| Sexist Violence: Some data to take into consideration |
|
by Nirvana Gonzalez Rosa The most common form of violence experienced by women around the world is violence inflicted by an intimate partner. On average, at least one in three women is beaten, pressured into having sex or abused in some other way by her intimate partner sometime during her life. Women between 15 and 44 years of age are at higher risk of experiencing sexual assault and domestic violence than cancer, traffic accidents, war and malaria, according to information from the World Bank. Several international studies suggest that half of all women murder victims were killed by a current or former partner, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is estimated that one in five women worldwide will be the victim of rape or attempted rape in the course of her lifetime. Rape of women in times of war and after the end of the conflict has been documented in all regions of the world. Violence against women is not limited to a particular culture, region or country or to certain kinds of women. This phenomenon is rooted in the historically unequal power relations between women and men and in the persistent discrimination against women. The costs of violence against women are immense, and include the direct cost of services required to treat and support the victims of violence and their children and the cost of bringing the perpetrators to justice. Indirect costs include the loss of employment and productivity and costs related to the human suffering and pain involved. Abused women are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, eating disorders, sexual dysfunction and reproductive health problems, including miscarriage, premature delivery, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion, than women who have not been abused. The presence of sexist violence against women is significant during pregnancy, which involves a double risk—to the woman and the fetus. The aftermath of gender violence can lead to new expressions of violence, producing a vicious, endless cycle. For example, infection with HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy heighten the risk of abuse for women, resulting in an endless cycle of violence. Another frequently observed situation is that women who experienced violence as girls or young women often find themselves in similar situations as adults. In general, all forms of sexist violence have an immense impact on women’s health on a scale that still has not been fully determined. Nirvana Gonzalez-Rosa is from Puerto Rico and is with the Latin American and Carribean Women's Health Network (LACWHN) based in Chile. LACWHN is a member of the international alliance of the Women WON'T wait. End HIV and Violence Against Women. NOW. Campaign. Sources: UN Secretary-General’s Campaign to End Violence Against Women. 2008-2015. The Framework for Action, data sheets and related declarations can be found at: http://endviolence.un.org/ UN Secretary-General’s Database on Violence Against Women: http://webapps01.un.org/vawdatabase/home.action United Nations Population Fund, UNPFA. Fact Sheet World Health Organization. Health Topics: Gender-based violence - http://www.who.int/topics/gender_based_violence/en/index.html |