Gender Based Violence Against Women

In the most recent data available from 2015, it was disclosed that nearly 92,000 Canadians had report to the police an incident related to domestic violence; of this number, 80% of them were women (Burczycka, 2017). It is then no surprise that intimate partnership violence has been found to be one of the major causes of violence against women in Canada (Ministry of the Status of Women, 2015). Many agencies focus on supporting directly the female victims and providing them with secured shelters and safe spaces to rebuild themselves after leaving their abusive relationship (Shelter Safe, 2017). However, a need to address domestic violence from the roots arose in Ontario1982, when the community identified a gap in the offer of programs

Gosselin (2010) roughly states that Intimate partner violence is most commonly known as domestic violence but the terms spouse abuse or battering are sometimes used. (pg. 166) Gosselin (2010) goes on to define intimate partner violence as violence that is committed by a spouse whether it be ex-spouse or current, a same sex partner or an opposite sex partner that is loving in the home with the victim including girlfriends and/or boyfriends. (pg. 166) Womenshealth.gov (2015) defines domestic violence as, in regards to a relationship, one individual emotionally or physically hurting another individual. The violence is most often caused by the current or former husband or current or former boyfriend. There are many forms of intimate partner violence which include physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse which can and usually does include emotional abuse, threats of

Domestic violence against women is prevalent in almost all the societies in the world. It is an issue which was not even recognised as a crime 40 years ago and is still not recognized as a crime by many societies. Women suffer from violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological violence by strangers and their partners all over the world (Kaya, 2010). Even though it is a worldwide occurrence, there are some women who face more intense and frequent violence depending on their culture, country, religion,

Domestic violence, alternatively referred to as Intimate Partner Violence, is defined by the Department of Justice as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” While domestic violence is commonly thought of as only physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence can also be emotional, economic, or psychological. Domestic violence has remained constant in society throughout history, even though over time society’s response to the issue has changed. While domestic violence affects everyone regardless of race, gender, age, etc. it is estimated that approximately 90% of all victims are women. For the purpose of this paper, I will be focusing on

This began to change in the 1980s, as women’s groups were organized locally and internationally to demand attention to the physical, psychological, and economic abuse of women (p.369-370). Domestic violence is a serious social issue that happens to many women in our world today. This type of abuse is not declining but continually rising on a daily basis. There have been issues in the past with the way these cases were being handled. Today, there has been some improvement concerning the laws that have been enforced in order to protect women from this type of abuse. There has been extensive research done on this issue in the past concerning domestic violence. Over the last ten years there have been a number of surveys on domestic violence that have been published from around the world.

United States social history has had many defining moments in which attitudes of domestic violence has changed. However, some of them did not make a huge impact or movement enough to change society’s views. Per class discussion, we learned that for many centuries women were seen as property of men and used as reproduction. There was a lack of respect and being beaten was part of them norm but at the same time men were considered the women’s “protectors”, which is ironic because women needed protection from their husbands. To top it all off, divorce was looked frown upon, leaving women no choice but to stay with their partners.

“Domestic violence is a type of abuse by one or both partners in marriage, friends, family, dating or cohabitation” (Aziz & Mahmoud, 2010). There are many forms of abuse from verbal and emotional to physical that often escalates over time in intensity for the victim. Data from the criminal justice system, hospital patient medical records and mental health records, police reports, surveys and social services reports of thousands of women revealed that many are injured and killed as a result of violence from someone close to them. “The US Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender” (Robertson & Murachver, 2009). Researchers and the criminal justice system have not been able to agree on a clear definition to domestic violence which can range from physical injury, stalking, verbal abuse and humiliation, denial of shelter and access to money, and intimidation through aggressive behaviors. The definition of domestic violence may vary but the results from physical injury, mental and emotional trauma, and sometimes even death can last a life time.

Our culture refuses to hold women equally accountable as men for their participation in Domestic Violence. Women’s behavior whether perpetrator or victim, is understood and passed off as socialization or poor economic status. On the other hand men are held fully accountable for all of their behavior. “Despite the tough guy stereotype all boys are encouraged to embody and the abuse many bear as a normal

Domestic violence used to be considered a private family matter and was not considered a societal problem until feminists in the 70's started pushing the matter. Beginning in the 1970’s, social policy toward female victims of domestic assaults focused on improving legal response and

According to statistics found by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Every nine seconds a woman is abused by her husband or intimate partner. At least 1 in every 4 women and 1 in every 9 men have been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in their lifetime. Most often the abuser is one of their own family. Domestic violence is a problem that somehow affects every one of us in this room at some time and is actually the leading cause of injury to women -- more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.

Domestic Violence is a human tragedy, and has been a part of life for many individuals. It is not subjective to a particular group, race, or culture. Historically, the feminist movement preserved the theory that domestic violence is a growing matter because of the continuous power differential between the male gender and the female gender. Remarkably, this approach on domestic disputes unveiled the inner workings of barriers men, women, and children would face when in a domestic violence situation. The feminist theory emphasizes on studying “the gendered nature of all relationships…which aims at understanding how gender is related to social inequalities and oppression” (Marsigila & Kulis, 2015, p. 148). Disastrously, an ignorant notion that once dominated our culture was the belief that emotional agony was less painful than physical brutality. However,

These acts provide the social context, in which a broader system of domination has been established, affecting women nationally and globally(McCue, 2008; Lockhart, Danis, 2010; Crenshaw 1994). On the other hand, the remaining 15 percent of the cases mentioned above, includes heterosexual intimate relationships, in which women are abusers and men their victims, as well as gay relationships (McCue, 2008). The numbers presented above illustrate the great debate in research on domestic, and more specifically intimate partner, violence. The debate is about gender and domestic abuse, as many researchers blames public opinion for taking into account only the one side of the domestic violence equation(Johnson, 2008; Cook, 2009).

In a society known for its advancements in many aspects, it is hard to comprehend how less than 40 years ago, male to female assaults behind closed doors were invisible and unacknowledged. Even family therapists refused to recognized gendered violence. The highly valued and widely read Journal of Marriage and Family did not speak of relationships where there was violence but only referred to them as only conflicts that may arise within marriage. The authors even addressed this “conflicts” as a norm, and even healthy when it came to familial relationships (Dekesered, 297). Although today’s society does not cover up the horrors that may occur through male to female assault, it does not do a great job of addressing it or even acknowledging its actual harm to women. In fact, there is plenty of evidence stating that women abuse has become a worldwide public health problem. The World Health Organization conducted a multi-country study and found that out of the over 24,000 women who resided in urban and rural parts of 10 countries that were interviewed, the percentage assaulted physically or sexually by and intimate partner ranged doom 15 to 71% (Dekesered, 298). There are prominent politicians, journalists, activists, and researchers who minimize the alarming extent of woman abuse. Numerous sociologists argue that there is something about broader structural and cultural forces, such as patriarchy, that allows for so many women to be victimized (Dekesered, 297). All

Domestic violence has been a main issue throughout history and all over the world; it can evidentially affect children, the elderly, women, and even men. Although abuse can affect many individuals, a significant portion of domestic abuse cases are against women. Globally, women are constantly facing physical, social and mental abuse by men and/or their significant others. In past years, the issue of domestic violence has gained the attention of researchers. In fact, studies have shown that it is a global issue negatively impacting the social and health status of individuals, particularly women. A survey of domestic abuse in Canada signifies that 29% of married women have been abused by their partners at least once (Nwosu, 2006). Many argue

Domestic violence is also known as intimate partner violence because it often is caused by a