PHM-Exch> [PHM NEWS] PHM East and Southern Statement on Gender Based Violence

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Linda Shuro <linda at phmovement.org>
From: Peninah Khisa <peninahkhisa at gmail.com>, <ESafrica at phmovement.org>


As we end the 16 days of activism campaign, Gender-based iolenceV is still
on the rise within our regions. We urge  the country circles to continue
with this campaign, and Gender-based violence be one of the priorities
wiithin our activities
Please find here PHM East and Southern Africa statement on Gender-based
violence. Feel free to share this statement with other networks.


PHM East and Southern Africa statement on Gender-based Violence

As we come to end of the 16 days of activism, the People’s Health Movement
across East and Southern Africa, expresses its deep concern that violence
against women, girls and sexual minorities remains one of the most
pervasive manifestations of discrimination against women and a violation of
human rights. PHM s we strongly reassert that the eradication of sexual
violence must be prioritized at national, regional and international levels.
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a public health crisis in East and Southern
Africa. According to WHO, 1 in 3 women and girls face either sexual or
physical violence during their lifetime.1 The high rate of violence is
maintained by the “persistence of harmful gender norms, alcohol abuse and
overall increased poverty, violence in urban slum areas and conflict areas.
Partner violence and the fear of abuse prevent girls from refusing sex and
jeopardize their ability to negotiate condom use, studies in sub-Saharan
Africa have found.”2 Escalating levels can be seen in countries such as
South Africa, were GBV was declared a national crisis, and with statistics
indicating that a woman is murdered every three hours in South Africa, and
many are assaulted and raped before their death.3 Many women and children
live in constant fear and walk on the streets terrified, due to abuses such
as harassment, rape and assualt in both public and private spaces.

These persisting high levels of GBV spur reponses, including the 16 days of
activism. Violence against women and girls affects their ability to enjoy
rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men and has devastating
effects on many aspects of the lives of women and girls, including their
sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as their mental and
physical health.

Women and girls, and others affected by sexual violence including the
LGBTQI community, must not be seen only as victims, but as agents of change
and equal partners in ending discrimination and violence. To end sexual and
gender-based violence we must educate men and women, and girls and boys,
and change gender stereotypes, attitudes and beliefs that condone violence
and harmful constructions of masculinity. We must also promote gender
equitable norms and behaviors and female participation in decision-making.
Too many of us fail to name and challenge violence against women that
surrounds us. When left unpunished, GBV creates a culture where sexual
violence is normalized, women and girls are undervalued, and entire
communities and nations are fractured.
Health providers and health systems have a critical role in supporting
women and girls, mitigating the impact of GBV, and preventing violence from
happening. Health services often
1 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
2 https://esaro.unfpa.org/en/topics/gender-based-violence
3
https://www.voanews.com/africa/south-africa-declares-femicide-national-crisis

PHM statement on Gender Based Violence during the 16 days of activism do
not recognise or consider GBV as a health problem. There is a need for
requisite training of healthcare providers about understanding all
violence, particularly GBV, as a significant determinant of health given
its high incidence rate amongst women and girls.
At the 67th World Health Assembly in 2014, WHO member states adopted a
resolution towards ‘Strengthening the role of the health system in
addressing violence, in particular against women and girls, and against
children’4 and they committed to ‘The global plan of action to strengthen
the role of the health system within a national multisectoral response to
address interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls, and
against children’5 in the 69th World Health Assembly in 2016.
PHM East and Southern Africa:
● Stands in solidarity with women, girls, the LGBTQI community and many
other groups who have taken a stand and protested against GBV and urges
authorities to take all necessary steps to stop the violence;
● Calls upon all governments in East and Southern Africa, to honor their
obligations to end violence against women and girls as outlined in the
Convention of the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women,
and other human rights treaties;
● Calls on governments to implement, with adequate resources, the
commitments made in the Beijing Platform for Action and the 2019 Programme
of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD25) to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, for all;
● Calls on governments to develop standard guidelines and protocols for
strengthening the health sector response to intimate partner and sexual
violence. We demand that governments fulfill their global and national
commitments against GBV with comprehensive and integrated health system
responses that recognize sexual minorities and work against sexual and
gender-based violence;
● Advocates for gender sensitization of health care providers and
administrators for building their perspectives on understanding the
violence and its complexities faced by women, girls and sexual minorities;
● Appeals to other civil society organizations and networks to advocate and
take direct action to stop assaults, abuse, and killing of women and girls,
and to clearly denounce child marriage, FGM, sexual harassment and other
manifestations of discrimination against women and girls.

PHM is a global network bringing together grassroots health activists,
policy makers, civil society organizations, human rights defenders,
practitioners, and academic institutions from around the world,
particularly from low and middle income countries (L&MIC).
On behalf of the People’s Health Movement East and Southern Africa.
4 https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/media/news/2014/24_05/en/
5 http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA69/A69_9-en.pdf
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