3. Domestic and sexual violence/ Impacts on health

Question 1

What is gender based violence?

Answer 1

Violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman, or violence that affects women disproportionately. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty

Question 2

What are the different forms of violence against women and girls at the following life cycle stages:

• Pre birth
• Infancy
• Children
• Adolescence
• Reproductive age
• Elderly

Answer 2

Pre-brith: Sex selective abortion

Infancy: Female infanticide, neglect (in health care and nutrition)

Childhood: FGM, child abuse, malnutrition

Adolescence: Prostitution, trafficking, forced early miscarriage, rape, psychological abuse

Reproductive age: Honor/dowry killing, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, homicide, sex trafficking

Elderly; Abuse, economial abuse

Question 3

What is domestic abuse?

Answer 3

Occurs within a current or previous intimate relationship
and can be physical, sexual or emotional and includes controlling and coercive behaviours.
AKA domestic violence, intimate partner violence, spouse abuse, battering, wife beating

Question 4

1/3 of women who experience DA are assaulted for the 1st time…

Answer 4

whilst pregnant

Question 5

How many women have been rape victims?

Answer 5

1/20

Question 6

How many rapes result in conviction?

Answer 6

6% of reported rapes result in conviction

Question 7

When did rape within marriage become illegal?

Answer 7

1989

Question 8

Violence against women is increasingly documented as a weapon used to…

Answer 8

humiliate and intimidate civilians and as

tactics in ethnic cleansing.

Question 9

Examples of stalking and harassment

Answer 9

• Surveillance
• Unwanted phone calls and text messages
• Unwanted gifts and cards
• “cyber” stalking
• Threatening emails, letters, calls or texts to family and friends
• Damage to property

Question 10

Examples of harmful traditional practice?

Answer 10

• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• “Honour” based violence: Post marriage, killed by disapproving families
• Forced Marriage
• Dowry related abuse

Question 11

Examples of commercial sexual exploitation?

Answer 11

• Prostitution
• Trafficking
• Pornography
• Lapdancing, pole-dancing, stripping
• Saunas, brothels, massage parlours

Question 12

How common is childhood sexual abuse (CSA)?

Answer 12

• 1:4 women have experienced csa

* 1:5 men have experienced csa

Question 13

Impacts of GBV on physical, mental and reproductive health?

Answer 13

Physical Health
• Injuries, disability, impaired immunity

Mental Health
• PTSD, anxiety, phobias, depression, addictions

Reproductive Health
• STIs, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, poor birth outcomes

Question 14

GBV?

Answer 14

Gender based violence

Question 15

Public health approaches to the elimination of GBV?

Answer 15

• Educational programmes to address entrenched societal attitudes and beliefs which reinforce gender innequality
• National campaigns to raise awareness of GBV and promote support services
• National campaigns to encourage non-abusing men to challenge sexist behaviours and attitudes which reinforce gender innequality
• Ensure health services are responsive to those affected by all forms of GBV and offer appropriate care and support.