Taking action: achieving gender equality and empowering women
Taking action: achieving gender equality and empowering women
Taking action: achieving gender equality and empowering women
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116 Chapter 9<br />
Interventions for combating violence against <strong>women</strong><br />
The scale <strong>and</strong> complexity of <strong>gender</strong>-based violence means there are no uniform<br />
global solutions to this problem. Needed are multisectoral strategies that deal with<br />
the complex <strong>and</strong> intersecting dynamics that perpetuate violence against <strong>women</strong>.<br />
Great progress has been made in the last 10 years in addressing this issue. Documentary<br />
evidence reveals an extensive rage of interventions designed to prevent<br />
<strong>gender</strong>-based violence, to support survivors of abuse, <strong>and</strong> to punish perpetrators.<br />
The effectiveness of particular interventions is, however, less well documented.<br />
Moser <strong>and</strong> Moser (2003) classify current solutions by their objectives,<br />
level, <strong>and</strong> main type of intervention (table 9.3). Interventions may be separate<br />
<strong>gender</strong>-based violence initiatives or components of other sectoral programs.<br />
As with any categorization, these are ideal types. In reality, policymakers <strong>and</strong><br />
practitioners are shifting toward more integrated approaches <strong>and</strong> are mainstreaming<br />
<strong>gender</strong>-based violence interventions into cross-sectoral violence<br />
reduction strategies.<br />
Human rights instruments<br />
In the past decade several international treaties have defined violence against<br />
<strong>women</strong> as a human rights violation. In an interpretative statement in 1992<br />
the monitoring body of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of<br />
Discrimination against Women clarified that <strong>gender</strong>-based violence constituted<br />
discrimination <strong>and</strong> thus was covered under the convention (UN 1979),<br />
obliging signatories to report on measures to reduce <strong>gender</strong>-based violence.<br />
Table 9.3<br />
Sector-level<br />
interventions to<br />
address <strong>gender</strong>based<br />
violence<br />
Source: Moser <strong>and</strong> Moser 2003.<br />
Sector policy<br />
or program<br />
Human rights<br />
Objective in addressing<br />
<strong>gender</strong>-based violence Level of intervention Type of intervention<br />
Legal enforcement<br />
by states <strong>and</strong> other<br />
social actors<br />
International<br />
Global human rights<br />
documents <strong>and</strong> policies<br />
Criminal justice Deterrence <strong>and</strong> control National laws Gender-based violence laws<br />
Health<br />
Prevention <strong>and</strong><br />
victim support<br />
National <strong>and</strong><br />
municipal programs<br />
State <strong>and</strong> municipal<br />
programs<br />
Education Prevention <strong>and</strong> reduction National, municipal,<br />
<strong>and</strong> nongovernmental<br />
organizations<br />
Communitydriven<br />
development<br />
Conflict<br />
prevention <strong>and</strong><br />
reconstruction<br />
Urban<br />
upgrading <strong>and</strong><br />
infrastructure<br />
Victim support <strong>and</strong><br />
empowerment<br />
Deterrence <strong>and</strong><br />
reduction through<br />
reconstruction activities<br />
Deterrence <strong>and</strong> reduction<br />
through environmental<br />
improvements<br />
Community, through<br />
municipal <strong>and</strong><br />
national programs<br />
International, national,<br />
<strong>and</strong> municipal<br />
Municipal<br />
Legal reform<br />
Conciliatory mechanisms<br />
Training of police <strong>and</strong><br />
judiciary<br />
Women’s police stations<br />
Training <strong>and</strong> procedures<br />
Crisis services for victims<br />
Programs for perpetrators<br />
School-based education<br />
programs<br />
Communication campaigns<br />
Shelters <strong>and</strong> hotlines<br />
Peer partnerships<br />
Community-based protection<br />
UN guidelines<br />
Services for refugees<br />
L<strong>and</strong> use planning<br />
Transport<br />
Water <strong>and</strong> sanitation