Gender-based violence is any type of harmful act carried out against a person because of their gender or violence that affects persons of a particular gender disproportionately. It is deeply founded in the social and cultural structures, norms, and values that govern society, and is often perpetuated by a culture of denial and silence. It affects all genders, but women and girls disproportionately. It can happen in both the private and public spheres, and as research showed, during the COVID-19 lockdown, the number of reported cases of GBV drastically increased with varying degrees across the world.
Gender-based violence can be sexual, physical, verbal, psychological (emotional), or socio-economic, and it can take many forms, from verbal violence and hate speech on the Internet, to rape or murder, including threats of such acts. It can be perpetrated by anyone, including friends, family, and strangers. As with any type of violence, it is an issue involving relations of power. It is based on an imbalance of power, gender inequality, and harmful norms. Gender-based violence continues to be one of the most notable human rights violations within all societies.
RAWSA (Regional Advocacy for Women’s Sustainable Advancement) Alliance for African & Arab States has been working closely with its allies and partners in the region in humanitarian context countries such as Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Iraq to address GBV and VAW inside refugee, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and asylum seeker camps. Our goal is to eliminate violence as well as improve women’s position as well as stakeholders' response to these violent acts that affect women as the most vulnerable population groups in such protracted conflicts. Thanks to the support of our major donors, we were able to provide awareness sessions, media campaigns, and TV/radio-based announcements and shows to support women in such harsh conditions and allow them to access the needed services. At the same time, RAWSA (Regional Advocacy for Women’s Sustainable Advancement) Alliance for African & Arab States is adopting approaches engaging men and boys. The Alliance sensitized displaced men in these areas of conflict with information and awareness about the severe physical, emotional, and psychological impacts of violence against women. We also promoted the service mechanisms and the reporting channels currently in place at the camps, allowing women to speak out and report on these cases.
At the same time, the Alliance is working relentlessly to address other issues relevant to GBV such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which is a prevailing practice in some countries such as Egypt and Sudan, where more than 85% of women and adolescent girls face genital mutilation. The Alliance works on awareness actions and advocacy campaigns to enhance public awareness and spread information to create social and legal transformations leading to elimination of all forms of violence against women, including FGM as per the provisions of the CEDAW convention.
