Let’s Put an End to Gender-Based Violence

It’s time, right? Gender-based violence (GBV) can pervade a woman’s entire life cycle, beginning with selective abortion of a female fetus to female genital mutilation/cutting to intimate partner violence. GBV is usually perpetrated by men against women and girls, and it can take many forms – sexual abuse, physical violence, emotional or psychological abuse, verbal abuse, economic abuse or beatings during pregnancy. GBV jeopardizes a woman’s health and well-being and detracts from her reproductive health.

What are the effects?

• Unintended pregnancies that can lead to abortion as a result of the lack of access to family planning and contraceptives
• Complications from frequent, high-risk pregnancies and lack of follow-up care
• Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS
• Persistent gynecological problems such as obstetric fistula that results from obstructed labor
• Psychological problems

From November 25th through December 10th, Women Deliver will join the global community in 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, an international campaign that advocates for greater prevention efforts to end gender-based violence.  The theme of this year’s campaign isCommit, Act, Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women, and you can download their Action Kit here. And learn more about gender equity and maternal health here. There is also a fantastic project called TakeBackTheTech that is asking all of us to “take control of technology to end violence against women.”

Activism against gender-based violence will be a major theme of the Women Deliver 2010 conference. What are you doing to put an end to the violence?