Gender-based violence is considered a violation of human rights, a significant roadblock to attaining gender equality, and a hindrance to a nation’s growth. GBV substantially increases during times of crisis, such as wars and pandemics.
GBV is violence that targets a person precisely because of their gender identity or biological sex. It may take place in public or in private. It involves psychological, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. Threats, compulsion, and deprivation, like those related to the economy or education, are also used.
Women and girls regularly experience assault, harassment, and discrimination; this is not really anything new. One in three of us will experience some sort of violence in our lifetimes, and most of those people will not disclose it.
The following actions can help you join the battle against gender-based violence:
1. Volunteer
No matter how small, every action counts, and volunteering is a terrific opportunity to invest your time and energy in the community issues that are important to you. Start by investigating local GBV-fighting groups, service providers, and activists to identify the needs in your neighbourhood and learn about volunteering opportunities. Volunteering offers numerous advantages for you and your community and can help you connect with others in the area who share your passion for fighting GBV.
2. Be an Advocate on Social Media
Social media has the benefit of being readily available to the majority of us, making it a potent instrument for promoting awareness of and advocacy against gender-based violence.
Consuming and disseminating content produced by local and international GBV activists and advocates is an important step in the fight against GBV. All these activists struggle to support and promote women while also fighting to end gender-based violence in all its various forms, including child marriage, which is another type.
Make your social media pages orange, the colour of the UN campaign against GBV. There are several methods to display your support on social media over these 16 Days, such as sharing pictures of yourself wearing orange or applying an orange tint to your profile. Your social media channels may be crucial in enabling the activists and groups fighting to end GBV and advance women’s health and rights worldwide during these 16 Days.
Learn about GBV and the methods to help prevent it, then share what you discover on social media to encourage others to do the same.
3. Challenge other gender norms
Other gender norms, while not as destructive or violent, contribute to GBV. These stereotypes appear harmless, such as the idea that women take care of the home while men work or that particular pastimes are “for boys” or “for girls.” However, all of these conventions and stereotypes reinforce a larger system of gender inequality that, at its worst, can be violent. Similar to a pandemic, we must control severe and minor instances to stop the spread.
4. Donate to an Organization Supporting Survivors of GBV
Donations don’t have to be financial; they can also be in the form of goods like clothing, food, books, and many other things. Your contributions can support and empower victims of gender-based abuse. If you want to help out locally, conduct your research (online, on social media, or in person) to find out what the GBV groups in your area need and donate to them.
You could also take it a step further and organize your friends, family, and neighbourhood to help raise money. Do your homework to locate the organizations you want to help if you’re thinking globally, but the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women is a fantastic place to start.
5. Educate Yourself on Gender-Based Violence
Learning more about GBV and understanding why it persists and is still a significant global problem is crucial. Male dominance and the socialization of men are the root causes of violence against women and girls. Learn about the causes of violence against women and girls! Read books and articles, get involved in a club at school, and take advantage of any training offered. Learn about the realities and beliefs surrounding gender violence, and how our culture supports it.
6. Spot the Signs of GBV and Know How to Help
Knowing the warning signs of GBV and how to support someone experiencing it are both aspects of gender-based violence education. UN Women discusses the typical indications of abuse, safety advice for those who are being abused, and how to support someone who is being abused. Additionally, it offers contact information for international hotlines.
Conclusion
We need to enlist everyone to put an end to gender-based violence, and that effort must begin with you, your friends, your family, and your neighbourhood. Let’s all do our part to put a stop to GBV.
