GENDER BASED VIOLENCE SADIA ZAFAR DEFINITIONS United Nations

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE SADIA ZAFAR

DEFINITIONS United Nations Gender-based violence which involves acts or threats of physical, sexual or psychological harm/suffering • Health Canada has adopted the same definition Ø Violence can occur within • Family • Community 2 • State

VIOLENCE IN COMMUNITY Community: Physical, sexual and psychological violence that occurs within the general community • Rape • Sexual harassment • intimidation at work • Trafficking 3 • forced prostitution

VIOLENCE IN STATE Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs. • Discriminatory laws • Violence in state custody 4 • Rape and sexual torture as weapons of war

VIOLENCE WITHIN FAMILY • Battering. • Sexual violence including marital rape. • Dowry-related violence. • Female infanticide. • Sexual abuse of female children in the household. • Female genital mutilation. • Early marriage/Forced marriage. 5 • Non-spousal violence/Violence perpetrated against domestic workers.

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV) • Any physical, sexual, psychological, or financial abuse attempted by one’s current or former intimate partner. • 1 in 3 women experiences intimate partner violence during her life (United Nations, 2006). 6 • 25% of all Canadian women experience violence by their marital partners (Health Canada, 1993).

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV) • 7 % of women reported being physically or sexually victimized by their spouse in the last 5 years • About 17% Canadians reported experiencing emotional or financial abuse from intimate partners • Intimate partner violence, including both spousal and dating violence, accounts for one in every four violent crimes reported to police. 7 (2009 General Social Survey)

IPV • 35% of female college and university students reported that they had been physically abused (Health Canada, 1999). • Majority of studies note that 1 in 3 college women are physically abused by a male partner (Anderson & Danis, 2007). • Many male university students, indirectly and/or directly, support their peer’s abusive conduct (De. Kesserdy & Schwartz, 2000). 8

GENDER IN IPV • Distinct victimization experiences for men and women (Johnson & Dawson, 2011) • Frequency and severity greater for female victims (Au. Coin 2005; Tjaden &Thoennes 2000). • In 2009, 46, 918 spousal violence incidents reported in Canada, 81. 2% of these incidents were committed against women • Women continue to outnumber men nine to one as victims of assault by a spouse or partner (Health 9 Canada)

PREDICTORS OF IPV • Young age of the couple (18 -24 years) • Chronic unemployment of male partner • Men and women who witness abuse as a child • Presence of emotional abuse in relationship 10 (Statistics Canada, 1998)

TYPES OF ABUSE • Physical abuse • Sexual abuse • Psychological abuse • Emotional abuse 11 • Economic abuse

THEORETICAL APPROACHES O’Neil (1998) categorizes theories of IPV in five discourses as follows. • Pathology • Learned behavior • Normative social system • Expressive violence 12 • Instrumental power

FEMINIST SOCIOPOLITICAL APPROACH • IPV is a controlling behaviour. • IPV creates and maintains male dominance and imbalance of power between partners. • Wife abuse is an instrumental power strategy approved by the socio-cultural context of patriarchal institutions. Types of Patriarchy: 13 ØStructure ØIdeological

PATRIARCHY The United Nations Secretary General’s report (2006) “All forms of violence against women” notes: • Violence is used to maintain the hierarchical gender roles fashioned by patriarchy 14 • Systemic gender inequality and women’s subordination are institutionalized by patriarchal ideology.

