Gender based violence occurs at individual level in relationships, household level, at community level and in the society. It perpetuates the stereotyping of gender roles that precludes human dignity of an individual and hinders human development by affecting human health, self-esteem and livelihoods. (UNHCR, 2003 P7).
Global issues such as deepening poverty, food insecurity, high absence of education levels, HIV and Aids cannot be be tended to without full dynamic investment or participation of affected population and communities and in particular women. Although much work still needs to be done to assess the impact of GBV on livelihoods, the available accessible writing and discoveries demonstrate that the burden of violence in social, economic, physical and psychological context falls on women, affecting their health, confidence, self-esteem as well as their ability to accommodate themselves and participate or contribute to in the development process. Therefore gender based violence is not only a violation of fundamental human rights but also an impediment to the social and economic development of communities.
From a financial perspective, all form of violence affect the capacity to work and have an impact on productivity or efficiency (Duvvury et al., 2013). At the individual and household level, Gender based violence has immediate or prompt effects such as absenteeism, poor physical and mental health, out of pocket expenditure on wellbeing and care administrations, and substitution costs as well as long term impacts on education, training and work experience.
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The health, emotional and psychological consequences of gender based violence are so devastating that the victims or survivors may not be able to continue being productive and beneficial. Social stigma and exclusion, job loss due to absenteeism with consequent deficit on income and increased gender imbalance may push the persons affected by gender based violence into a decending spiral of poverty, preventing them from carrying on with a sound, healthy and noble life.
Impacts are mediated through the interplay of an individual’s capabilities e.g. health status, stability of employment, the procurement of skills and degree of mobility. Social stigma and discrimination may prompt psychological trauma, sentiment of frailty and insufficiency to take part in productive activities and fully participate in development activities. As a result of gender based violence women dread venturing into public spaces, this can often restrict them from education, constraining them from increasing the value and efficiency of their knowledge and skills and limiting their income generating opportunities. It is also devastating to note that some girls have been constrained out of school on account of defilement, rape and/or constant sexual harassment even from teachers. This blocks humann development as education is key increasing economic efficiency and social consistency. Furthermore, there are others that are unable to build skills required for future endurance in light of the fact that their families have constrained them into early marriages.
Violence against girls and women hamper countries achievements of at least six of the eight United Nations Millennium Development goals (World Bank, 2014) often accompanied by withdrawal of resources for those being abused, violence diminishes women’s access to and the utilization of assets such as education and political voice, therefore restricting their livelihood opportunities such as entering the labour market (World Bank, 2014). The lack of assets and opportunities contribute to household poverty and thus impede the achievement Millennium Development goal (MDG1) to eradicate poverty and food insecurity. Violence and associated sexual harassment, child abuse, early marriages and other abuse against children cuts short their chances and/or parents willingness to send them to school- in the case of early marriages, directly hampering the achievement of universal primary education (MDG2).
Violence against women also impedes the achievement Millennium Development goal to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. Patriarchal gender norms and women disempowerment trigger attitudes and forms of behaviour that leads to persistent, repeated and severe violence against women and girls (World Bank 2014:3). Such abuse of women directly affects the aim to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health as set out in MDG4 and MDG5. Gender based violence results into life threatening health risks, these include HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted infections that Millennium Development goals (MDG6) aims to combat.
Research by the World Bank shows that domestic gender based violence has a significant impact on a country’s GDP. Gender based violence has critical economic or financial consequences, costing an estimated 1.2% – 3.7% of GDP in some countries due to the lost productivity, equivalent to the average spending of low and middle income countries on primary education (World Bank Group, 2020). Gender based violence also has an underestimated economic cost in terms of health services and care, police and judicial sector, and related absenteeism (UNFPA, UNIFEM & OSAGI, 2005). However poverty and socio-economic insecurity is also one of the factors contributing to GBV, particularly early marriages and sexual harassment in displacement.
References
- UNHCR Fact Sheet on Gender Based Violence
- World Health Organization: Violence against women
- UN Women: Facts and Figures – Ending Violence against Women
- NCBI: The Impact of Gender-based Violence on the Health of Women and Girls
- World Bank: Gender Data Portal
- Eurostat: Gender Statistics
- UNFPA: Eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls
