Hello everyone,
I would like to open a discussion on how we, as practitioners in the gender equality and training space, are currently addressing the intersections between Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Violence Against Women & Girls (VAW&G), and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in our training, advocacy, and policy work.
To align our dialogue, here are the key terms as defined by various UN frameworks:
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Gender-Based Violence (GBV): Any harmful act (physical, sexual, emotional) perpetrated against a person's will that is based on socially ascribed gender differences between males and females.
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Violence Against Women and Girls (VAW&G): Any act of gender based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
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Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR): The right of all individuals to make informed decisions about their bodies, sexuality, and reproductive lives, free from discrimination, coercion, and violence. It includes access to contraception, safe abortion, maternal healthcare, and comprehensive sexuality education.
While each of these areas is urgent and vast on its own, are we doing enough to integrate them into a holistic, trauma-informed, survivor-centered, rights-based approach or are we inadvertently siloing them in our programming and training modules?
Questions to consider and discuss here:
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In your experience, how well are GBV, VAW&G, and SRHR interconnected in training for gender equality?
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What challenges do you face in bringing a rights-based, intersectional lens to these topics especially in conservative or resource-constrained settings?
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Are there specific tools, frameworks, and/or participatory methodologies you’ve used that successfully bridge these areas?
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How do we ensure that our trainings are inclusive of marginalized populations including LGBTQIA+ persons, adolescents, and people with disabilities?
I would also welcome any resources, case studies, or training materials others have found helpful in connecting these dots meaningfully.
Let’s share, question, and learn together because if we want to advance gender equality meaningfully, we need to center the lived experiences of those most affected by these intersecting injustices.
Looking forward to your thoughts and wisdom.
Most sincerely
Pallavi.