We Stand for Women: Domestic Abuse Awareness

With 137 women are killed by their intimate partner or a family member every day, the need to spread awareness around domestic violence is at its highest. This is why communities worldwide have joined forces every November 25th to participate in the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to spread awareness of gendered abuse and the various forms that it comes in.

What are the forms and signs of domestic abuse?

It can come in various forms and is usually perpetrated through multiple forms. These include:

-Psychological abuse.

Signs: (Coercive control (intimidation and threatening behavior, isolation, financial or economic abuse, forbidding attendance at school or employment., harassment and stalking, online abuse, mind games, blaming).

-Physical abuse.

Signs: Violence, physical force, forces alcohol or drugs, abandonment in an unfamiliar area, damage to your property, forces you to leave your home, withholding basic needs, force-feeding, withholding access to medical health services, female genital mutilation, child abuse, physical restraining, restricts you from leaving).

-Sexual Abuse.

Signs: (unconsented sexual intercourse and sexual acts, forced & early marriage, trafficking, and modern slavery, forcing to watch or appear in pornography without consent, sexual harassment, preventing access to contraceptive use sexual exploitation.

Who is affected by domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse occurs across every status, culture, religion, and race. Although victims of gendered abuse can be both men and women, it is particularly more common for women to be subjected to gendered abuse and is one of the most globally widespread human rights violations against women and girls worldwide3. In fact, roughly 1 in 3 women (approximately 736 million) are subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner across their lifetime4. Unfortunately, these rates do not reflect the rates of women and girls subjected to domestic abuse during the pandemic with data emerging

that rates have intensified globally5,6. To date, domestic abuse still remains significantly unreported due to the stigma and shame surrounding it.4

What are the health effects of domestic abuse?

Gendered abuse can have devasting short-term and long-term effects on women’s health and wellbeing, affecting physical, sexual, mental, and sociocultural health.

-Physical effects:

Acute physical Injuries/ Disabilities: Lacerations, bruising, broken bones or teeth, fractures, bites & burns, hemorrhages.

Chronic Illness: Arthritis, chronic pain, digestive disorders, cardiovascular illness.

Poor health status.

Death: femicide, AIDS related death, suicide.

-Sociocultural effects:

Homelessness

Financial debt

Reoccurring house moves to avoid perpetrators

Difficulty attaining and maintaining a career

-Sexual effects:

Unwanted Pregnancies: safe/unsafe births and abortions

Pregnancy complications and miscarriage

Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV

Pain during urination & sexual intercourse, vaginal bleeding, and pain

Chronic Pelvic pain and infections

Tear between the vagina, bladder, and rectum

Sexual dysfunction.

-Mental effects

Depression and Anxiety

Self-harm & suicide attempts

Sleeping disorders

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Alcohol or drug abuse

Choosing abusive partners

Low self-esteem

How can I help prevent domestic abuse?

Preventing domestic abuse requires fighting against systemic economic, social, and gender inequalities. But luckily, as a community of women, we can stand together and help fight against domestic abuse. There are a few ways you can help spread awareness and also protect yourself and others from domestic abuse:

1) Know the signs: unfortunately, domestic abuse doesn’t always start early and can take months or even years to appear, but generally, there are some warning signs to watch out for stated in the paragraph above.

2) Don’t ignore it, if you witness someone else or yourself being subjected to any form of domestic abuse call the police, it could be the difference between saving your or someone else life.

3) Be supportive; if you know someone who is experiencing domestic abuse, helping them get the right support can help save their life. There are many support charities that offer help and guidance and safeguard victims of gendered abuse.

4) Spread awareness; to overcome the stigma, shame and silence surrounding domestic abuse.

5) Work with local communities to help raise funds, awareness and support victims of domestic abuse.

Sources

1. This is how many women are killed by a partner or family member each year | World Economic Forum. Accessed August 18, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/violence-against-women-femicide-census/

2. Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October, 2021) | Days Of The Year. Accessed August 18, 2021. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/domestic-violence-awareness-month/

3. International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women | United Nations. Accessed August 18, 2021. https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day

4. Devastatingly pervasive: 1 in 3 women globally experience violence. Accessed August 18, 2021. https://www.who.int/news/item/09-03-2021-devastatingly-pervasive-1-in-3-women-globally-experience-violence

5. Feder G, d’Oliveira AFL, Rishal P, Johnson M. Domestic violence during the pandemic. BMJ. 2021;372. doi:10.1136/BMJ.N722

6. The Shadow Pandemic: Violence against women during COVID-19 | UN Women – Headquarters. Accessed August 18, 2021. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/in-focus-gender-equality-in-covid-19-response/violence-against-women-during-covid-19