Violence against women

16 Days of No Violence Against Women Campaign, 25 November - 10 December 2009

A woman is raped in South Africa every 26 seconds. A WHO study that was recently conducted in ten countries found that between 15% and 71% of women reported being physically or sexually abused by a husband or partner. Some 40% of women in South Africa who took part in the study said that their first sexual experience was not consensual or that it was undertaken without their permission. They were, in other words, raped.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that violence against women is "a major health problem and a violation of human rights". It results in a wide range of physical, mental, sexual and maternal health problems, according to the organisation. WHO also points out that violence against women puts a burden on healthcare services because abused women are more likely to need health services and at a higher cost than women who have not suffered violence.

"The social and economic costs of violence against women are enormous and have ripple effects throughout society," says WHO. "Women may suffer isolation, inability to work, loss of wages, lack of participation in regular activities, and limited ability to care for themselves and their children."

What exactly is abuse and how is it best dealt with? The United Nations defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based 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 depravation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

One of the most destructive places where violence occurs is in the home. This is called domestic violence and it encompasses all acts of violence within the context of family or intimate relationships. One of the reasons it can be so destructive is that it impacts upon the entire family, including the children. Domestic violence is a leading cause of injury among South African women and is not confined to any one socioeconomic, religious, ethnic or age group.

Women who are being physically abused by their partner should understand that the violence tends to be recurrent, or, in other words, it happens over and over again, never stopping despite the promises of the abuser to change his or her behaviour. It also tends to get worse both in terms of its frequency and severity. Assaults can result in physical injury and cause severe emotional distress.

Most women do not report physical assault and the most obvious way to tell whether they are suffering from this is when they show physical injuries such as bruises on the arms and/or face, and other injuries.

Psychological abuse is a less obvious form of abuse and some victims say it can be every bit as destructive, because it robs them of their dignity and self esteem. Psychological abuse often occurs alongside physical abuse, but a psychological abuser does not necessarily resort to battery.

How do we stop violence against woman? This is not an easy question to answer, particularly as both the abuser and the abused often try to keep the violence out of the public eye. WHO says that interventions that have had promising results include increasing education and opportunities for women and girls, improving their self-esteem and negotiating skills, and reducing gender inequalities in communities.

"Other efforts with positive success include: work with teenagers to reduce dating violence, supporting programmes for children who have witnessed intimate partner violence; mass public education campaigns; and work with men and boys to change attitudes about gender inequities and the acceptability of violence"

"Advocacy for victims, better awareness of violence and its consequences among health workers, and wider knowledge of available resources for abused women (including legal assistance, housing and child care), can lessen the consequences of violence."  

Are you in an abusive relationship?*

You may have sometimes wondered whether you are in an abusive relationship. Answering for yourself the following questions may help you decide:

• Has your partner or ex-partner ever physically hurt you by kicking, punching or pushing you?
• Has your partner ever used the threat of hurting you to get you to do what he or she wants?
• Has your partner tried to keep you from seeing your family, going to school or university or do other things that are important to you?
• Do you feel like you are being controlled or isolated from other people by your partner?
• Have you ever been forced by your partner to have sex when you didn't want to?
• Does your partner often blame you for things that go wrong and insult you?
•  Are you afraid of your partner and of going home? Does he or she ever make you feel unsafe?

*Source www.childbirthsolutions.com

If you have any more questions on woman abuse you can phone the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send a SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and well-being.