obtained through the use of threats, force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or misrepresentation. The use of a threat to withhold a benefit, or a promise to provide a benefit, in order to obtain the agreement of a person is also an abuse of power; any agreement obtained this way is not considered to be consensual. There is also no consent if the person is below the legal (statutory) age of consent or is defined as a child under applicable laws.
Acts of sexual and gender-based violence have been grouped into five categories:
• Sexual violence.
• Physical violence.
• Emotional and psychological violence.
• Harmful traditional practices.
• Socio-economic violence.
Key Points to Remember on SGBV
• Sexual and gender-based violence violates human rights.
• Women and girls make up the vast majority of victims/survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, although boys and men can also be victims/survivors.
• Gender refers to what it means to be a boy or girl, woman or man, in a particular society or culture.
• A comprehensive prevention and response plan should focus on the roles and needs of both women and men and how both can become agents of change.
• Most acts of sexual and gender-based violence are perpetrated by someone known to the survivor.
• Perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence are sometimes the very people upon whom survivors depend to assist and protect them.
• Sexual and gender-based violence occurs in all classes, cultures, religions, races, gender and ages. Interventions to prevent or respond to sexual and gender-based violence should target individuals, close relationships, the community and society, in general.
• Gender inequality and discrimination are the root causes of sexual and gender-based violence.
• The potential for debilitating long-term effects of emotional and physical trauma should never be underestimated.
source:RHPU/BAR
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