Aline Nizigama’s Post

Gender based violence is often perceived as a woman’s issue - truth is - it’s very much a man’s issue. Why? Because this issue circles around their need for self control, self awareness and a grasp of what it means to be socially responsible. Imagine if there was violence like this taking place against men? How would that play out? Would there be the same laissez-faire attitude about it? I don’t think so. As I underline in all of the training I do, everyone has a role to play, including men, to make our workplace and society a better place for all people. One way for men to pay greater attention to this issue is to explain the financial impact of how it affects a corporation’s bottom line. How you ask? Because if women are assaulted either on or offsite the workplace, they will be less focused at work, feeling shredded that something like this could have happened to them, doubt themselves and think they must have done something to bring it on, leading to a lack of confidence, self worth, and a diminished ability to trust others - essentially their brains go offline for awhile until they can regroup from what happened. We know now that women add incredible value to decision making, innovation, better business outcomes like safety and ultimately the bottom line. We cannot afford to destabilize and undermine that value by being a bystander and having women affected like this. It’s time to move from awareness of this issue to action. If you are needing help with what action to take, try the online training at: https://lnkd.in/e2CzMhh8. It’s affordable and impactful. All testimonials say so. #leadthechange Frances McRae Michael Vandergrift Francois Dufresne Sarah Billig Sinta Dewi Melody Mobley Staffan Norin corey mathieson Kristen Stinson Christine Gelowitz, RPF Kim Carstensen Subhra Bhattacharjee

Violence against women must be prevented Violence – in all its forms – can have an impact on a woman’s health and well-being throughout the rest of her life – even long after the violence may have ended. It is associated with increased risk of injuries, depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually-transmitted infections including HIV and many other health problems. It has impacts on society as a whole and comes with tremendous costs, impacting national budgets and overall development. Preventing violence requires addressing systemic economic and social inequalities, ensuring access to education and safe work, and changing discriminatory gender norms and institutions. Successful interventions also include strategies that ensure essential services are available and accessible to survivors, that support women’s organisations, challenge inequitable social norms, reform discriminatory laws and strengthen legal responses, among others. “To address violence against women, there’s an urgent need to reduce stigma around this issue, train health professionals to interview survivors with compassion, and dismantle the foundations of gender inequality,” said Dr Claudia Garcia-Moreno of WHO. “Interventions with adolescents and young people to foster gender equality and gender-equitable attitudes are also vital.” Countries should honour their commitments to increased and strong political will and leadership to tackle violence against women in all its forms, through: Sound gender transformative policies, from policies around childcare to equal pay, and laws that support gender equality, A strengthened health system response that ensures access to survivor-centred care and referral to other services as needed, School and educational interventions to challenge discriminatory attitudes and beliefs, including comprehensive sexuality education, Targeted investment in sustainable and effective evidence-based prevention strategies at local, national, regional and global levels, and Strengthening data collection and investing in high quality surveys on violence against women and improving measurement of the different forms of violence experienced by women, including those who are most marginalized.

Violence against women must be prevented Violence – in all its forms – can have an impact on a woman’s health and well-being throughout the rest of her life – even long after the violence may have ended. It is associated with increased risk of injuries, depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually-transmitted infections including HIV and many other health problems. It has impacts on society as a whole and comes with tremendous costs, impacting national budgets and overall development. Preventing violence requires addressing systemic economic and social inequalities, ensuring access to education and safe work, and changing discriminatory gender norms and institutions. Successful interventions also include strategies that ensure essential services are available and accessible to survivors, that support women’s organisations, challenge inequitable social norms, reform discriminatory laws and strengthen legal responses, among others. “To address violence against women, there’s an urgent need to reduce stigma around this issue, train health professionals to interview survivors with compassion, and dismantle the foundations of gender inequality,” said Dr Claudia Garcia-Moreno of WHO. “Interventions with adolescents and young people to foster gender equality and gender-equitable attitudes are also vital.” Countries should honour their commitments to increased and strong political will and leadership to tackle violence against women in all its forms, through: Sound gender transformative policies, from policies around childcare to equal pay, and laws that support gender equality, A strengthened health system response that ensures access to survivor-centred care and referral to other services as needed, School and educational interventions to challenge discriminatory attitudes and beliefs, including comprehensive sexuality education, Targeted investment in sustainable and effective evidence-based prevention strategies at local, national, regional and global levels, and Strengthening data collection and investing in high quality surveys on violence against women and improving measurement of the different forms of violence experienced by women, including those who are most marginalized.

