Sage-Tips

Why is domestic violence worse in rural areas?

Key messages. Women in regional, rural and remote areas are more likely than women in urban areas to experience domestic and family violence. Women who do seek help find difficulty in accessing services due to geographical isolation, lack of transportation options and not having access to their own income.

What are the major divisions of gender violence?

Gender violence includes rape, sexual assault, intimate partner violence in heterosexual and same sex partnerships, sexual harassment, stalking, prostitution and sex trafficking.

What are the main causes of violence?

Violence is an extreme form of aggression, such as assault, rape or murder. Violence has many causes, including frustration, exposure to violent media, violence in the home or neighborhood and a tendency to see other people’s actions as hostile even when they’re not.

How does gender-based violence affect the economy?

The effects of GBV on the economy can be attributed to lost tax revenue, lost earnings, diverted resources, opportunity costs and various other costs.

What are effects of gender-based violence?

The consequences for victims include undermined confidence, physical disabilities, stigma and shame. Sexual violence also puts women at increased risk of HIV/AIDS.

Why is domestic violence increasing?

The chances of women and their children being exposed to violence is dramatically increased, as family members spend more time in close contact and household stress intensifies, and the risk grows even greater when families also have to cope with potential economic or job losses.

How does domestic violence affect the community?

One of the most lasting consequences of domestic violence is the harm it does to family bonds. Children witnessing violence committed against their parent can find it difficult to trust adults in the future. They have similar health issues as adults: anxiety, sleep disorders, mental health and behavior health issues.

What is the relationship between rural and urban violence against women?

Key Findings  Over 90\% of rural and urban women include domestic violence, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage and trafficking within a definition of violence against women.  Rural women perceive that violence against women happens more in urban areas.

What do we know about gender-based violence in urban settings?

Gender-based violence is a core area of focus in analysing women’s economic empowerment, and in urban settings, particularly, where gender norms may be challenged.

Do urban women benefit equally from living in urban environments?

Urban women, on the whole, have greater access to services and infrastructure, more opportunities to engage in paid employment, and are subject to fewer sociocultural restrictions than women living in rural areas. However, they do not benefit equally with men in urban environments.

Who are the partners in the fight against gender-based violence?

Partners might include chiefs and local development communities, social workers, teachers, and local police officers. An impactful awareness campaign can only be executed when local actors magnify the issues their communities face and together, as a collective, find solutions to reducing gender-based violence.