Gender based violence exists, but is quite often ignored

Gender based violence (GBV) is a broader term, which actually implies “violence against women.” Its definition (as per UN declaration, 1993) is broad, and it refers to “…any violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” We estimate that 30% of all women would have faced GBV in their lifetime.

Roots of gender based violence are ancient. It is related to an expected subjugated behavior from women, across patriarchal societies around the world. The notion of superior male gender has been perpetuated throughout ancient religious texts, be it creation of Eve from Adam’s rib or stories from Greek mythology. Over centuries, the notion of superior and inferior has seeped in from families, to workplaces. In many parts of the world, it also manifests itself in extreme forms such as Dowry-deaths, female foeticide, and honor-killings.

Indian war-mythology of Mahabharata – a saga of victory of good over evil, also has tales related to subjugation of female gender. All Princes went to boarding-schools and became warriors, and princesses remained in palaces, got married and had children. On one hand, dutiful wife Gandhari gave up her desire to see the world, when abducted and forcefully married to visually impaired Dhritrastra. On the other, Draupadi was ridiculed, disrespected, and disrobed, when her husbands lost her in a game of dice.

With such deep roots, it took the world a long time to recognize GBV as a problem. It was left to families to deal with what happens within the confines of a household. Societies often perpetuate “norms” and it took generations of education to bring forth reforms including universal suffrage, legislative representation, and even inheritance of family assets. Despite these, GBV persists at a high rate, with 1 in 3 women affected in their lifetimes. Globally, most of it is domestic or “intimate partner violence”. About 42% of women who experience intimate partner violence reporting an injury as a consequence. Further, as many as 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and girls has been observed as a 16-day activism campaign against Gender Based Violence since 1991. The campaign runs for 16 days from 25th November to 10th December (Human Rights Day) every year. It was initiated by the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 to end violence against women. In 2000, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was officially adopted by the United Nations.

Only 40 per cent of women seek help of any sort after experiencing violence. Most reports to law enforcement do not result in a conviction. It indeed needs a greater societal action.