'Reducing the cost of gender-based violence through inclusive budgeting' by Expertise France: 'Violence against women costs the European Union around 289 billion euros a year, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). This figure includes lost productivity, medical costs and support and protection services. Then there are the costs of cyber-violence against women and girls, estimated by the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS) at between €49 billion and €89.3 billion a year.' Refers to European Parliamentary Research Service publication on 'Violence against women in the EU', available here: https://lnkd.in/ejrnd6z2 #EPRS

Day 6 of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) – GBV & conflict Armed conflict puts all civilians at risk of experiencing violence, however women and girls suffer disproportionately in times of conflict due to pre-existing, intersecting forms of discrimination such as gender inequality, power imbalances, as well as conditions that are exacerbated by the conflict. According to UN data, there has been a devastating increase in gender-based violence, with reports of conflict-related sexual violence rising by 50% last year compared to 2023, with women and girls accounting for 95% of the verified cases – yet, unfortunately only representing a small fraction of the severity of the scale. During times of armed conflict, women and girls face additional harm due to challenges such as lack of access to healthcare including reproductive health and forced pregnancies and the effects of economic instability – making them particularly vulnerable to extreme poverty. With the rise in global conflicts exposing women and girls into increased vulnerability and violence, it is essential to use a gendered lens to execute humanitarian and development strategies. #NoExcuse #16daysofactivism #GBV #UNWomen #16days For more information on the increase in GBV during armed conflict:

#16daysagainstgenderviolence Risk factors of violence against women and girls Women who suffer multiple forms of discrimination face a higher risk of violence and are more vulnerable to its consequences. Violence against adolescent girls: are more at risk of intimate-partner violence than adult women. By the time they are 19 years old, almost 1 in 4 adolescent girls (24%) who have been in a relationship have already been physically, sexually, or psychologically abused by a partner. Partner violence and gender inequality in the Caribbean: A regional analysis of Women’s Health Surveys conducted in five CARICOM Member States – Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago – from 2016 to 2019 found that ever-partnered women aged 15-64 who were in relationships with men who had beliefs that reinforce male dominance and gender inequality were more likely to have experienced lifetime and current domestic violence. Behaviours intended to control women’s bodies, autonomy and contact with others are also strongly correlated with an increased experience of intimate partner violence. Women with disabilities report a higher rate of all forms of intimate partner violence than women without disabilities. A recent review confirmed a strong link between disability and increased risk of violence. A study conducted in the European Union revealed that women with disabilities faced higher risks of experiencing violence, and that the risk was even higher for women with disabilities on a low income.

How technology can offer a continuum of violence between physical and online spaces and what to do against it: "The Virtual is Real. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is a rapidly growing concern for millions of women and girls around the world. Born of misogyny and gender inequality, this violence permeates both online and offline spaces to not only deprive women and girls of the transformative benefits of technology, but also to further entrench damaging gender and social norms. In response, Canada and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, have joined forces to put an end to technology-facilitated gender-based violence." #unfpa #gbv #tfgbv #genderbasedviolence #technologyfacilitatedgenderbasedviolence #technology #socialmedia #canada

