Race/Gender/Class determines the kind of sexual violence

inflicted on victims
Interpersonal violence against perceived or real weaker partner is a widespread phenomenon. Sexual
violence is a profoundly negative and traumatic life event with widespread psychological and sociological
effects on the victim irrespective of their gender. It often gives rise to a wide range of negative emotions,
embarrassment, and existential questions such as “Why me?” It increases feelings of helplessness and
powerlessness in the victim affecting their self-esteem and producing feelings which suggest that they
may be vulnerable to further violence. It is likely that the fear of sexual violence in women will restrict
their freedom and occupational opportunities and affect their long-term psychological well-being. Sexual
violence is rarely discussed within professional circles partly because of ignorance and partly due to
inexperience in asking serious personal sexual questions as well as associated social stigma and shame for
the victim and those related to the victim. It is both a health and a social concern with patriarchal,
misogynist, and gender-shaming undertones.

Various forms of violence

 It is estimated that 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or
sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner (not including sexual harassment)
at some point in their lives. However, some national studies show that up to 70 per cent of women
have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Evidence
shows that women who have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence report higher
rates of depression, having an abortion and acquiring HIV, compared to women who have not.
 Similar to data from other regions, in all four countries of a multi-country study from the Middle
East and North Africa, men who witnessed their fathers using violence against their mothers, and men
who experienced some form of violence at home as children, were significantly more likely to report
perpetrating intimate partner violence in their adult relationships. For example, in Lebanon the
likelihood of perpetrating physical violence was more than three times higher among men who had
witnessed their fathers beating their mothers during childhood than those who did not.
 It is estimated that of the 87,000 women who were intentionally killed in 2017 globally, more
than half (50,000- 58 per cent) were killed by intimate partners or family members, meaning that 137
women across the world are killed by a member of their own family every day. More than a third
(30,000) of the women intentionally killed in 2017 were killed by their current or former intimate
partner.
 Adult women account for 51 per cent of all human trafficking victims detected globally. Women
and girls together account for 71 per cent, with girls representing nearly three out of every four child
trafficking victims. Nearly three out of every four trafficked women and girls are trafficked for the
purpose of sexual exploitation.

Over the years, Bangladesh has proven itself to be a groundbreaking success story in terms of its
soaring economy in front of the world. However, the economic development has evidently failed
to translate into a social environment that safeguards the rights of women and children as
violence against women and girls are widespread and rising sharply.  
Bangladesh has recently seen a substantial rise in child sexual abuse. A recent report from
Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), a network of child rights organization in
Bangladesh, revealed that a number of 593 children were raped in the year 2017, 33 percent more
than the previous year. More worrying is that the comparative analysis of the situation also found
an increase in the number of murder after rape- 44 children have been killed after rape until this
August, while the cumulative number of similar cases was half in 2017.  

The alarming rise  was under sharp focus as a panel of experts from the non-profit, academic,
government and private sectors gathered at a Dhaka Tribune roundtable event in Dhaka,
moderated by Shabira Sultana Nupur, deputy director of Advocacy and Justice for Children,
World Vision Bangladesh, on Sunday, September 9. 

Titled “Ending Gender Based Violence Against Girls,” the roundtable event was a joint initiative
by World Vision Bangladesh and the Dhaka Tribune, undertaken to map out solutions to
eradicating violence against women and girls in Bangladesh.

Women in Bangladesh are disproportionately targeted violence and harassment facilitated online
using digital technology. It is undeniable that the expansion of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) and growing internet penetration has heightened the economic development in
the country, but due to the embedded prejudices against women in the social-physiological
settings and inadequate legal protections have led to increased cyber violence against women.  

Studies have found that the violence comes in many forms ranges from cyber stalking, revenge
porn, cyberbullying, and trolling. Women and girls are found as the primary recipient of
offensive and often aggressive sexual advances and defamatory messages in cyberspace from
anonymous and fake sources. False and altered unclothed pictures of women along with spam,
sex-act videos, rape threats, and indecent proposals have become the new norm of social media.

This rising cases of harassment in cyberspace have added a new dimension to violence against
women and girls. According to data released by the Counter Terrorism Unit of Bangladesh
Police, the number of complaints filed with their Cyber Crime division in this regard was 566 in
2017.  The number of cases saw a sharp rise in 2018 with 845 reported cases of cyber violence
until July, where women and children comprise 70 percent of the total victims.

