Arfana Sham / Opinion / 23 April 2023
Though this past century has brought many movements for reform, violence against women is still prominent and increasing in society.
According to U.N. Women, one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lives. And these heinous acts have not dropped in number—physical, especially domestic, psychological and intimate/non-intimate sexual violence has considerably increased within the last few years. The tragedies resulting from the stagnation of unequal distribution of power between men and women and impunity towards crime and abuse definitely does not deter its continuation.
The root of the recent increase in violence was hidden amongst the commotion caused by COVID-19, known as the Shadow Pandemic. During this time, cases of domestic violence reached record numbers due to the mandatory lockdown, and although domestic and intimate violence cases are underreported, according to U.N. Women, “in one weekend calls to domestic abuse helplines in the UK went up by 65%.” It was also reported by The American Journal of Emergency Medicine that there has been a 25 to 33 percent increase in domestic violence cases globally.
Though unintended, the pandemic brought about large risk factors for domestic crime. Financial stressors due to income loss and/or unemployment can increase tensions between people in households. Already tense relationships are put in jeopardy, interactions are increased and there is little to no breathing room; victims are also isolated from support systems, and are unable to see their close ones for reliance. Although the lockdown was a large positive in maintaining public health during the pandemic, secondary factors such as domestic violence should have been assessed when enforcing it.
The pandemic definitely brought increased risks for violence against women—however, they were always largely prevalent in society. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traditional gender norms/inequalities and certain cultural norms that support aggression towards others provide increased risk of violence. Societal income inequality and weak health, educational, economic and social policies/laws also contribute and definitely do not discourage violence crimes. Certain communities also evoke high risks, such as ones with high rates of poverty, unemployment, violence and crime, easy access to drugs and alcohol, limited educational/economic opportunity and low community involvement among residents. This also includes family and intimate partner relationships as well as poor mental health. Though one's personal state does contribute to their vulnerability, the general environment that they are in also contributes to the normalization of aggression.
Violence against women can bring short and long-term physical and mental health problems, affecting not only the victims but their family and communities as well. The Office on Women’s Health notes that conditions not limited to sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, arthritis, asthma, chronic pain, heart problems, nightmares, headaches, overbearing stress and immune system problems can impede victims from even attempting to live a normal life. Mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety further contribute to this. Those affected cope with harmful methods such as misusing drugs, drinking alcohol, smoking or overeating, with “90% of women with substance use problems [having] experienced physical or sexual violence.”
In response to these harmful practices, however, steps have been taken to reduce the amount of violence cases over the past few decades. President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) when he was a senator in 1994 and renewed and strengthened it on four different occasions: 2000, 2005, 2013 and 2022. This act created the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women to serve as a permanent federal response to the issue. Large sums of money (such as $1.6 billion from 1994-2000 according to the National Library of Medicine [NLM]) were allocated towards the investigation and prosecution of crimes, as well as provided funding for support groups and women’s shelters. The act also doubled federal penalties for repeat sex offenders, declared stalking as a crime as well as covered (and continues to cover) costs for the protection of victims. Specific funding reached tribal and LGBTQ+ populations, as well as those with disabilities, of old age and people of color.
The results were massive. According to the NLM, after the implementation of the VAWA, “the rate of intimate partner violence against females declined 53% between 1993-2008, from 9.4 victimizations per 1,000 females aged 12 years or older to 0.8 per 1,000.”
Though this may suggest that the rates of violence against women are taking a turn for the better, when considering the recent Shadow Pandemic and that, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 2 of 3 cases go unreported due to circumstances of the victim, cases of abuse are still outstanding and must be addressed immediately.
According to an article by The White House, “while incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault have declined significantly since VAWA first took effect—and efforts to increase access to services, healing and justice for survivors have improved with each iteration of VAWA—much work remains.”
The atrocious cruelties committed against women leaves no time to make it stop—the VAWA is only renewed only every four years, with the most recent and largest gap being nine. Governments must also consider the political, economic and social structures that subordinate women in order to implement the correct methods to ensure prevention.
"Governments must consider the political, economic and social structures that subordinate women in order to implement the correct methods to ensure prevention."
Social protection and economic support towards victims are crucial towards the prevention of future violence cases. Women should also be put at the center of responses to ensure that their voices are reflected through equal representation in decision making. Thus far, strong, autonomous feminist movements such as U.N. Women and the National Organization for Women have partnered with governments to find immediate methods to prevent violence against women and girls. Services for victims, such as hotlines and shelters, should also be strengthened and increased, emphasizing long-term rather than short-term prevention. Efforts to correct inaccurate data on cases—including ones from the same victim, and/or those of older ages and different demographics—must also be implemented.
Educating future generations about the effects of violence can also improve prevention measures.
Children should be made aware of how violence is being condoned and how to oppose any form of it—whether it be abuse or even just cultural or stereotypical reactions condemning gender equality. The way children are raised during their impressionable ages is what largely determines their future behaviors and ideologies. Early education about abuse towards women is crucial for future generations to fight against it, which is a large step towards the goal of its total eradication.
Comentarios