Types of Violence Against Women and Girls

Preparation

• • To encourage honest discussion and learning in a safe environment, this activity should be delivered in single-sex groups; i.e., only to men or only to women. The facilitators should also be of the same sex as the participants in the group (i.e. women facilitators should facilitate activities among groups of women), especially for any sensitive discussions. This activity may be conducted with adolescents and youth, but considerations should be given toward conducting activities with individuals grouped by similar ages. It should be emphasized throughout the curriculum that violence should never be tolerated or accepted.
  • If it would be helpful to your participants, write the main points of the discussion on a flipchart paper placed on the wall or other location where they can see.
  • Talking about violence against women and girls is a very sensitive topic. Facilitators must be careful about how they lead the discussion. Make sure that no names of specific people who experience violence are given. This can put those people at greater risk of harm.
  • Ask participants to sit in a circle at the start of the activity.

Introduction

• Tell participants, “In this activity, we will discuss a sensitive topic. We will discuss violence against women and girls. We are discussing this because it is a significant problem around the world. By talking and understanding more about the problem, we can begin to think about solutions.”
• Tell participants, “In this activity, we will talk about what violence looks like in daily life. You may know someone who encounters violence in their life. Don’t name that person, as this can be harmful to that person, whether or not they are in this group.”

Implementation: Type of Violence Against Women and Girls

• Ask participants, “What are some ways that women and girls encounter violence?” Examples: slapping, beating, harassment, or rape. However, let participants define what violence means to them and lead the discussion accordingly.
• Most participants will describe physical and sexual violence. Ask them to think about other types of violence as well. Write down the different types of violence that the participants identify on a piece of flipchart paper.
• Continue to ask participants if they can think of other types of violence. If they have trouble identifying other types of violence, give an example: “We often think about violence as physical. But violence is not just physical. Women and girls can be hurt by emotional or psychological violence as well. This includes using words to hurt or threaten women.”
• Ask participants: “What are some ways that women and girls are hurt by emotional or psychological violence?” Examples: insults, yelling, abuse, threats, and intimidation. Write the responses on the flipchart paper.
• If the participants do not identify economic violence, give participants an example, “Another form of violence is economic violence. This is when a man denies his wife access to or control of money, property or other resources.” Ask participants for examples of economic violence. Write the responses on flipchart paper. If it is helpful to participants, write the different forms of violence the participants share in the relevant box on flipchart paper. Use the box below as a reference for how to categorize the forms of violence.
• After the participants have shared examples of violence, ask them to help create different categories for the types of violence. Help guide the discussion to end up with four types of violence (see the example table below). Then draw four boxes on large sheets of paper and write the following titles for each box: physical, sexual, psychological, economic. Ask the participants to put each example of violence into one of the boxes.

Types of Violence Against Women and Girls
Physical	Sexual	Emotional or Psychological	Economic
Slapping Beating Kicking Burning Cutting	Forced sex or rape Unwanted touching or kissing Sexual harassment	Threatening violence Insults Shouting Controlling another person’s behaviour	Denying women money or other resources Forbidding someone to work Spending household money without consulting partner

 

 

Discussion: Who Experiences Violence Against Women and Girls and Where Does It Occur

• For each of the types of violence discussed previously, ask who are the people at risk of violence (girls, women, boys, men)
• Ask about the specific locations where these types of violence occur (e.g. market, school, street, home, neighbourhood, etc.)

Discussion: Myths about Violence Against Women and Girls

Tell participants: “Now we are going to break out into small groups and discuss some common ideas about violence against women and girls. I will give you one to two statements for you to discuss in your group.” Facilitators can decide which of the statements are appropriate for their groups. Ask participants to discuss the statements. Give the groups 10 minutes to discuss and then discuss as a large group each statement. Take a few responses, then share some explanation or ideas about the statements. Examples of ideas to share with the participants are noted below after each statement.

1. We shouldn’t interfere with what happens in the home. It is a private matter. Tell participants: “Everyone needs to take action in ending violence against women and girls regardless of whether it happens in the home, the street, the workplace or anywhere else.”
2. A woman sometimes deserves to be beaten. Tell participants: “Violence against women is never provoked, invited or deserved by a woman. Everyone has the right to live safe and free from violence, regardless of who they are, what they say, what they do or what they wear.”
3. Violence is caused by drugs and alcohol. Tell participants: “While it is true that the risk of violence increases with drug and alcohol use, this is not the cause of violence. The root cause of violence against women is gender inequality.”
4. Forcing your wife to have sex is not really sexual violence or rape. Tell participants: “Using force to have sex with your wife, girlfriend or any other woman is rape. Being married does not give a man the right to rape or beat his wife. It is illegal in many countries.”

Discussion: Gender Norms and Causes of Violence

• Ask participants for examples of gender expectations or roles discussed in the last activity. “In a previous activity, we talked about the expectations of men and women and society. What are some examples of these gender expectations?”
• Tell the participants, “There is a connection between these expectations and the violence that women and girls encounter.”
• Ask the participants how the expectations can be positive. Examples that can be discussed with the group include: “When men are expected to lead, we have strong leaders. When women are expected to care for children, we have strong mothers. These are positive expectations.”
• Ask participants how the expectations can be negative. Examples that can be discussed with the group include: “When society expects men to lead, society gives men more power than it gives women. Men can abuse this power by using violence against women and girls.”
• Ask participants about how society views violence against women. Is it considered normal? After taking some responses, share that: “When society considers violence against women to be normal, then society accepts violence against women. Women and girls learn to accept violence or to not recognize that what they experience is violence. Men and boys learn that using violence is part of what it means to ‘be a man.
• We will learn more about this in the next activity.”

Closing

Thank participants for being willing to speak about a difficult topic and speaking honestly and respectfully.