How can the government help eradicate violence against women?
On November 25, the United Nations commemorates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women as an effort to eradicate and prevent the rampant gender-based violence experienced by women and girls. For this reason, Seafarers' House has joined the cause that is the focus of this day. One way they are doing so is by informing about different topics that encompass ways to eradicate violence against women. In this case, how can the government help eradicate violence against women? This is a very complex and challenging question considering that governments operate in different ways and have different views on this issue. However, through different movements over the decades, women have succeeded in implementing measures that can protect the lives and rights of women and girls. For example, a women's movement in Ghana succeeded in getting the government to implement the "Domestic Violence Act of 2007".
To begin with, violence against women is defined as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life." As mentioned above, government efforts on this issue are varied. However, we can consider the efforts made by the United Nations to eradicate this problem. Among the solutions implemented by the UN are the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women to ensure the right of women to live a life free of violence. According to UN statistics, only 40 percent of women in situations of violence seek help. For this reason, the UN has dedicated itself to working with governments and organizations to find ways to prevent and end violence against women and girls. Within this, they emphasize the importance of providing education to women and girls as well as men and boys as a form of violence prevention, as they understand prevention as the most cost-effective way to stop violence against women. If we educate boys and girls about this issue and provide gender-sensitive education, we can develop conscious people in society who will not perpetuate violence in the long run.
Another initiative developed by UN Women, called Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces, focuses on preventing and responding to sexual harassment experienced by women and girls in public spaces.
In short, violence against women and girls is a human rights violation that costs many women their lives every day. The fight to eradicate violence against women is not easy and we can start if governments are committed to developing ways to educate for a gender perspective and by being more assertive with government implementations to eradicate this violence.
For more information, please visit www.unwomen.org and join Seafarers’ House to continue learning and engaging in ways to end violence against women and girls.
Anyidoho, N. A., Crawford, G., & Medie, P. A. (2020). The Role of Womens Movements in the Implementation of Gender-Based Violence Laws. Politics & Gender, 17(3), 427-453. doi:10.1017/s1743923x19000849
What is violence against women? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://plan4womenssafety.dss.gov.au/resources/what-is-violence-against-women/
What we do: Ending violence against women. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women