Violence against Violence against Women and Women and

Reproductive HealthReproductive Health

Shiv Chandra MathurProfessor of Preventive and

Social Medicine.Director, State Institute of Health and

Family Welfare, Rajasthan, Jaipur, India

Gender Perspective in Gender Perspective in HealthHealth

• Individual Health and Well being of both Male and Female is integral to development.

• Right to Health is a basic human right.

• Gender inequality and health care are inter-related.

What is Violence against WomenWhat is Violence against Women

• Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in private or public life.

»As defined by United Nations

Significance of Violence Significance of Violence against Womenagainst Women

• Unequal status of women in society• Serious violation of human rights• Leads to range of health problems (Often in

silence)• Pressure on medical care resources• Health care institutions can make significant

contributions to addressing violence against women by supporting clinicians and clients.

Various forms of Various forms of Violence against WomenViolence against Women

• Rape/Sexual Violence in Refugee camps• Forced sexual initiation or abuse• Sex-selective abortion• Acid throwing/honor killing (dowry

related deaths)• Undue virginity examination• Forced caesarian section deliveries• Trafficking in women and Girls

Violence against women in India,1998

24%

31%8%13%

11%

6%

7%0.2%

molest

pain

dowrydeaths

abduction

rape

others

sexual violence

bad behaviour

Violence against Women – Violence against Women – Health IssuesHealth Issues

• Fatal outcome: Suicide / Homicide

• Non-fatal outcome:• Physical - Injury, PID, Unwanted

Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Gynaec diseases

• Mental - Depression, Anxiety, Sexual dysfunction, personality disorders.

Factors contributing to Factors contributing to Violence against WomenViolence against Women

• Strictly enforced Gender roles• Association of masculinity with

toughness and dominance• Punishment of women and

children as an accepted value• Violence accepted as a standard

way to resolve conflicts• Stress associated with poverty

Landmark events to resolve Landmark events to resolve Violence against Women Violence against Women

• 1987 : Safe Motherhood• 1993 : World Conference on Human

Rights• 1994 : IPD, Cairo • 1995 : 4th World Conference on Women• 1996 : World Health Assembly*• 1997 : FIGO Resolutions**• 2001 : Special session of UN General

Assembly on HIV/AIDS

Empowering Women to Empowering Women to prevent VAW by prevent VAW by

Informing/Educating herInforming/Educating her• On provision of penalties against

different types of crimes.• On Police agencies and their working.• On scientific steps in crime

investigations.• On functioning of Judiciary.• On fundamental rights and duties.• On security measures.

NGO’s Working on VAW• International: • ARROW, Kualalampar (http://www.asiaconnect.com.my

/arrow)• Coordination of Women’s Advocacy, Switzerland (E-

mail: cwwa@iprolink.ch)• Health and Development Policy Project,, Maryland,

USA (E-mail: hdpp@ig.ap.org)• Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural

Exchange, Uganda

(E-mail: isis@starom.co.ug)

NGO’s Working on VAW cont• International:

• Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Network against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Chile (E-mail: isis@reuna.cl)

• Match International Centre, Canada (E-mail: mathint@web.apc.org)

• Women in Law and Development, Africa, Zimbabwe

• National:• Chetna(Ahmedabad); Shakti (Jaipur)