Gender and Gender Based

Violence

Institute of Development Studies

Jaipur
 Gender based Violence
• Issue of VAW gained increasing centrality in
1975-95 globally, nationally and regionally.
• UN Decade for Women; WID initiatives; GAD
efforts - successful in identifying problems
critical to women's participation that were not
previously understood as development and
human rights issues.
• One such area is violence against women.
 1970’s

• The work of Esther Boserup, Women’s Role in

Economic Development (1970), provided
intellectual underpinning for WID arguments
which had lasting impact on the women and
development discourse.
Esther Boserup
• Challenged the assumptions of the ‘welfare
approach’
• Highlighted the important role women played in
agriculture economy of Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Also challenged the conventional wisdom that
women were less productive and not entitled to
a share of scarce development resources
 Gender and Development

• The UN Millennium Declaration (2000) makes an

explicit commitment to Gender Equality as an
end in itself
• “ No individual and no nation must be denied the
opportunity to benefit from development. The
equal rights and opportunities of women and
men must be assured”.
 GaD contd…

• Gender Inequality more pervasive than other

forms of inequality .
• A feature of social relations in most societies-
different forms in different cultures.
• Can be seen in – distribution of roles and
responsibilities, access to resources, power and
decision making
 Sex and Gender

• SEX- biological state of being male or female,

born with, cannot be changed

• GENDER-Socially constructed, not born with,

can be changed
 Gender

• Is not another word for women

• Does not focus on women alone

• Does not denote sexual difference

 Concept of Gender and Gender Relations
• Gender -- rules, norms, customs and
practices by which biological differences
between males and females are translated
into socially constructed differences
between men and women and boys and
girl

• Results in the two genders being valued

differently and in their having unequal
opportunities and life chances.
 Concept of Gender contd…
• Gender Relations- an aspect of broader social
relations, shaped and sanctioned by norms and
values.
• Central to these are culturally specific notions of
masculinity and femininity.
• Do not operate in social vacuum
• Four key institutions: family/community/market
and state
UNDERSTANDING
GENDER

• Gender refers to the

socially
constructed roles
and responsibilities
of boys and girls,
women and men
• Gender roles are
learned from
families and
communities
• Differ by culture
and religion and
periods of history
 Gender Equality

• Gender Equality: equality of treatment under law

and equality of opportunity

• A necessary condition for human development

 Factors contributing to existing gender
inequalities in Rajasthan
• Several interrelated factors
– Patriarchal values, ideologies and practices
• Expected to fit the image of a ‘good’ woman
• Gender discriminatory practices-low value at
birth/pre-birth
 Contd…

• Seen in reproductive role i.e. homemakers and

child bearers; men as providers.
• Poor access to resources as education, health
and nutrition
• Rights severely curtailed, authority and decision-
making remains largely with men
 Sex Ratio

Sex Ratio 922

Urban 890
Rural 932
Juvenile sex ratio 909
Urban 886
Rural 914
(Source: Census 2001)
 Juvenile Sex Ratio

• Declined in 21 out of 32 districts from 916 in

1991 to 909 in 2001, total decline of 7 decimals
• Worse in western and northern regions
compared to southern and south-eastern
regions.
• 13 districts lower than 900
 Article 2 UN Declaration
• "Violence against women shall be understood
to encompass, but not be limited to, the
following: Physical, sexual and psychological
violence occurring in the family, including
battering, sexual abuse of female children in
the household, dowry-related violence, marital
rape, female genital mutilation and other
traditional practices harmful to women, non-
spousal violence and violence related to
exploitation.
 Gender Based Violence

• Physical, sexual and psychological violence

occurring within the general community, including
rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and
intimidation at work, in educational institutions
and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced
prostitution.
• Physical, sexual and psychological violence
perpetrated or condoned by the state, wherever it
occurs"
Institutional Mechanisms to address gender
inequalities
• State Commission for Women
• Mahila Thanas
• Vishakha Judgment
• State Policy for Women