Within any sociocultural setting, the meaning of being a man/woman and manhood/womanhood may
vary with masculine identity being associated with experiences and feelings of power. Paternalistic
cultural models encourage the view that men protect women from harm, thus giving the impression that
women are largely incapable of protecting themselves.
In addition to violence, the incident of sexual violence involves elements of control, power, domination,
and humiliation. In order to gain power and control over their victims, perpetrators of sexual violence
resort to practices such as abduction, isolation, manipulation, coercion, threats, and sexual abuse.
Offenders may not necessarily find the act sexually gratifying but it is the meaning attributed to power for
men that may override sexual goals in such acts. This is very well exemplified in sexual violence against
children, which is fundamentally an expression of power over a child's life. Resisting the offender's
attempts is unlikely especially so in the case of children since they do not always have the cognitive
maturity to understand the wrong-ness of the act.
It has also been postulated that gender equality may increase sexual violence in the form of male
backlash, with men being more commonly known to commit sexual violence across different cultures.
The Indian society is at present witnessing a shift from being male-dominating to being gender equal; it is
thus possible that the recent increase in the number of sexual violence cases in India is a result of the male
backlash for the growing gender equality. It is also entirely possible that increased media attention may
attract some individuals to perform these acts so that they gain a degree of infamy.

Gender-based violence against children refers to the violence inflicted on a child due to stereotypes and
roles attributed to or expected of them according to their sex or gender identity. 

Children’s vulnerabilities to violence stem from the fact that they depend on their parents or caregivers
for their development, health and wellbeing. Sometimes children are viewed as the property of their
parents or caregivers, rather than rights-holders, making them vulnerable to abuse, neglect, exploitation
and violence. Gender dynamics add another layer of vulnerability.

Gender-based violence disproportionately affects girls and women, particularly through certain forms of
violence such as child marriage, intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation, ‘honor’ killings
or trafficking. For this reason, Plan International focuses on ending violence against girls and young
women - to meet their increased needs and to advocate for their rights.

Gender-based violence against children refers to the violence inflicted on a child due to stereotypes and
roles attributed to or expected of them according to their sex or gender identity. 

Children’s vulnerabilities to violence stem from the fact that they depend on their parents or caregivers
for their development, health and wellbeing. Sometimes children are viewed as the property of their
parents or caregivers, rather than rights-holders, making them vulnerable to abuse, neglect, exploitation
and violence. Gender dynamics add another layer of vulnerability.

Gender-based violence disproportionately affects girls and women, particularly through certain forms of
violence such as child marriage, intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation, ‘honour’ killings
or trafficking. For this reason, Plan International focuses on ending violence against girls and young
women - to meet their increased needs and to advocate for their rights.

Who will revere the Black woman? Who will keep our neighborhoods safe for Black innocent
womanhood? Black womanhood is outraged and humiliated. Black womanhood cries for dignity and
restitution and salvation. Black womanhood wants and needs protection, and keeping, and holding. Who
will assuage her indignation? Who will keep her precious and pure? Who will glorify and proclaim her
beautiful image? To whom will she cry rape? Abbey Lincoln, 1970
Though written almost fifty years ago, Lincoln’s essay still resonates today.
1. This eloquent prose still eerily reflects the struggles that many Black women must navigate, especially
those residing in the neighborhoods Jim Crow built. In urban Jim Crow, violence is the mortar that lies
between the brick and stone constructing this space. Violence is a daily reality that seems to exist just
about everywhere. For a woman living within the confines of Jim Crow, violence resides in and outside of
home: the bed where she sleeps, the space in which she strolls, the environment where she works, and
even the places where she goes for recreation. Jim Crow has left a legacy of regulating property through
racial zoning policy, then restrictive covenants, and later, through the practice of redlining and racial
steering policy (1877–1960s), creating what I call Jim Crow geographies. In the post- 1970s or the “new”
Jim Crow era, these spaces continued to be created by policy, as noted by Richard Rothstein, in addition
to the custom of white flight.
2. Today many of Cincinnati city’s forty-eight neighborhoods still reflect the zoning policies that created
homogeneous communities on the basis of race and social class.

School and the journey to it can also be a place where girls experience violence, from sexual harassment,
bullying and intimidation. This violation of girls’ rights, especially when committed by those in positions
of care or authority, can impact on girls’ ability to continue and complete their education.
Gender-based violence disproportionately affects girls and women, particularly through certain forms of
violence such as child marriage, intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation, ‘honor’ killings or
trafficking. For this reason, Plan International focuses on ending violence against girls and young women
- to meet their increased needs and to advocate for their rights.
Gender-based violence is also a rising issue in online spaces, with girls and young women reporting
harassment and abuse. For many girls, there is pressure to leave online platforms, or self-censor to avoid
abuse. This puts the onus on girls to change their behavior, rather than the perpetrators and must be
challenged.
Proportion of ever-married women aged 15-49 experiencing intimate partner physical and/or sexual
 

violence in the last 12 months. Source: National Institute of Population Research and Training -
NIPORT/Bangladesh, Mitra and Associates/Bangladesh, and Macro International. 2009. Bangladesh
Demographic and Health Survey 2007. Dhaka, Bangladesh: National Institute of Population Research and
Training, Mitra and Associates, and Macro International.