Gender-Based Violence

Monomoy Regional High School 

Plan of Attack: Combating Gender-Based Violence 

An Assessment of Gender-Based Violence and Prevention Plans in India, United States, and Syria

Lillian Ryan 

Global Studies Capstone

Mr.Dickson 

Introductory Summary of Research 

A review of available resources show that to lower rates of Gender-Based Violence there needs to be a shift in culture that focuses on empowering women. Gender-based violence is a major issue facing our world today. In every continent, country, and community women are disproportionately affected by brutal violence. Estimates show that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual abuse at some point in their life (“Facts and Figures”). The UN found that around 87,000 women were intentionally killed in 2017 (Facts). In addition, 650 million women and girls worldwide are married before the age of 18 greatly hampering their economic independence and bodily autonomy. This issue is costly to the safety of women everywhere. 

My research focused on three different countries: The United States, India, and Syria. These three countries offered a diverse view of the issue and the plans to lower gender-based violence rates. Researching Syria produced its issues considering the country is currently in a state of conflict. First-hand accounts of violence and fear are numerous. Additionally, with India being known for its unequal treatment of women and the United States known for its progressive equality, it was interesting to compare and contrast these stereotypes and investigate their validity.

Each country has its own specific gender based violence issues. Additionally, the culture surrounding gender based violence and the empowerment of women greatly differs. The countries with a culture that generally empowered women had lower rates of gender based violence. 

Overview of Gender-Based Violence

Many forms of violence are categorized as gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is any form of violence that affects one gender (in this case females) disproportionately. Rape, the most well-known form of gender-based violence, has varied definitions worldwide. Generally, it is defined as non-consensual sex. There is an apparent lack of resources for women who are victims of rape. For example, abortion services are often limited meaning many women are forced to carry their rapists baby to term(violence). In addition to rape, attempted rape and gang rape are issues of sexual violence. 

Murder is often considered gender-based violence. Muslim and Hindu women are often killed in “honor killings”  due to infidelity or because of their choice in partner. Many women are also killed for speaking out against their husband or father, worldwide (violence). This contributes to a culture of fear that keeps women in an oppressed state. 

Startling data exposes the prevalence of intimate partner abuse. Half of female homicides worldwide can be attributed to domestic abuse(violence). This type of violence is difficult to escape. Cultural and socioeconomic structures force women to stay in abusive marriages. Moreover, this systemic abuse leads to horrific mental and physical deterioration. 

The prevalence of domestic abuse ties directly to the rate of female homicide. If women are trapped in an abusive marriage, they often feel that they are unable to leave because they will be killed if they do. 

These acts of violence are instigated in an effort to reduce a woman's existence. These crimes force women into a life of constant fear. In addition to the obvious brutality, these crimes have a deep effect on culture, they reinforce the idea that women can be used as sexual objects. This concept resonates with women and men. When crimes like these happen increasingly often, horrific violence against women becomes normalized. Culture adapts to view women as likely victims, therefore women perceive violence as part of their identity of a woman. This is how violence reinforces and strengthens oppressive patriarchal views in society 

Relation of Gender Based Violence to Equality 

Gender-based violence is correlated to the equality women have in society. ‘There is a general correlation between education, race, socioeconomic status and (her)risk of experiencing violence”(Violence). Inequality in the lense of socio economics has a great influence on gender based violence rate. According to the World Health Organization, there are several risk factors that contribute to sexual violence including lower levels of educationy and history of neglect.  These factors are attributed to intimate partner abuse and sexual violence. Moreover, the attitudes people hold of women in society contribute greatly to inflated rates. Attitudes and cultural norms that condone violence and low levels of female employment produce increased rates of gender based violence and domestic abuse. (Violence). 

A recent study, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development  looked into the correlation between discriminatory culture and the rate of gender-based violence in a country. Several “indicators” measure this correlation. The discriminatory family code indicator represents the frequencies of childhood marriage, parental authority over divorce, and the legal age of women. This has a major effect on the rights women have to engage in consensual marriage. India attained a measure of 1.0. Syria measured a .75. The United States earned a .5. The ODCE also used an indicator to measure violence against women. This indicator includes data on the attitude towards domestic violence ( what percentage of men and women believe it is okay), the percentage of women who have encountered violence in their life and the amount of comprehensive legislation pertaining to domestic violence, rape, and sexual harassment( 0 meaning there is ample legislation 1 meaning there is no legislation). India earned 22% for violence against women. The United States earned 11%. There is no current data for Syria (Inequality). 

