Answer to Question #201211 in English for siphesihle

Question

write a research-based essay in which you discuss the causes and effects of gender-based violence (GBV) (300 words).

Answer 1

Gender-Based Violence

           Gender-Based Violence (GBV) refers to any negative act done to an individual due to their gender. It is a human right that in most cases violated in both economic and social backgrounds. According to Fazar (2020), 1 out of every three women is a victim of GBV. Acts of gender- bases violence come in different types. It can be sexual assault, physical violence, human trafficking, and forces marriages (Zafar, 2020). Most victims of GBV are women. However, this does not mean that men are safe from GBV. Most males suffer in silence since they fear that they will be judged as losers and not men enough. This is an issue that greatly needs to be addressed since its effects are irreversible.

           The existence of COVID-19 has made the situation worse. Many countries reported an increase in cases of gender-based violence during this time. People lost their jobs, for others, their salaries were slashed and yet the cost of life remained the same and in some cases even higher. This has caused mental instability leading to increase cases of GBV. GBV is also caused by harmful cultural practices which are used as a justification (Giovetti, 2019). Cultural believes view men as dominant hence their decisions are final. Most practices include Female Genital mutilation and forced marriages. FGM has caused fatal health damages to women. Some of them even die due to excessive bleeding during the process (Giovetti, 2019). Another cause of GBV is conflict and war. Most victims, in this case, are women and children who end up becoming refugees in camps. Under these circumstances, they lack access to essential resources and end up using harmful methods to get them. Forced marriages have resulted from war and women have been used to settle debts and for reconciliation.

            GBV has an innumerable amount of effects ranging from family structures, mental or psychological scars, and physical disorientation. With the existence of GBV, children tend to suffer emotional impairment when they see their sisters or mothers being maltreated. The victims tend to lose their psychological control and end up breaking up their homes, hence leaving homes struggling against negative social repercussions and increased poverty (McCloskey, 2016). These scares and events continue to sour in their children's minds and end up resolving violence as a means of communication and conflict resolution.

References

Giovetti, O. (2019). 3 causes of gender based violence | Concern Worldwide. Retrieved 31 May 2021, from <span style="background:white">https://www.concernusa.org/story/causes-of-gender-based-violence/</span>

McCloskey, L. A. (2016). Focus: Sex and Gender Health: The Effects of Gender-based Violence on Women’s Unwanted Pregnancy and Abortion. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 89(2), 153.

Zafar, M. (2020). 16 Shocking facts about violence against women and girls - World. Retrieved 31 May 2021, from <span style="background:white">https://reliefweb.int/report/world/16-shocking-facts-about-violence-against-women-and-girls</span>