Where does the Fight against gender-based violence fall into the promise of “never again”?
By Katherine Leonard, TWR Fellow ‘20
In describing instances of gender-based violence, the term “violence against women” has always given me pause. I find myself wondering why we use terminology that conjures such a grisly image, one in which women are passive objects subjected to brutal harm at the hands of others. I question its implications that women have no agency and that violence is something simply imparted onto their bodies. But when I consider the legacy of inequality and violence inflicted on women in our world, I start to understand that gender-based violence is something women don’t have control over.
Gender-based violence is a fact of life that women endure and even expect. Its universality is evident in the subtle decisions women make, like pretending to be on a phone call when a man walks too few steps behind you, or laughing uncomfortably when you can’t think of a response to an inappropriate comment.
These experiences are woven together in a web of misogyny we all exist within. Despite the rising awareness of this, its fabric is too sticky and its reach too wide for an escape to seem possible. Physical or sexual violence affects one in three women around the world, whether at the hands of an intimate partner, a family member, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger. It is as much a universal crisis or global pandemic as it is a mundane, everyday occurrence. Perhaps the “#MeToo” campaign spread like wildfire because it conveyed the wearisome commonality of violence that women experience. Each simple utterance of the phrase amounted to a monumental wave that forced the world to understand the sheer magnitude of the problem.
Even though gender-based violence infiltrates the lives of women everywhere, each experience is different. It emerges in distinct forms in different communities, relationships, and areas. Oppressions intersect for different women, making their situation unique in its construction of exploitation. Outside forces can create fertile ground for misogyny to brew, providing an ideal environment for physical and sexual violence to be inflicted on women.
I recently had the privilege to speak with Neema Namadamu, who shared her experiences growing up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Namadamu was diagnosed with polio at the age of six, rendering her useless for marriage and dowry purposes. She spoke of how she was cast off because her condition made her unable to fulfill the responsibilities of a daughter in her community. But she said her circumstances are what allowed her the opportunity to pursue an education. And now, she is making strides in her community and working towards a future where “never again” becomes a reality for women.
She opened the Maman Shuja Media Center to connect women in her community to technology. In a region seen by the outward gaze as one of violence and conflict, Namadamu and other women from Bukavu redefined it with the help of digital media. This center allowed them to uplift their stories and their calls for peace.
I am inspired by these women, who are fighting to have their voices heard among the loud noise of conflict in their community. Too often, global narratives present gender-based violence as a casualty of violent conflict. What is lost is the voices of these women, who experience violence in unique ways because of their gender.
Conflict is commonly acknowledged as a driver of gender-based violence, evident in the increase in violence against women in times of instability and violence. Since the 1990s, the DRC has been afflicted by political instability, and civilians have experienced widespread attacks carried out by militia, violence between ethnic groups, sexual violence, and murder. In 2020 alone, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) reported over 1,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, affecting 675 women and 370 girls. The violence was carried out by independent forces as well as state actors, like the Armed Forces of the DRC and the Congolese National Police. Sexual violence is frequent during military operations, as armed groups use violence against women as a method of control over the territory. This violence is part of the systematic oppression of women in the DRC. It is not collateral damage; it is intentional and targeted. Gender-based violence in the DRC, and elsewhere, is motivated by the identity of these women, as a means to assert dominance over them and their communities.
Neema Namadamu did not shy away from these facts when she shared her experiences. She spoke truthfully and forcefully about the violence that plagues women in her country. She advocated for peace for the people of the DRC, but she also made clear that her advocacy extended to the rest of the world. At one point, she said: “We are one global family.”
I took her words as a recognition that gender-based violence transcends lines of difference. Although the experiences of women vary, differences should not prevent us from uniting against this universal problem.
To combat this issue, we have to target its roots. We must understand that men do not suddenly attack women. The decision to inflict violence upon women is embedded in misogyny that spans generations and surpasses borders. When addressing mass violence and conflict, an individualized gendered perspective is needed to save lives. We must consider gender norms and oppression.
The fight against discrimination and violence is daunting, but this does not mean we should not accept the challenge. Making “never again” a reality for women is possible, but it will require diligence from the bottom up. This means raising awareness about the dangers of harmful traditions, like child marriage and female genital mutilation. The fight entails intersectional allyship and the inclusion of men in gender equality activism. It involves strengthening prevention methods that target rape culture and other gender power dynamics that lead to gender-based violence. We can all practice these methods in our communities while looking for ways to address challenges on a larger scale.
Gender-based violence is a global issue, and global issues require global solutions. The fight may look different in different communities and for different women, but this should only encourage people to come together from diverse backgrounds to understand how we can truly end gender-based violence for everyone. As a global family, we need to band together and uproot the misogyny that permeates the lives of women around the world.
To hear more about Neema Namadamu’s work, click here: https://www.herowomenrising.org/who-we-are
To watch the panel “Female Experiences of Gender-Based Violence” with Neema Namadamu and Elisabeth Wickeri, click here: https://fb.watch/4Zg4q6CkpJ/
Katherine Leonard is a third-year student at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY studying Humanitarian Action and Italian. She is a Youth Action Network Fellow and Executive Editor of Together We Remember’s blog. Her passion for human rights has inspired her to engage in activist work relating to criminal justice and migration.
Banner Image Source: https://www.dailynews.com/2017/11/12/hollywood-metoo-march-helps-give-legs-to-movement-in-wake-of-latest-sexual-assault-allegations/
References:
“Coalition working to end gender-based sexual violence in Democratic Republic of the Congo.” UNAIDS. 9 Mar. 2021.
Haridasani Gupta, Alisha. “Misogyny Fuels Violence Against Women. Should it Be a Hate Crime?” The New York Times. 25 Mar. 2021.
“Sexual Violence in Conflict: Democratic Republic of the Congo.” United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Mar. 2021.
“Surviving gender-based violence in DRC.” ACTED. 2021.