From this data, it can be concluded that there is a correlation between discriminatory culture and rates of violence. It is clear that a culture’s attitude towards gender-based violence is integral to rates of violence. 

GBV and Culture In The United States 

The United States had a complicated culture sounding women and gender-based violence. Rape is prevalent in the United States. 1 in 5 women in the United States have experienced rape or attempted rape. Moreover, 90% of sexual violence in the United States is directed at females(Violence).  It has been established that in the United States women with a multicultural background experience higher rates of rape and attempted rape. Rape and violence are major issues in the United States, yet it is marketed as a progressive country for women’s rights. Campaigns like the #metoo movement shed light on the issue of gender-based violence and discrimination by bringing the issue to the forefront of the public eye. Nevertheless, powerful men in our society from the President to NFL Quarterbacks are at the center of the gender-based violence issue. The culture around gender-based violence in the United States creates a hypocrisy between the image of a progressive society and the reality of the enormity of the issue. 

In the United States, the FBI defines rape as “ penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim”. The concept of force is also considered, therefore U.S law
States that “force” does not have to be physical pressure it can be emotional coercion, psychological force or manipulation. Under U.S law attempted rape, fondling or unwanted touching, and molestation is all considered illegal acts as well (Scope). This is a fairly comprehensive legal definition of rape. However, it is hard to win a rape case in court. This leads to major underreporting. In the United States, rape is the most undereported crime (Scope).  Despite the United Staes having a comprehnsive legal definitiom of rape, cases are extremaly under reported. 

In the United States, 80% sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone the victim knows. This phenomenon has been commonly referred to as “date rape”. Often the rapist is a date, classmate, or a well-known acquaintance. The other category of rape is stranger rape. Stranger rape can occur in a number of pretexts. The most common are a home invasion, contact sexual assault, and blitz sexual assault. Contact rape is when “a perpetrator contacts the victim and tries to gain their trust by flirting, luring victims to their car, or otherwise trying to coerce the victims into a situation where the sexual assault will occur”. A Blitz sexual assault is defined as “quickly and brutally assaulting victims with no previous contact”. 

One of the more sensationalized issue of gender-based violence in the U.S is the phenomenon of Campus Sexual Assaults. 20% - 25% of college women are victims of rape duirng their time in college (Get). The most startling aspect of this epidemic is that 90% of rapes  on college campuses go unreported(Get). This proves an underlying culture that creates a hostile environment for women to report. Moreover, this culture of violence is the setting of a very formative point in young men and women’s life. In many ways college teaches men and women how to interact and work in the same environment. Additionally, college is designed to be an incredibly empowering point in a woman's life. A culture of violence that is bolstered by administrative lack of due process sets a detrimental precedent for how men and women interact. This show’s how culture diminishes women and accepts gender-based violence. The epidemic of campus sexual assaults directly contradicts the United State’s image as a progressive culture for female empowerment. 

The United States has been proactive in changing culture to empower women. These efforts are best shown by the #meetoo movement.The #Metoo movement is a social media campaign aimed at addressing harassment in the workplace. The movement was mostly well received and became extremely popular very quickly. Within five days #MeToo measured 1.7million tweets from 85 different countries. Woman began to use social media as an outlet for sharing their expericnces with sexual abuse and harrassment. Social media became a platform to expose the enormity of the issue. Culture reacted two ways. One, many people became defensive and stated that women were being over dramatic. People became concerned about the allegations made on social media that had not been supported by facts. There was a risk of lost due process. On the other hand, there was a more positive reaction as well. Men began to ask: how can I change? Moreover, action was taken; allegations were investigated and prominent men faced consequences for their behavior. The #MeToo movement marked an arch in culture. Women began to feel safer and more confident in reporting abuse and men faced consequences for their actions. This proves that in American culture there is a level of empowerment for women that allows the country to be more proactive in fighting gender-based violence(Tagging). 

United States culture is comparatively progressive and holds women at a decently equal place compared to men. Women are able to hold jobs, live independently, divorce, and marry with their own consent. Nevertheless, gender-based violence is still at large in the United States. The most startling aspect of the issue is the hypocrisy of culture. This concept is exemplified by the #meetoo movement compared to the college campus sexual abuse epidemic. While the United States does have a lower rate of gender-based violence than Syria and India, it is critical that the US further develops a culture that empowers women. The success of the #meetoo movement shows that empowering women and changing culture is essential to lowering gender-based violence rates but the persistence of the issue shows the need for further cultural development. 

