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Welcome to
16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST
Gender-Based Violence
with Nonviolence International New York!
Nonviolence International New York
Is a Volunteer and Youth powered Branch of Nonviolence International that advocates for nonviolent solutions in violent and oppressive situations. It does so through civil society participation at the United Nations, Partnerships with grassroots organizations and Outreach on Social Media
16 DAYS CAMPAIGN - Nonviolence International New York
One of the highlights of our social media calendar here at Nonviolence International New York is the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
This is an annual international campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The campaign is coordinated each year by the Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL).
Organizations around the world focusing on nonviolence, peace, and gender equality collaborate in this global project to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Nonviolence International New York contributes to the campaign by advancing the gender equality agenda from the perspective of humanitarian disarmament.
It is imperative that the global movement for peace
incorporates the perspectives of women and girls, who highlight issues which might otherwise be insufficiently addressed.
One international instrument that is paving the
way for the application of a gender-sensitive lens to be used in arms issues is the Arms Trade Treaty. The theme for the fifth presidency of the ATT, which was held in Latvia, was gender and gender-based violence.
Last August, State Parties met in Geneva to discuss how their actions within the ATT can have a greater focus on gender equality.
Roisin Putti, research analyst at NVI-NY, looked into the outcomes of the meeting and argues that gender quotas are an important element to secure equal gender representation at ATT conferences and beyond.
Check out her blog post
16 DAYS CAMPAIGN - Nonviolence International New York
HISTORY OF 16 DAYS
BY CARL MACKENSEN
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence was created by members of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) in 1991. The United Nations supports this yearly initiative with their UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign. Many organisations around the world do the same, either by supporting the UN campaign or creating their own. The 16 Days movement originated with the Montreal Massacre in 1989 - a mass shooting at the École Polytechnique that resulted in the deaths of 14 women, and an additional 10 women and four men being injured. This mass shooting was regarded as gender-based violence, and led to the creation of the 16 Days of Activism initiative two years later.
Gender-based violence is still a stark reality around the world. Women and girls experience sexual and physical violence in times of war and peace. The presence of a gun in the home dramatically increases the likelihood of gender-based violence, as abusers with access to firearms are up to five times more likely to kill their victims. Every month, approximately 52 women are shot and killed by a domestic partner. Together we can bring gender-based violence to a halt. Evidence has shown that stopping abusers’ access to guns by following federal and state laws and policies can save lives. It is necessary to call on our elected officials to make it impossible for abusers to get access to guns. The 16 Days campaign reminds us gender-based violence in 2019 is still a reality. Evidence-based policies show us the way to prevent the deaths and abuse of women and girls around the world. Together, by lifting our voice and advocating, we can implement change in our society.
This is at the heart of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
Sexual Violence and
Mental Health
BY CARL MACKENSEN
Sexual assault has a complicated relationship with mental health. Sexual assault can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), eating and sleeping disorders, suicidality, amongst other things. The stigma that people already face by virtue of having a mental health issue is hard enough to deal with on a day to day basis, let alone when sexual assault is layered on top of this. There is a 50-59% percent chance that a woman will develop PTSD after being raped. Childhood sexual abuse is strongly linked to worsened mental health as an adult. Trauma-related disorders related to
sexual abuse are also much higher among poor women, with one study
finding that 83% of women in the study had been physically or sexually
abused during their lifetimes. Lastly, the likelihood of experiencing violence
as a homeless woman was found to be so high (97%) that it was seen to be
simply the norm.
There is cause for hope. First, prevention of sexual assault through public education campaigns about consent can make a real difference. Second, reducing the stigma associated with both mental health issues and sexual assault greatly ameliorates subsequent treatment. Lastly, there are organizations that deal with sexual assault, and the earlier intervention takes place, the better are the prospects of recovery. With prevention, lessening stigma, and treatment, we can make a difference. Some of the organizations that exclusively tackle these issue are the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Contact information can be found below.
