Background of Sexual Violence

The Issue globally Sexual violence against girls and women is a global human rights violation of vast proportions with severe health and social consequences. As with other forms of violence against women and girls, gender discrimination and inequality is at the root of sexual violence against girls/women. It can take different forms, including sexual abuse, harassment, rape or sexual exploitation. Sexual violence has serious and long-lasting consequences for the physical and mental health of individuals and their social occupational functioning, as well as for their families and communities and can impede social and economic development.

The true scale of the problem is poorly understood by communities and policymakers because of limited magnitude and nature of the problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to 20% of girls experience child sexual abuse. In addition, every year millions if children, girls in particular, are exploited in prostitution and pornography and trafficked for those purposes.

There are a number of factors that make children, particularly girls, vulnerable to sexual violence and that increase the likelihood that boys and men will perpetrate such violence. A key factor is social tolerance of sexual violence against girls/ women at different levels of society. Many times the abuse or exploitation is perceived as something normal and outside the control of the communities which results in low levels of reporting of cases to the authorities. In addition, the girl/ women who has experiences sexual violence is often blamed for the violence. This social tolerance to sexual violence stems from the low status of women and children in many societies and cultural norms surrounding gender masculinity. Other challenges include family disintegration and weak legal and policy frameworks and enforcement resulting in impunity and inadequate protection of children/ women from sexual violence. These are knows as risk factors and shown in (figure 1.)

Overview of sexual violence in South Africa We will strengthen and place far greater emphasis on prevention through forging effective partnerships with all stakeholders, including schools, parents associations, community based organisations, the media, local government, traditional and religious leaders and the private sector; as well as develop criteria for monitoring the effectiveness of such campaigns - Kopanong Declaration, 365 Days of Action to End Gender Violence, May 2006

Despite its progressive Constitution and laws against gender violence, South Africa has among the highest rates of such violence in the world. In line with the call by the UN Secretary General, the country has adopted a National Action Plan to End Gender Violence. The Kopanong declaration that emerged from the ground breaking conference to develop this plan highlights the need to shift emphasis to prevention.

Historical Factors Cultural and societal factors are compounded by the countrys history of apartheid. Some individuals and communities internalised the brutality experienced in that era such that it became a way of life. Black men who had been belittled at work or imprisoned would come home angry and take out their anger on those over whom they had power- their families. White men who learned to glorify violence also took their violent habits back into the home. All this compounded the glorification of brutality and male violence in South Africa's macho culture.

Economic factors The legacy of apartheid worsened the socio-economic conditions of women as they remained at home while men went to work as migrant labour. Women were and continue to be heavily depended on their partners for their livelihood making it difficult to leave abusive relationships. While gender violence cuts across class, race and ethnicity, there is no doubt that poor women and children are far more vulnerable to violence, and have less access to resources, than those who are economically empowered.

Substance abuse is also a factor which exacerbates violence against women and children within communities. The high rate of unemployment and other socio-economic problems fuel this problem as people tend to substance abuse to get even temporary relief from life stresses. Feelings of inferiority, inability to effectively communication, broken homes that leads to emotional neglect, isolation, relation problems, anger etc all lead to violent behaviours.

Figure: 1 Sexual ViolenceRisk Factors for Perpetration

INDIVIDUAL

RELATIONSHIP

COMMUNITY

SOCIETY

Perpetration Alcohol and drug use Coercive sexual fantasies

Perpetration Association with sexually aggressive and delinquent peers Family environment characterized by physical violence and few resources

Perpetration

Perpetration

Lack of employment opportunities

Poverty

Impulsive and antisocial tendencies Hostility towards women Childhood history if sexual and physical abuse Witnessed family violence as a child

Strong patriarchal relationship or family environment

Lack of institutional support from police and judicial system General tolerance of sexual violence within the community

Societal norms that support sexual violence Societal norms that maintain women's inferiority and sexual submissiveness Weak laws and policies related to gender equity High tolerance levels of crime and other forms of violence

Emotionally unsupportive family environment Weak community sanctions against sexual violence perpetrators

Definition of Sexual Violence

The World Health Organizations World Report on Violence and Health defines sexual violence as: any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a persons sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work

Coercion, often a crucial element of sexual violence, is further defined as a whole spectrum of degrees of force. Apart from physical force, it may involve psychological intimidation, blackmail or other threats for instance, the threat of physical harm, of being dismissed from a job or of not obtaining a job that is sought.

Sexual violence exists on a continuum of severity and includes, but is not limited to: Rape (within marriage or a dating relationship, by strangers, during armed conflict, gang-rape); Unwanted touching of a sexual nature; Unwanted sexual advances, comments or sexual harassment, including demanding sex in return for favours; Sexual abuse of mentally or physically disabled people and children; Forced marriage or cohabitation, including the marriage ofchildren; Denial of the right to use contraception or to adopt other measures to protect against sexually transmitted diseases; forced abortion; Violent acts against the sexual integrity of women, including female genital mutilation and obligatory inspections for virginity; Forced prostitution and trafficking of people for the purpose ofsexual exploitation

Why is Consistent Definition Important?

A consistent definition is needed to monitor the incidence of sexual violence and examine trends over time. In addition, it helps determine the magnitude of sexual violence and compare the problem across jurisdictions. A consistent definition also helps researches measure risk and protective factors for victimization in a uniform manner. This ultimately informs prevention and intervention efforts.