GBV and Culture In Culture in Syria 

Sexual violence, harassment, domestic violence, and violence against women and girls is prevalent in Syrian society. The issue becomes increasingly complicated as the country is in the midst of a devastating civil war. The entrenched patriarchal norms contribute to a culture that greatly oppresses women. In addition, in this time of crisis, women are vulnerable to sexual assault. Syrian women exist in a society that is hostile to them from every angle, leaving them with a sense of overwhelming fear.  A society of fearful women breeds issues of gender based violence.

Syrian culture holds women in a lower social status than men. Women are not independent and thus do not have the legal rights to protect themselves. An oppressive patriarchal society puts their safety as risk and with little means to fight back, women live in a constant state of fear that is detrimental to their development.  This culture allows for gender-based violence. 

In Syria, many women live in a constant state of fear which contributes to chronic psychological distress. Limitations are set on women though restrictions of movement by parents, husbands, and family members. Their basic human right of freedom of movement is threatened by entrenched patriarchy. Moreover, women also cite “fear of sexual violence as a reason for movement restriction”. 

 Child marriage is common. This structure places women in marriages at a very young age that do not have the legal rights to get out of. They are trapped in a state of servitude. Moreover, findings of qualitative data show that girls are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence in Syria, much like other countries in conflict(2019 Operational). Women are often placed in childhood marriages and are left without the legal rights to get out of them. Morovere, if their husband’s become abusive they are stuck in an entrapment of fear and unable to get out. 

Conflict is another aspect to consider when discussing gender-based violence in Syria. Extremists and armed opposition groups have ravaged the country of Syria. Communities have fallen into the hands of these groups while the central government of Syria has crumbled. Jahhat al-Nursa and ISIS groups have inhabited Northern Syria and have placed restrictive laws of women and girls. Girls are unable to roam freely, work, or attend school. Dress codes and restrictions on movement have been imposed for the areas of “Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood in the city of Aleppo, the towns of Afrin and Tel Aran in Aleppo governorate, the city of Hassakeh, the town of Ras al-Ayn in Hasakah governorate, the city of Idlib, and the town of Tel Abyad in Raqqa governorate”. The dress code includes a mandatory hijab and abaya and prohibits jeans and other tight-fitting pants. In some areas, women are forced to wear veils. The movement restrictions state that a woman is not allowed to leave the house without her male counterpart (husband or father). As collected by the UN, the account of a 39-year-old woman from Tel Aran shares her experience when these movement restrictions were first introduced: “We could not go visit our friends. We could not go to the market. Freedom was gone for us [women]. It was like we were in jail. We couldn’t even go outside our house. If we went outside, Jabhat al-Nusra would tell us to go back to our houses” (Syria). Conflict has allowed tyrannic rebel groups to take over vast areas of territory. When this occurs, rebel groups exert as much control as possible over the people in the conquered territory; women are the most vulnerable in this situation.   A UN survey concluded that the crisis further supports entrenched “patriarchal norms”. The prevalence of violence and the oppressed state of women creates a chronic fear. This further oppresses women as they are constantly in fear for their lives (2019 Operational). 

There have also been accounts that radical groups have targeted women with sexual assault. In 2012 a Kurdish woman was abducted and held in solitary confinement and repeatedly raped by Northern Storm Brigade in Aleppo. In another account, a family traveling in Damascus was stopped by an opposition group at a known checkpoint. The entire family was raped (Syria). Rebel groups use gender-based violence, specifically sexual assault, to insight fear. This culture of fear keeps women oppressed. 

Fear is at the center of culture for women in Syria. Women are unable to leave the house, choose their clothing, obtain an education, or choose a husband. If they break any of these strict rules they put their life at risk. Their fear is legitimate and they feel powerless to fight back against it. It is this culture of fear and oppression that breeds gender-based violence. Men use fear, threats, and violence to oppress Women in Syria.  

India 

Women are at the lowest level of Indian society (Udas). They are perceived to be inferior to men. They are expected to remain at home and care for children and household chores. As a culture, it is accepted that women are less than men. This is exemplified in education,  There is a traditional view that women do not need to go to school. There is a 16.68 percentage gap between male and female literacy rates (Udas). 