24/7 Hotline: 800-656-4673
IMAGE SOURCE MEDUIM
So what can we do? If you have experienced trauma, seek help. Relatedly, we can work to lessen the stigma of mental health issues, whether occurring before or after trauma, and their treatments. We can make a difference by having difficult conversations with our family, friends, neighbors, and community members about both mental health, and sexual violence. Specifically, we can lessen the stigma associated with mental health and sexual violence by listening compassionately to survivors, and offering them a forum in which to tell their stories. For those with mental illness, listening to their life experiences also proves a great resource on the road to recovery. Another tangible thing we can do is to speak with elected representatives and educators about including mandatory consent education in basic sexual education. This would aid prevention. Lastly, we can attempt to forge a ‘positive peace’ environment, by focusing attention on the poorest among us, as they disproportionately face the largest threat of trauma.
Together, we can make a difference.
Illustration: Annika Carlsson
16 DAYS OF
ACTIVISM GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AT WORK
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD OF WORK
In the United States, the average workers spend approximately 55 hours a week engaging in work related activities (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics). Therefore, the work environment plays a critical role in the health and well-being of
employees. While working or on duty, American employees experienced 36,500 rapes and sexual assaults from 1993 to 1999 (Duhart, 2011). And one study of employed women found that 38% experienced sexual harassment at work (Potter&Banyard,2011).
16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM
WIGDORLAW.COM
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD OF WORK
The prevalence of sexual violence is not confined to socioeconomic lines. Factors such as racism, sexism, classism, and heterosexism can be taken advantage of by people who commit sexual violence. For instance, undocumented and documented immigrants, restaurant and service industry workers, and people living in poverty are more vulnerable to sexual assault in the workplace (Jewkes, Sen, & Garcia-Moreno, 2002). In traditionally male-dominated industries, such as in the military, women could experience more sexual harassment and violence. This section high lights specific populations that are at an increased risk for sexual victimization at work as well as introduces recommendations and targeted call to actions.
RESTAURANT WORKERS
a. More than one in ten of the more than 4,300 restaurants workers Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC)surveyed nationwide reported that they or aco-worker had experienced sexual harassment in their restaurant (ROCUnited,2011).
b. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data revealed that from January to November 2011, almost 37%of all EEOC charges by women regarding sexual harassment came from there restaurant industry(Tahmincioglu,2011).
c. The EEOC has targeted the restaurant industry as the "single largest" source of sexual harassment claims(Stumer,2009).
Recommendations
1. Protect workers from violations of federal, state and local equal employment opportunity laws.
2. Adopt legislation that would provide incentives or mandate employers to provide regular, on-going sexual harassment training to all their employees, including managers.
2. SERVICE
MEMBERS
- In 2010, 3,158 military sexual assaults were reported, about a quarter of those occurred during deployment in a combat zone (U.S.Department of Defense, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response 2011)
- The Department of Defense estimates that only 13.5% survivors report an assault.
Ongoing Efforts:
- The Sexual Assault and Prevention Response Office (SAPRO) released the 2019-2023 Prevention Plan of Action in May 2019 to guide DoD's prevention efforts throughout the uniformed services, including
- "Establish the expectations for a comprehensive prevention process and prevention system, as well as specific actions the department, Services, and National Guard Bureau (NGB) will take to realize effective prevention in every military community (Department of Defense 2019-2023 Prevention Plan of Action)."
3. IMMIGRANT WOMEN
A. Immigrant women face gender-based discrimination and other forms of "otherness" which can further disadvantage or make them vulnerable.
B. Report Cultivating Fear by Human Rights Watch discusses the sexual violence experiences of immigrant farmworkers in the United States. This report suggests that these experiences are common among farmworking women, reporting is limited, and that an advocate's presence may increase reporting of these crimes.
C. Immigrant women are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault at workplace due to:
Lack of access to protection by legal or other systems of accountability
Language/communication differences
Economic instability/poverty, creating a lack of ability to change housing or job
Dependencyonindividual/system with power to create abuse
Pass the Senate version of the Violence Against WomenAct (VAWA) reauthorization bill
(S. 1925) or similar legislation that strengthens the U visa and other protection for immigrant victims of sexual violence, including farmworker women and girls.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sexual violence in prisons
11/25/2019 - Njomeza Blakçori
Called out of her cell, she was led by a deputy at the L.A county jail into what appeared to be an unused classroom, pushed against a wall and raped. Although sexual violence had become a fairly routine experience for women incarcerated at Lynwood,