FOR 16 days each year since 1991, gender equality activists have marked a global campaign aimed at tackling gender-based violence.
But more than three decades since activists founded the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, violence against women and girls remains a widespread global issue — and a significant barrier to achieving true gender equality.
As global conflicts including the Israel-Hamas war dominate headlines, conflict-related sexual violence remains widespread across the globe.
Domestic and intimate partner violence also remains rife, despite being outlawed in at least 155 countries.
In the past week in South Australia alone, four women were killed, allegedly by men — bringing the number of women who have died violently in Australia to at least 53 this year, according to researchers from Destroy The Joint's Counting Dead Women project.
Just last month in India, a man attempted to murder a 16-year-old girl with a machete. Those devastating reports come just weeks after the alleged torture and murder of a 30-year-old woman who refused a Delhi man's wedding proposal.
It's clear that despite some wins in recent years, including the #MeToo movement, violence against women and girls persists across the world — ranging from sex trafficking and marital rape to child marriage and child sexual abuse.
Almost one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner, and this figure does not include sexual harassment.
Laws have failed to rein in the problem and impunity for these crimes remains common.
Barriers including stigma, under-resourced judiciaries and socio-cultural attitudes prevent existing laws on crimes — including rape and acid attacks — from being consistently enforced. And although the United Nations strongly condemns the proliferation of conflict-related sexual violence, enforcing international law to bring perpetrators to justice remains a challenge.
This year, additional economic and environmental concerns compound these difficulties. As many nations contend with inflation and rising commodity prices, the cost of living crisis represents an additional barrier to women seeking to leave abusive relationships.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics announced last week that financial stress was associated with experiencing partner violence and abuse for women. Its survey, released on 22 November, found 16 per cent, or 1.6 million women, experienced economic abuse compared to 7.8 per cent of men.
Climate change exacerbates the risk of violence against women (who make up the vast majority of those displaced by climate change) and also contributes to the feminisation of poverty. Without income or resources, women are more susceptible to sexual violence and abuse as a result of the current climate and economic crises.
The good news is that violence against women is preventable — and national governments are increasingly recognising that gender-based violence is a public health crisis that carries significant economic costs.
Increasingly, innovations in sectors including law, tech and healthcare are helping tackle gendered violence and inequalities — leaving room for cautious optimism despite slow progress in some areas.
Grace Jennings-Edquist is a Melbourne-based reporter and editor with a decade of professional experience.
360info
Sat Dec 02 2023
From sexual violence in war zones to domestic violence, gender-based violence remains widespread. - UNSPLASH
Turkiye sertai Afrika Selatan tuduh Israel di ICJ
Turkiye akan menyerahkan pengisytiharan campur tangan rasmi kepada ICJ dengan objektif membantu mempercepatkan tindakan ke atas Israel.
Asmaa berjalan kaki berjam lamanya demi roti
Situasi di Gaza jauh berbeza dengan tempat-tempat lain. Bangunan musnah, ditambah ketiadaan sumber asas - tempat tinggal, bekalan air serta makanan...pastinya terlintas di fikiran bagaimana kehidupan seharian mereka di saat nyawa sentiasa menjadi ancaman. Menyelami kehidupan masyarakat Palestin di Gaza, ada yang terpaksa berjalan berjam-jam lamanya ke satu tempat untuk mendapatkan alas perut buat keluarga.
'Puluhan ribu gugur terkena mesin perang Zionis'
Masa yang sepatutnya diguna untuk meraikan sambutan Hari Pekerja Sedunia diganti dengan himpunan untuk menunjukkan tanda bersolidariti dengan rakyat Palestin. Itu yang berlaku di Tunisia yang mana ribuan rakyatnya berhimpun di ibu negara Tunis sebagai tanda sokongan terhadap penduduk Gaza dengan memanggil himpunan sebagai 'May Day'.
Lebuh raya runtuh, 24 maut
Menurut CCTV, pihak berkuasa China menghantar kira-kira 500 anggota penyelamat ke lokasi insiden.
TPM yakin produktiviti akan meningkat seiring kenaikan gaji
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yakin produktiviti dan prestasi penjawat awam akan dilipatgandakan seiring dengan keputusan Kerajaan menaikkan gaji kumpulan itu melebihi 13% bermula 1 Disember ini.
Ancaman bom palsu cetus panik di 100 sekolah di India
Ancaman bom palsu telah mencetuskan panik di sekolah di ibu negara India pada pagi Rabu dengan ibu bapa bergegas membawa pulang anak-anak mereka.
Anak muda bangkit gesa pemimpin buat pendirian tetap
Anak muda mula menunjukkan semangat kebangkitan tatkala dunia masih celaru untuk menghentikan kehilangan nyawa berterusan rakyat Palestin di Gaza. Suara yang diketepi diakhiri dengan protes besar-besar yang menjadi polemik dalam kalangan mahasiswa di Amerika Syarikat ketika ini.
Migran banjiri 'Mount Street' dipindah ke penempatan baharu
200 buah khemah yang digunakan imigran di bandar Dublin dirampas dan dibersihkan dari pemandangan ibu negara Ireland pada pagi Rabu. Imigran yang berlindung di situ kemudian ditempatkan di pusat yang telah disediakan.
TPM yakin produktiviti akan meningkat seiring kenaikan gaji
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yakin produktiviti dan prestasi penjawat awam akan dilipatgandakan seiring dengan keputusan Kerajaan menaikkan gaji kumpulan itu melebihi 13% bermula 1 Disember ini.
Henti pusing modal lama - Ahmad Zahid
Presiden UMNO, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi memberi amaran kepada semua pihak untuk tidak 'memusing' modal lama sepanjang berkempen pada Pilihan Raya Kecil Kuala Kubu Baharu yang sedang berlangsung, semata-mata untuk mencalarkan imej UMNO dan Barisan Nasional.
Kepimpinan wanita tidak boleh disangkal lagi, mampu beri impak besar
Kepimpinan wanita sering menjadi perdebatan semasa terutama kemampuan mereka dalam pengurusan utama dan pembuat keputusan.