This oppression stems from a patriarchal society. Patriarchy manifests its self in traditions of oppression such as dowry, the inability for a woman to inherit money and parents having a strong sex selection towards men (Udas). In Indian culture, at every stage of a woman’s life she is reminded she is less than her male counterpart. It is this cultural standard that makes gender-based violence prevalent and accepted. 

In India, there is a huge discrepancy in the life of men and women. This begins at birth. There is immense pressure to bear a son as opposed to a girl due to the cultural norm of the dowry. For poor women especially they can expect to not be able to provide enough money for their daughters to marry. Thus, femicide is prevalent: “Even though the practice is outlawed, 300,000 to 600,000 female fetuses are aborted every year in India because of the preference for boys, according to a 2011 study by The Lancet.”(Udas). As girls grow up, they are treated much differently from their brothers. Boys are given better food and clothes. They are brought up under the assumption that they have a future outside of the house. They are given access to education. Women are generally given minimal education and are married off by 18. This creates the schema that women are inferior to men and are solely purposeful for marriage and motherhood. This inflates a men’s sense of power and a woman’s sense of worthlessness, Therefore, it is no surprise that “A 2012 UNICEF study found more than half of Indian adolescent males think it is justifiable to beat a wife under certain circumstances.”(Udas). 

There have been multiple incidents of particularly gruesome sexual assault. In July of 2012, a 16-year-old was ganged raped by 8 men on a bus. There were multiple witnesses, all of whom videotaped the assault but failed to intervene. In a village 20 minutes out of the main city Jhajjar, a mother of four was dragged out of her house and beaten and raped by five men. She was unable to seek justice. She explains: "The difference is that we are poor. We are not heard. When we go to the police station, they just do some formality. We are not being heard. We want justice”.  There is a perpetual stigma around rape and assult. Women are shamed and blamed. This stigma keeps many women from reporting. Nevertheless, 24, 000 cases of rape were reported in 2011. On top of that, there are countless more assaults that were not reported. 

There is an apparent level of hatred against women prevalent in india culture. They are discriminated against even before birth. Poverty clearly exacerbates this cultural belief as because of patriarchal norms women are considered a formidable financial burden (Udas). 

Indian culture treats women as lesser than men. Therefore, men grow up believing they are higher than women. This schema is extremely dangerous as it creates a culture where men believe they are justified in their violent actions against women. A 2012 Unicef study showed that 54% of men believe wife beating is acceptable. More than half the male population believes that women are objects that deserved to be tortured. Indian culture that places women strictly bellow men and the result is high levels of gender-based violence. 

Overview of Prevention 

Research concludes that there are two critical aspects of prevention: empowerment and changing culture. These two aspects often intertwine. An evaluation of specific prevention plans implemented in each country shows the success and failure of these aspects to varying degrees. 

Empowerment 

It has been established that in countries where women are held at a lower status than men, rates of gender-based violence are higher. Therefore, it is critical to increase the rights of women and provide equality. By empowering women through education and job opportunities they become more equal, independent, and free. When they are more free and equal, women have the tools to protect themselves from abuse and the independence to remove themselves from abusive situations. “Empowering and supporting girls and women through education, employment, income, support, and providing other opportunities(e.g for leadership, civic participation) is important for reducing women’s and girl’s risk for gender-based violence” (STOP).
Today in India women are killed for speaking out against their husbands. Women are kept oppressed in order for violence to continue. There is little being done to empower women in India. In Syria, where women are similarly oppressed, there are initiatives to empower young girls. The UN has created “GBV awareness kits” directed at young girls so they are informed about their risk. These kits center around awareness and understanding the scope and prevalence of gender-based violence. There have also been efforts to build support groups for young women such as the “Young Mothers Club”. Education is also a large part of empowering, teaching healthy and safe dating and intimate relationship skills can help keep women out of abusive relationships. A program called “Safe Dates” was implemented in United States Schools. The curriculum focused on attitudes and behaviors toward dating violence. The results were based on 8th and 9th graders. “Youth exposed to the program reported 56% to 92% less dating victimization and perpetration”.The United States prevention plan featured the most aggressive educational component. It is clear that empowering women is essential to lowering rates of gender based violence and key ways to empower is to educate and provide support and opportunity.  

