Thinking About Gender and Violence - Essay Example

The prevalence of gender-based violence is startling thus it is hard to ignore it despite the establishment of international and regional frameworks for preventing gender-based violence. Women are the primary victims of gender-based violence therefore it is clear that there is a need to address the basic issue of gender inequality that is persistent in society to create new models of femininity and masculinity to create equal relations.

Though gender-based violence mainly targets women and girls, men and boys also find themselves to be survivors of gender-based violence. Gender violence takes place in and is condoned by families, institutions, and families; as well, the learning material made me understand that gender-based violence unfortunately takes place in refugee camps and is committed by humanitarian workers. The outcomes of gender-based violence include physical injury, isolation, emotional and psychological trauma as well as unwanted pregnancies. To respond to gender-based violence, the learning materials made me consider the coordination of activities among NGOs, government, and UN agencies. Moreover, safe and appropriate structures for reporting and responding to gender-based violence are crucial in dealing with the issue of violence. As well, survivors of gender-based violence have to access healthcare, social and psychological support as well as legal and security support.

Therefore, it seems that to address the issue of gender-based violence, different actors have to work together to establish a coordinated response within a community. To prevent gender-based violence, there is a need to look out for information that relates to practices that may contribute to secondary trauma to survivors of gender violence that may prevent them from seeking psychological support. Moreover, I think there should be a comprehensive understanding of factors that face women, boys, girls, and men in society; thus, the various organizations within communities will have to share information with protection agencies systematically.

            In cases of communal shelter, appropriate divisions among family members and genders have to be established to ensure sufficient privacy and space is available, particularly in female-headed households.  Moreover, to prevent gender violence there is a need to monitor the security and well-being of vulnerable individuals. I think there should be an effort to ensure that women and other community members get opportunities for meaningful participation in decision-making processes regarding services. , In consultation with women, offer women centers that are safe meeting places for various activities like the provision of psychological and legal services to respond to gender-based violence. Promoting and establishing skills and income-generating programs that target and include women in society go a long way in preventing gender-based violence. Moreover, I think the promotion of livelihood activities that address conflict resolution and problem-solving in a non-violent means is essential in reducing incidents of domestic violence (Nakray, 2013).

            Raising community awareness in participatory ways regarding gender-based violence such as information on available services and the laws of the country is crucial in preventing gender-based violence. Moreover, support of protection agencies draws up gender-based violence to prevent and respond and disseminate messages that prevent gender-based violence. Once gender-based violence is prevalent within a population, then setting up counseling committees with access to medical and legal services as part of the community is a good practice. Besides, choosing the best facilitators for an awareness campaign is crucial and in some cases using a member of the community serves better, while other situations require internal staff. Moreover, the gender of the facilitator has to be factored in the choice (Nakray, 2013).

            Advocating for community policing considering the high-risk regions and specific risks that face women and men in different age groups and backgrounds serves to prevent gender-based violence. Moreover, liaising with local authorities to promote safety measures and participating and taking an active interest in the community’s welfare. I consider cooperation with responsible protection agencies in the establishment of a coordinated and confidential reporting and referral system for survivors of gender-based violence to be essential.  , The study also helped me appreciate that promoting and assisting the establishment of community-based support networks and ensuring that the members are well-trained is crucial to the prevention of gender-based violence.

            In conclusion, the study material on gender-based violence helped me understand that it is crucial to ensure that local and internal agencies employ and train female staff, who are prepared to handle incidents in a way that prioritizes confidentiality, sensitivity, respect, and dignity of the survivor. Moreover, I learned that community members including women must participate in measures for improving security in a bid to avoid gender-based violence.