With the Euros, Olympic and Paralympic games taking place this summer, it was imagined that the news cycle would be filled with inspiring stories, illustrating the very best of society. Instead, the major sporting events were overshadowed and dominated by devastating accounts of femicide and gender-based violence against women and girls.
Manifestations of Violence
Many women are victims of physical and sexual violence simply for being women.
Gender-based violence is violence directed against a person because of their gender or violence that affects people of a certain gender disproportionately. Femicide is the most brutal manifestation of violence against women and girls as it is intentional killing where the motivation is gender-related.
The WHO estimates that globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
These statistics suggest that a woman’s freedom is always constrained because the ability to live without fear and fully participate in society is often restricted. Instead of focusing on those who commit acts of violence against women, the responsibility for staying safe largely remains a woman’s responsibility. This is evident from the way young girls are taught to dress discreetly and to be vigilant, which internalises the idea that their safety is in their hands.
A Global Issue
Violence against women is not an isolated local or regional issue, but a global one.
Governments must prioritise working to stop violence against women by ensuring that the necessary safety mechanisms are in place. The World Health Organisation states that violence against women is a major public health problem and a violation of human rights. News headlines persistently detail tragic stories of women being raped and killed. Feminist activism can only do so much to protect them. For significant change to occur society must unite in the goal of eradicating the causes of gender-based violence worldwide.
The recent wave of violent crimes against women puts things into perspective. In Kenya, it was reported that Olympic long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei had petrol poured over her by her boyfriend before she was set on fire. She later died in the hospital after suffering multi-organ failure. Earlier this summer on August 9, a 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, in eastern India. The event sparked a wave of protests across India. Currently in France, there is an ongoing rape trial which has seen Dominique Pélicot plead guilty to drugging his wife, Gisèle Pélicot, and inviting more than 80 men to rape her over the course of a decade.
In the UK, the National Police Chiefs’ Council declared that violence against women is now a national emergency. This comes after police recorded a 37 per cent rise in violent crimes such as harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence in the last five years. The Southport stabbing, which saw three young girls murdered after a 17-year-old male targeted a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, was another devastating example of this epidemic. Ironically, rather than sparking a national conversation on violence against women and girls, immigration dominated the headlines as people focused on the perpetrator’s race and religion instead of discussing gender. The result was even more male violence as far-right groups from across the country engaged in riots fueled by racism and bigotry. These so-called defenders of justice were more concerned about promoting their hate-fuelled agenda than seeking to end violence against women and girls.
A Safer World for Women
Violence against women is both a national emergency and a global epidemic. To begin treating it effectively requires legal, social, educational and technological solutions aimed at eradicating systemic misogyny.
The normalisation of harmful ideas that perpetuate gender inequality — both on and offline — must be addressed. Governments must prioritise women’s safety by introducing key prevention initiatives that focus on dismantling harmful social norms and teaching communities to practice zero tolerance for violence against women.
More robust law enforcement is another must. There need to be serious ramifications for those who destroy women’s lives by creating an atmosphere of fear and danger. Aggressors must be held accountable for their actions.
Responsibility for women’s safety cannot rely solely on the work of activists. Only when there is a deep sense of collective responsibility for gender-based violence can profound systemic change happen.
DISCLAIMER: The articles on our website are not endorsed by, or the opinions of Shout Out UK (SOUK), but exclusively the views of the author.
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