Changing Culture 

Another important aspect of preventing gender-based violence is changing the culture. This aspect often pertains to changing men’s attitudes on gender-based violence. In India, there has been efforts to work with young men to implement safe dating skills and positive attitudes on equality. The Nehru Yuva Sangathan program of the Indian government’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports rolled out a program where curriculum would be taught by coaches to boys on cricket teams. The program aimed at “transforming attitudes on inequality”(Top). In The United states, there is an effort to promote social norms that protect from gender-based violence through social-emotional learning. Mobilizing boys as allies have been particularly successful. Bystander approaches have been proven to lower rates of dating violence and stalking. The Social-Emotional learning techniques are based mostly on middle school students. They are mostly aimed at reducing bullying and sexual violence. The skills of problem-solving and emotional meaning, as well as empathy, are taught. The information is taught in an interactive setting and incorporated into small groups. The result was a 39% reduction in Sexual violence among participants and a 56% reduction in homophobic teasing. Changing culture by targeting men has proven effective in lower rates of gender based violence. Showing gender -based violence is wrong and that men will face consequences leads men to change their opinions and actions (Stop). 

Practically implementing Change 

Another key aspect of prevention is legislation. The Indian Penal code has statutes that outlaw rape, attempted rape, kidnapping, abductions, and dowry deaths(Violence Against). Nevertheless, traditional society rejects such legislation. Even though Indian Constitution boasts gender equality, women are oppressed by patriarchal cultural norms. The United Sates’s penal code outlaws rape and attempted rape federally, but the definition of consent varies between states. For example in Massachusetts “the standard in sexual assault statutes is whether the accused compels the victim to submit by force and against his or her will, or complex such as person to submit by threat of bodily injury”. In Alabama, consent is defined as “acquiescence or compliance with the proposition of another'' and lack of consent can result from forcible compulsion or incapacity to consent. Moreover, “forcible compulsion means physical force that overcomes earnest resistance or threat, expressed or implied, that places a person in fear of immediate death or serious physical harm(Scope). The Syrian constitution boasts gender equality as well but due to the current conflict, oppressive radical groups have enforced strict rules on women(Syria). The strength of legislation is measured by the degree to which it is enforced.While legislation and culture can clash, in combination with reshaping culture, legislation is essential to fordifying cultural change. 

Conclusion 

Research shows that there is a strong correlation between the culture of a society and the rate of gender based violence. The United States, Syria, and India each present their own unique cultural attitude toward women. The hypocrisy established in  The U.S surrounding women influences it’s relatively high rates of gender-based violence (amongst developed nations). The discriminatory patriarchal structures in Syrian society, of which are exacerbated by the current conflict, create a sense of overwhelming fear that oppresses women and breeds gender based violence. In India, the life of discrimiantion girls face manifests in a male population that feels entitled to violence against women and a female population that doesn’t have the tools to escape opression. Each country presents its own unique struggle,  but one fact remains abundantly clear: there is a strong correlation between how culture views women and the rate of gender-based violence. Morovere, cultures that empower women have lower rates of gender-based violence. This correlation is essential because it paves the path for progress. If efforts are made to empower women and lift them out of oppression, rates will decrease. This correlation is the key to understanding and most importantly combating gender-based violence. 

Empowering women will give women the tools they need to protect themselves. Currently, structures hinder or nearly absolve women’s independence. If efforts are made to empower women they will have the tools to escape abusive relationships, poverty, and entrenched patriarchal norms all of which contribute to inflated rates of gender based violence. Additionally, targeting these partricarhcial  norms by educating men has proven effective. By educating men through direct education like the equality education on cricket teams in India  as well as broad awareness like the #MeToo movement in the US will help to reshape culture. Changing culture to support women by showing that gender based violence is wrong will alleviate the oppressive power placed on women. Additionally, changing a culture to lift women out of poverty and patriarchal structures will empower them and diminish the power of men. 

The solution seems simple in theory: create a global culture that lets women know they have the power to fight back, while simultaneously making it clear to men that gender based violence will never be tolerated.  Nevertheless, entrenched culture is hard to overcome. The data is optimistic, on a small scale these prevention methods work. We must push to see this positive data on a global scale. With the correlation between culture and rate of gender-based violence, we have the key to lowering rates. Women make up more than half the global population, it is time that we as a global entity ensure the majority of the world is safe from brutal violence. 

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