16 FACTS ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS IN NIGERIA. Fact 1. Physical violence can happen anytime anywhere to any woman or girl. Fact 2. Parents, watch out! Children are particularly at risk. Fact 3. For many women and girls, home is not a safe place. Fact 4. Schools can be safer! Fact 5. Sexual assault on women and girls is a public health issue. Fact 6. Violence is pervasive and unpredictable. Fact 7. Offenders go unpunished. Fact 8. Nigeria has the highest number of child brides worldwide. Fact 9. Rate of teenage pregnancy is alarming. Fact 10. Nigeria has the highest numbers of female genital mutilation. Fact 11. It’s a matter of life and death. Fact 12. Women and girls bear the burden of illiteracy. Fact 13. Leave no one behind. Fact 14. The silence of women living with HIV. Fact 15. Orphans are particularly vulnerable. Fact 16. COVID 19 lockdown led to a pandemic of violence against women. FACTS which exacerbate the situation Women are underrepresented in decision making processes Women’s involvement in decision making has remained stagnant since 1999 with about 20% female Ministers and Special Advisers, 7% female Federal parliamentarians, 3% female Local Government Chairpersons, 3% females State Houses of Assembly members, 4 female Deputy Governors and no female State Governor. This unequal power dynamic leads to women and girls having less access to resources and opportunities. Our current gender norms encourage women’s absence at the decision- making level and endorses unequal power distribution in favor of men and boys Greater efforts are required to increase political participation of women, amongst others through support for affirmative quotas and by placing women as candidates in key electoral institutions and political parties: I. A gender equality code of conduct must be introduced for political parties. Spotlight initiative, (2022)

Amidst progress, a stark reality persists: gender-based violence and femicide continue to haunt communities globally. Guatemala stands among the nations witnessing the highest rates of violent deaths among women, with 9.7 out of 100,000 affected (UN Women, 2022). Violence against women is not a recent phenomenon; it's deeply ingrained in Guatemala's history. Gender violence has long been utilized as a means of dominance and control over women's bodies and lives, perpetuated by a patriarchal and conservative culture. Behind every statistic lies a life cut short, a voice silenced, and a family shattered. It's a sobering reminder of the urgent need for collective action. We want to see a world where every woman feels safe and empowered. That is why Women’s and Girls‘ Equality is one of our areas of focus. Read more of UN Women's findings: https://lnkd.in/eFewr5me - En medio del progreso, persiste una realidad contundente: la violencia de género y el feminicidio continúan acechando a las comunidades a nivel global. Guatemala se encuentra entre los países que presencian las tasas más altas de muertes violentas entre mujeres, con 9.7 de cada 100,000 afectadas (ONU Mujeres, 2022). La violencia contra las mujeres no es un fenómeno reciente; está profundamente arraigada en la historia de Guatemala. La violencia de género ha sido utilizada durante mucho tiempo como un medio de dominación y control sobre los cuerpos y vidas de las mujeres, perpetuada por una cultura patriarcal y conservadora. Detrás de cada estadística se encuentra una vida truncada, una voz silenciada y una familia destrozada. Es un recordatorio sobrio de la necesidad urgente de acción colectiva. Queremos ver un mundo donde cada mujer se sienta segura y empoderada. Por eso, la igualdad de mujeres y niñas es uno de nuestros focos de atención. Lee más sobre los hallazgos de ONU Mujeres: https://lnkd.in/eFewr5me

At the core of gender-based violence (GBV) lies a system of oppressive social norms that perpetuate male dominance and uphold gender inequality. Patriarchy reinforces harmful notions of masculinity tied to control and strength, often normalizing violence as a tool of power. Dismantling these deep-rooted beliefs requires activism that centers men and boys as allies in the fight for gender justice. At Maitri, we believe men have a crucial role in dismantling systems of oppression and ending violence against women. Join us in challenging harmful gender norms through community dialogues and campaigns. Be part of the change—share your voice in our Engaging Men campaign. Email maitri@maitri.org to get involved! #maitribayarea #engagingmen #maitricampaigns #endgenderbasedviolence #genderjusticemovement