GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON INDIVIDUAL MENTAL HEALTH
Gender based violence (GBV) is violence that is targeted at women or men because of their sex and/or their socially constructed gender roles. It is any harmful act that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to a girl, boy, man or woman on the basis of their gender.
Basically GBV may take many forms for instance it could be Domestic, Physical, Sexual, Psychological, Emotional or Economic violence.
Let us look at each of these forms in brief:
Domestic Violence:
This consists of a variety of abusive acts, occurring in multiple episodes over the course of the relationship. Some episodes consist of a sustained attack with one tactic repeated many times (e.g., punching), combined with a variety of other tactics (such as name calling (like dull), threats, or attacks against property). Other episodes consist of a single act (e.g., a slap, a “certain look”) Mostly common in the same household.
Physical Violence:
This may include spitting, biting, shaking, pushing, throwing, slapping or beating (with open or closed hand), punching, burning, and/or use of weapons (e.g., household objects, knives, guns) against the survivor. The physical assaults may or may not cause injuries.
Sexual violence:
It can take many forms and take place under very different circumstances. A person can be sexually violated by one individual or several people (e.g. gang-rapes); the incident may be planned or a surprise attack. Although sexual violence occurs most commonly in the survivor's home (or in the perpetrator’s home), it also takes place in many other settings, such as the workplace, at school, in prisons, cars, on the streets or open spaces (e.g. parks, farmland). The perpetrator of a sexual assault may be a mate, a friend, a family member, an intimate partner or former intimate partner, or a complete stranger, but more often than not, is someone known to the survivor. Common example of this may include Non-consensual touching and seduction or sexual harassment by superior or vice versa.
Note that:
In Nigeria seven percent of women age 15-49 report having experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime.
According to 2013 NDHS shows about 3.7 percent (795 women) report experienced sexual violence in Sokoto State alone.
Psychological Violence:
Example of such violence in the public places includes the isolation of young women or men who do not act according to traditional gender roles. Isolation is not only used by peer groups, but even responsible adults – such as teachers and sports coaches. Most typically, isolation means exclusion from certain group activities, community engagements, festivities etc. It can also include intimidation, threats to “harm” by means or words e.g. “I’m going to kill you,” “No one is going to have you,” or with actions (e.g. displaying weapons, hostage taking, suicide attempts). It could also be through the use of children. Some abusive acts are directed against or involve children in order to control or punish the adult victim. A perpetrator may use children to maintain control over his partner by threatening to take children away from her/him, involving her/him in long legal fights over custody, or kidnapping or taking the children hostage as a way to force the survivor’s compliance.
Emotional Violence:
It takes a form of a tactical of control that consists of a wide variety of verbal attacks and humiliations, including repeated verbal attacks against the survivor’s worth as an individual or role as a parent, family member, friend, co-worker, or community member. It may also include humiliating the victim in front of family, friends or strangers. Perpetrators may repeatedly claim that survivors are crazy, incompetent, and unable “to do anything right, you are not capable of being a husband; I regretted having you as a wife” etc.
Economic Violence:
Perpetrators control survivors by controlling their access to resources: time, transportation, food, clothing, shelter, insurance, and money. It does not matter who the primary provider is or if both partners contribute. S/He may actively resist the survivor becoming financially self-sufficient as a way to maintain power and control. Conversely, S/he may refuse to work and insist that s/he support the family.
Factors causing GBV:
The factors are many, but below are the major ones:
Societal, cultural-related reasons
Ethnicity and differences
Disabilities and social status
Structure and bureaucratic systems
Lack of communication
The Consequences of GBV
Most identified consequences of Gender Based violence are:
Physical health consequences
Psychologically health consequences
Academic consequences
Socio-cultural effects
Unwanted pregnancy
Sexually transmitted infections
Depression
Anxiety
Death/Suicide/murder
Stigmatisation
Physical injuries
Responses:
These are some of the responses to addressing issue of GBV:
Medical services especially where there is physical injury or harm
Legal and security services
Mental health and psychosocial support
Livelihoods
Prevention:
GBV infringes upon the right of an individual and also violates other fundamental human rights, predominantly those of the rights of the individual to human dignity and personal integrity. Therefore the following solutions were suggested:
Encourage reforms that strengthen gender equity in the overall government system, for example interventions that include gender perspectives and tools in designing and development of government programs and activities. This should include the development and implementation of policies and action plans on how to address all types of violence, including GBV, to specifically foster a safe and discrimination free society.
Create a gender aware counselling system that gives effective support to victims/survivors of GBV.
Improve safety at public places such as schools, hospitals, markets and on the way including establishing a safe and violence-free environment by improving infrastructure such as transportation, separate sanitation facilities and improved lightening.
Improve the performance of Legal System to be able to respond to GBV issues timely and comprehensively.
Involve local communities, religious, traditional and political leaders as well as other CBO’s to not only change attitudes and behaviours at the societal level, but also assure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions and get appropriate punishment they deserved
Support group education combined with community mobilisation. These interventions usually provide training on topics like masculinities, gender and GBV to adolescents who in turn mobilise others through different community events.
When GBV does occur, there should be clear, safe and accessible procedures and mechanisms in place for reporting incidents, assisting victims and referring cases to the appropriate authorities. Responses to GBV should ensure the availability of easily-accessible, confidential reporting mechanisms, healthcare services including counselling and support, and referral to law enforcement.
By Abubakar Magaji Yabo, Sarkin Yamman Yabo
Zonal Program Director Northwest
Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation
If things are getting out of hand, please call us on +234 814 831 8965 or send us an Email at: info@copeandlive.foundation