Gender Violence Sparknotes

Although the issue of women’s rights has attracted international recognition and support, women still face many inequalities and barriers. Gender-based violence and economic discrimination are problems in many parts of the world.

For many decades, women have experienced all forms of oppression and constant violence that threatened their existence in the male-dominated society. Various forms of discrimination and oppression have been directed to women for decades. Violence directed at women such as rape and battery were seen and treated as isolated scenarios. However, as the need to foster gender equality took pace, such oppressive actions are now perceived as elements of a wider system of dominance in the society that that needs to be addressed as a whole rather than in singularity

Gender discrimination and violence against women were not part of the Human Rights Agenda until the 1990s when feminists began to push for this change (p84/book). One of the slogans of their campaign was that “Women’s Rights

In reading Elizabeth Stanko’s contribution one becomes attentive to how females are to blame for the brutality of male violence. She states that “male violence against women remains a problem of women’s respectability not men’s behaviour” (4). Additionally, she cautions the reader throughout that male violence is condoned, even infrequently punished, by the Criminal Justice System. Stanko’s book offers a detailed analysis which takes the reader through the act of male violence and its aftermath for the victims.

into law. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2014, from National Network to End Domestic Violence: http://nnedv.org/policy/issues/vawa.html

Facts: Christy Brzonkala enrolled in Virginia Tech in 1994. After enrolling she was sexually assaulted by two football players including Morrison. She became so emotional distressed after the hearings which made her drop out of school. She then finally sued Morrison and the university in Federal District Court.

In every country in Latin America and the Caribbean, women suffer acute discrimination. Often, the discrimination women face is related to social prejudices regarding appropriate patterns of conduct for men and women. This entrenched sex inequality provides the backdrop for the pervasive and widespread human rights violations women face in the region, with little chance of justice. The most pernicious types of women's human rights abuses in the Americas occur in the areas of women's reproductive and sexual health and rights, discrimination and violence against women in the workplace, and violence against women in the home. After decades of dictatorships in some countries, democracy has not meant an end to impunity for violations of women

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread human rights violations. It stems from social structures and traditions rather than individual random acts. It cuts across age, socio-economic, educational and geographic boundaries; affects all societies, and is a major obstacle to ending gender inequality and discrimination globally. The violence women face can be physical, sexual, verbal, and any other form that abuses power and control, which can make them feel insignificant. With dealing with all these negative aspects of violence why is it the case that women continue to stay? In Gender and Women’s Studies in Canada: Critical Terrain by Margaret Hobbs and Clara Rice, there are eight key reasons why women would stay in an abusive

Societies who failed to acknowledge marital violence to be a violation of women’s human rights, blamed women who are beaten or abused by their intimate partner (Francine Pickup, 2007). Thus making them to feel guilty as they were responsible for choosing the wrong partner (HRSC, 2014). As such they choose to remain silent about their abuse and do not look for legal remedies because they believed it is their fault for being abused (HRSC, 2014). Women may accept to be victimized by men’s violence because they have continuously witnessed their mother, and other female relatives assuming this role. Many women also concealed their abused because they feared stigmatization, rejection and social exile by their families and communities until their

At the core of society are the undeniable rights we are afforded as human beings. These rights are outlined in the United Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a way to protect each individual’s freedoms. Since its adoption sixty-seven years ago, society and its viewpoints have changed drastically (“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”). Therefore, while at the time the intentions for this document might have been genuine to protect all people, they are no longer sufficient. The lack of inclusion in this document has led to the creation of documents such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Limited success has been relevant, within prosecuting crimes based on gender violence at the domestic or international level. Transitional justice mechanisms, offer a means of pursuing gender justice by revealing gendered patterns of abuse; enhancing access to justice, and building momentum for reform. Assisted gender activists to challenge structural causes of gender in-equality, by public acknowledgement of factors in which made such abuse public. Also, offering

Holt explained, “For women such as Amma the situation is made worse by the Bosnian government's reluctance to recognize women as civilian victims of war” (Holt, 2005, para. 11). The law enforcement is negligent when it comes to proper enforcement, which can be seen in the case of the women within Rwanda, Bangladesh, and Bosnia. Moreover, it seems that within these countries there is not only a lack of enforcement within women’s rights, there also seems to be no education regarding these issues. While these concerns are of high importance, another daunting question remains, where are the global organizations when these crimes against humanity occur?

After reading this chapter, I am shocked over how much violence towards women goes underreported. I knew beforehand that victims of gendered violence do not report their situation to the police for various reasons, ranging from fear to shame. However, I did not know that reporting of gendered violence is especially rare in communities with women of color. Realizing how minority communities expect the female members “...to maintain silence about sexual assault, to protect ‘family honor and community integrity’” (p.265) was both frustrating and heartbreaking. The fact that the community the woman is a member of, during the time she needs them the most, expects her to continue suffering with her current situation was depressing to read. I can understand how the minority community, and the minority victim of abuse, may want to keep the police out of their situation because of reports about police brutality. However, their denial of receiving help due to stigma against police, who are the most capable for ending the victim’s abuse, was tragic to learn about.

In the midst of conflict, particularly civil wars, violence is indiscriminate in choosing its victim. But without question women and girls are the most vulnerable members of society when it comes to facing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). SGBV in conflict is widespread, and affects a large number of women and children. SGBV in conflict has a number of manifestations, at times used deliberately as a tactic or strategy to destroy or degrade one’s political opponent or members of ethnic or religious minorities. At times it is a result of ill-disciplined armed forces where impunity for such actions exists. Yet regardless of the driving force, the result remains the same—a devastating effect on individuals and societies, bringing about the essential collapse of social structures and norms. When victims are plucked from the youngest generations, such violence has a damaging effect on the potential for peace and stability in the society’s future.

This study sought to determine the perception of the residents on the social acceptability of the various forms and prevalence of violence against women. The study supposed that when people perceived the various forms of violence against women as socially acceptable, their prevalence tends to be high.