Women and Gender Based Violence - Essay Example

Women for years have suffered discrimination, exploitation, and harassment economically, politically and socially. Women exploitation is joint irrespective of the nation a woman belong. Gender is a socially constructed term that defines the roles, attribute and behavior of men and women in the society (Ellsberg, et al., 12). Gender lines have existed since way back in the medieval era, and are reinforced by religious cultural, ethnic and historical aspects. The gender drawn lines have resulted in the sprout of sex-based violence, which is an umbrella of harmful acts perpetrated against persons of a particular sex. Although the term gender-based violence house evil action against men and women, the women have for many years suffered the most in silence. Women are perceived as the weaker gender, and the men have used their patriarchal lines to oppress the women, subjecting them to assault and harassment. In this case, this study will explore women victimization in the society by examining in depth gender-based violence against women.

Gender-based violence affects the dignity, health, and security of the women, but has for long remain sheltered in a culture of silence. High rates of gender-based violence against women are proved venerable to women of particular backgrounds. Women belonging to minority communities, refugees, the elderly, those from remote areas and those from poor backgrounds are the most affected. Gender-based violence has been grouped into different categories amongst which include family violence, community violence and state violence (Ellsberg, et al. 8). Family violence is characterized as the most common form of violence against women. Family violence is violence that occurs within the family, against women or the girl child. A typical example of family-based violence is the woman battering, forced marriage, girl child sexual abuse by a family relative, marital rape and verbal abuse. Community-based violence against women is perpetrated by persons not related to the women, and this includes public humiliation, rape, forced prostitution and women trafficking. State violence against women mostly occur when the victim is in the hands of government system such as prison, and violated by government employees or officials such as guards and military troops. Also in regions of conflict, sexual harassment against women which is a tool of war is categorized under state violence.

Gender preference has impacted on female discrimination, in the recent studies, the male birth rate has increased than female. Sex selection is not a new phenomenon, as it has existed for many years since the medieval era. However, today gender discrimination is becoming more common than before, and its negative impacts have been felt in regions of Asia such as India and China (World Health Organization, 17). The preference of boy child over a girl child have caused killing and neglect of the girl child at infancy. However, in the 21st-century, modern technology has made the process of terminating girl child during pregnancy easier. Technology such as ultrasound during pregnancy help detect the gender of a child and those who have the male children preference are quick to arrange for fetus termination. Studies have also indicated that the abortion rates have increased more than before. Sex selection and prefer cases are alarming as its subjecting women to low status. The act of male gender preference to female has a damaging long-term impact on the society. Some of the most common projected effects caused by gender preference of males than female birth include sexual violence and girl child trafficking (Garcia-Moreno, et al., 32). The women are also under pressure of producing sons and failure subject the women to verbal abuse and physical violence especially in societies where the boy child is perceived more social economically fit than women. The selective killing of one gender is depriving to the girl child the right to life. The gender bias act that resort to foeticide is barbaric and should be condemned. A good solution will begin by understating the primary misconception that propels the action, which includes greed for wealth and evil midst driven by social delusion (Ellsberg, et al., 20)

Women are every day sexually, emotional and physically assaulted. According to the world health organization statistic, in every five women, one has been attacked in one way or another, and the majority of women are sexually assaulted as children by close people (World Health Organization, 3). Sexual harassment of the girl child is worldwide and not restricted to a specific culture. Young and adults women are every day raped, forced into marriage and sexual slavery. Due to sexual assault against women, high rates of abortion, unwanted pregnancies, and psychological trauma have increased. According to world health organization data, mothers and girls who are raped or sexually abused tend to produce children with low birth weight a factor attributed to psychological trauma and emotional disorders. Also, the women have high chances of seeking an abortion. About 50 percent of sexually abused women are reported to have contracted sexually transmitted diseases and HIV (World Health Organization, 6)

Domestic violence is another common form of gender-based violence. Domestic violence is not only physical but also sexual and emotional. Although women can domestically violate men, the women are the majority victims. Men many at times men may be verbally abusive and may use physical assault to cause intimidation and control the woman behavior. Many married women are at one time subjected to domestic violence, which is hard to identify at first since a majority of the women are in denial. Persistence of domestic violence highly results in trauma and emotional disorders. Some of the common ways to identify domestic violence are the use of abusive names, prevention of the female partner from going to work, control of money spending, hits and kicks among many others. Globally, statistics by WHO indicate that 38% of women are murdered by their partners in intimates relationship for lowing cases of domestic violence (World Health Organization, 14). Sexual violence is another form of domestic violence against women. The sexual assault involves coerced sexual penetrations and rape. Health consequences of domestic violence are sexual and physical. They include Homicide and suicide, reported injuries unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and gynecological issues. Abuse can cause depression and PSTD, eating disorders, sleeping problems, and anxiety. Studies conducted by UN in 2013 indicate that women in domestic violence were more prone to depression and drug abuse (Garcia-Moreno, et al., 28).

In conclusion, gender based violence has proved to be a problem for years, young girls and old women have al ben victims of sex-based violence. Prevention and a quick solution need to be formulated to solve the problem and minimize the agony that many females undergo while growing up till old age. The government, the community, and individuals both men and women should participate in the campaigns for preventing violence against women. Involving men in the campaign is necessary, as they will help break the long outdated tradition of women as inferior. Also, will best explain to their fellow men of the importance and advantages that tag along with treating women as equals without using any form of victimization. Modern technology is being used to violate women rights, and its a high time that government comes up with laws and policies that will protect pregnant women and the unborn fetus from forced fetus termination, coercion that is based on gender biases.

Works cited

Ellsberg, Mary, et al. "Prevention of violence against women and girls: what does the evidence say?." The Lancet 385.9977 (2015): 1555-1566.

World Health Organization. "Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence: executive summary." Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence: executive summary. 2013.

Garcia-Moreno, Claudia, et al. "Addressing violence against women: a call to action." The Lancet 385.9978 (2015): 1685-1695.