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MYTHS ABOUT IPV (1) Myth 1: Abuse is not a widespread problem Ø 20% of all homicides in Canada are domestic Ø 25% of women attempting suicide are abused Myth 2: An abusive act is usually a one time event ØMultiple episodes before disclosure Myth 3: Injuries resulting from abuse are not serious 16 ØHealth costs estimated to be 1. 5 billion (Health Canada)

MYTHS ABOUT IPV (2) Myth 4: Abuse happens in only certain communities. ØIPV transcends the boundaries of nation, culture, race, class, and religion. Myth 5: Some women like being abused. ØNo one likes being abused. Myth 6: Men who abuse are mentally ill/ are alcoholics. ØToo widespread to be attributed to mental illness. Myth 7: It is easy for a woman to leave the abuser. 17 ØDiscuss it a little later

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE (1) Problems • Fear, hypervigilance, low self-esteem, self-blame, safety issues, difficulty sleeping, uncomfortable with sexuality, body image, and nightmares. • Psychiatric Illnesses Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depression, substance abuse, suicide attempts, and self-harm, 74% more likely to use sedatives and 40% more likely to take sleeping pills than women not assaulted. (ARF; Groeneveld & 18 Shane, 1989)

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE (2) Meta-analysis (Golding , 1999) suggests following prevalence rates among female IPV victims. • 48% for depression • 64% for PTSD • 18% for suicide 19 suicide 12 times more likely to have been attempted by a woman who had been abused by a spouse than by a woman who had not been abused (United Nations 1989)

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES FOR CHILDREN (1) social disorders (hyperactivity & aggressiveness) emotional disorders (mental health issues) delinquency issues (Dauvergne & Johnson 2001) The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study(1998) o Childhood exposure to spousal violence adverse health, social, and economic effects 20 • •

PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE • Bleeding and/or bleeding or internal organs • Bruising: pattern bruises, symmetrical bruises, bruises in varying stages of healing • Injuries to face & head, dental damage • Perforated eardrums • Broken bones 21 • Burns (stoves, appliances, acids)

COST OF ABUSE • Justice Canada: Spousal violence in Canada costs over $7. 4 billion in 2009 • Major proportion: intangible costs, pain and suffering for victim and family members 22 • Tangible costs: Health care, Criminal justice system, Social services , lost income

23 SPOUSAL VIOLENCE ATTRITION PYRAMID

WHY LACK OF REPORTING ? • Incident had been dealt with another way (58%) • “Personal matter" (49%) • Didn't want to involve the police (45%) • considered the incident to be minor (38%) • felt the police couldn't do anything about it (33%) • feared revenge from the perpetrator (24%) 24 (VAWS, 1993).

RESPONDING TO ABUSE • Therapy • Leave the Relationship 25 • Go to a shelter

THERAPY (1) Abuser • Feminist psychoeducational model • Cognitive-behavioral group model Marital/Couple • Only helpful when the relationship between the partners alternates as perpetrator and victim 26 • In cases of classic “intimate partner violence, ” marital therapy will not work

LEAVING THE RELATIONSHIP • Does not stop the abuse. • Harass, stalk, and harm the woman even resulting in femicide (Browne, 1987; Walker, 1989; Walker & Meloy, 1998). • 70% of the reported injuries from domestic violence occurred after the separation of the couple (Liss & Stahly, 27 1993).

BARRIERS TO LEAVING (1) • Economic necessity • Isolation from friends, family, community support, resources • Fear of retaliation; of being alone • Threats: will commit suicide • hurt their partner/children, other loved ones and/or pets, take the children away 28 • Lack or resources or information about available resources

BARRIERS TO LEAVING (2) • Love and concern for partner’s well-being Lo • Hope/belief that partner will changep • Culture/ religion/ family pressure • Shame and guilt Depression 29 •

BARRIERS TO LEAVING (3) • Belief that the abuse is their fault. • Immigration: fear of deportation without partner’s support, fear of separation from children, law enforcement 30 • Children; desire to provide them with a two-parent home, custody concerns

SHELTERS (1) • Provide for basic living needs, including food and childcare for mother and children • Limited time stay 31 • Helps to start a new life

SHELTERS (2) Connect to various services and resources such as • Legal help • Counseling • Support groups • Services for children • Employment programs • Health-related services • Educational opportunities 32 • Financial assistance

CONCLUSION 33 • Leaving only a first step. • Many factors determine if a woman and her children can make a new life or will return to the abusive relationship. • Emotional and practical support appears to have the greatest effect on psychological and physical well-being. • Need still is far greater than available services.