Gender based violence , mainly against women and children is a continued issue. UN Report showed an alarming increase int he already existing pandemic of violence against women.
Violence against women and girls (read : children) is a pervasive and global violation of human rights where this crime is often hidden because of the disgrace, dishonor, and shame perpetrated upon the victim.
Gender Based Violence (GBV)
Gender -based violence is a social phenomenon that deeply rooted in centuries of gender inequality and patriarchy system. It continue to be one of the most notable human rights violations within all societies.more common than not victims remain silent and decide not to report this crime because the perpetrator is often their domestic partner.
Gender-based violence can take numerous forms.
Gender-based violence (GBV) refers to any act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is based on gender norms and unequal power relationships. It can be physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual in nature, and can take the form of a denial of resources or access to services
According to UN report, a third of all women and girls experience physical and sexual violence in their lifetime, half of the women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family. Violence perpetuate against women is as common a cause of death and incapacity for those of reproductive age, as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than road accidents and malaria combined. These are rather grim figures.
Covid-19 outbreak Has Intensified Domestic and GBV
As the world retreated inside homes due to the lockdown measures introduced to curb the covid-10 pandemic, report showed an alarming increase in the already existing pandemic of violence against women and girls (read : children).
According to the latest UNDP brief on GBV and Covid-19, at least 243 million women and girls aged 15 – 49 have been subjected to sexual and/or physical violence perpetuated by an intimate partner in the previous 12 months. The number is likely to INCREASE as security, health, and money worries heighten tensions and strains and are accentuated by cramped ad confined living conditions.
Lockdown situations add an additional challenge for women accessing helplines, as they may fear being overheard by their abuser. Women with violent partners increasingly find themselves ISOLATED from the the people and resources that can help them. Even more, increased economic insecurity may increase stress within the household, along with a GBV victim’s economic dependence on their abuser, making it more challenging to leave.
Orange The world : 16 Days of Activism
On November 25th each year, we begin to commemorate the 16 days of activism. The campaign calls for all segments of global society – both public and private, group and individuals to partner and take a stand to end violence against women and girls. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a campaign occurring annually beginning on November 25 and concluding on December 10, UN Human Rights Day. This year’s them is “Orange The World : Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect”
You can make a difference by taking stand to end violence against women and girls (read : children). Don’t be a bystander : dismantling domestic violence, one action at a time.
Join us in taking a stand to end all forms of violence against women and girls !
