Direct and Supportive Services for Gender Based Violence

Gender-based violence (GBV) encompasses any act—public or private—that causes or could
cause physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to someone. An umbrella term to
incorporate any sort of victimization because of one’s gender and/or sexual orientation. This
includes threats, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty. While predominantly perpetrated by
men, it victimizes women, girls, men, boys, adolescents, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Irrespective
of caste, class, age, immigration status, language competency, and educational background,
GBV can occur to anyone.

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Domestic violence is a systematic pattern of abusive behaviors—physical, coercive, economic,
emotional, and/or sexual—used to control and dominate an intimate partner. This abuse aims to
intimidate, frighten, and harm the victim. It affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and
relationship statuses, regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other
personal characteristics.

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Types of Gender Based Violence:

 

Elder/Seniors:
Elder abuse encompasses a wide range of harmful actions. Here are some ways -

• Physical abuse: This includes hitting, slapping, kicking, pushing, restraining, or any other form of physical harm.

• Sexual abuse: Any unwanted sexual contact or activity, including rape, sexual assault, or unwanted sexual advances.

• Emotional or psychological abuse: This involves verbal harassment, threats, intimidation, humiliation, isolation, or manipulation.

• Neglect: Failure to provide basic needs such as food, water, medication, hygiene, or medical care. This can be intentional or unintentional due to caregiver limitations.

• Financial exploitation: Misuse or theft of an elder's money, property, or assets. This could involve forging signatures, stealing, or manipulating financial transactions.

• Abandonment: Desertion of an elder by someone who has responsibility for their care.

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Abusive/Forced Marriages:
Forced marriage encompasses a spectrum of abuse, often involving coercion and control. Here
are some key aspects of the abuse:

• Coercion and Threats: The most fundamental aspect is the use of force, threats of violence (to the individual or their family), or other forms of intimidation to compel marriage. This might involve threats of kidnapping, imprisonment, or reputational damage.

• Emotional Manipulation and Control: Abusers often use emotional manipulation, isolating the victim from friends and family, undermining their self-esteem, and creating a sense of dependence and fear. This can involve gaslighting or other psychological tactics.

• Physical Abuse: While not always present, physical violence can be used to force compliance and maintain control. This can range from slapping to severe beatings.

• Sexual Abuse: Forced sexual acts within the marriage are a serious form of abuse, a violation of bodily autonomy even within a marriage.

• Economic Abuse: Control over finances, preventing the victim from working or accessing their own funds, is another form of control and abuse.

• Social Isolation: Cutting off the victim from their support network (family, friends, community) isolates them and makes it harder to escape the situation.

• Cultural and Religious Pressure: In many cases, cultural or religious beliefs are used to justify and enforce the forced marriage, making it difficult for the victim to seek help or escape.

 

It's crucial to understand that any marriage that isn't freely entered into is a form of abuse, and
the abuse can manifest in many ways beyond just physical violence. The insidious nature of
emotional and psychological control often makes it difficult for victims to recognize or escape
the situation.

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LGBTQ Violence:
Violence against LGBTQ+ individuals takes many forms, often intersecting with other forms of
oppression like racism, sexism, and ableism. Some key types include:

• Physical Violence: This includes assault, battery, and homicide. Hate crimes are a particularly egregious form of physical violence, motivated by the victim's sexual orientation or gender identity.

• Sexual Assault and Harassment: LGBTQ+ individuals experience disproportionately high rates of sexual assault and harassment. This can range from unwanted touching and groping to rape.

• Verbal Harassment and Bullying: This includes slurs, insults, threats, and other forms of verbal abuse. This can be incredibly damaging to mental health and well-being.

• Cyberbullying and Online Harassment: The internet and social media platforms can be spaces for intense harassment and hate speech targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. This includes doxing, online stalking, and spreading false information.

• Intimate Partner Violence: LGBTQ+ relationships can experience the same types of abuse as heterosexual relationships, including physical, emotional, and financial abuse. However, unique challenges can arise due to societal stigma and discrimination.

• Hate Crimes: These are crimes motivated by bias against the victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. They can range from verbal harassment to severe physical violence, including murder.

• Systemic Violence: This refers to the ways in which institutions and systems contribute to violence against LGBTQ+ individuals. This might include discriminatory laws, policies, and practices in areas such as healthcare, housing, employment, and the justice system.

• Transphobic Violence: This category focuses specifically on violence against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. It often involves physical assault, harassment, and murder, and is often particularly brutal and hateful.

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It's important to recognize that these categories often overlap, and an individual might
experience multiple types of violence simultaneously. The experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals
are diverse, and the specific forms of violence they face can vary widely based on factors such
as race, gender identity, socioeconomic status, and geographical location.

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Sexual/Dating Abuse among the youth/teen:
Sexual and dating abuse among youth and teens can manifest in various ways, often
overlapping and complex. It's crucial to understand that abuse is never the victim's fault. Here
are some key types:

• Sexual Assault: This includes any unwanted sexual act, including rape, attempted rape, unwanted touching, forced oral sex, and sexual coercion. This can occur in a dating context or outside of it.

• Sexual Coercion: This involves using pressure, threats, manipulation, or blackmail to force someone into a sexual act. This might involve threats of ending the relationship, spreading rumors, or using emotional manipulation.

• Unwanted Sexting: Sending or receiving sexually explicit photos or messages without consent. This can have severe long-term consequences for victims, including online harassment and blackmail.

• Relationship Abuse: This encompasses a broad range of controlling behaviors in a dating relationship, often involving emotional, verbal, and/or physical abuse alongside sexual abuse. Examples include controlling who the victim spends time with, monitoring their online activity, and threats of violence.

• Dating Violence: This includes physical violence, threats, intimidation, and emotional abuse within a dating relationship. It can escalate quickly and have long-lasting effects on victims; mental and physical health.

• Stalking: Repeated unwanted contact, monitoring, or surveillance. This can take many forms, including following the victim, sending unwanted messages, or using technology to track their location.

• Online Harassment and Cyberstalking: Using technology to harass, threaten, or stalk a victim. This can include spreading rumors, posting embarrassing or damaging information online, and creating fake social media profiles.

It's essential to remember that these forms of abuse are often intertwined and can occur in
various contexts, from online interactions to in-person relationships. The power dynamics
inherent in many teen relationships can make it particularly difficult for victims to recognize and
report abuse. Youth may feel pressured to stay silent due to fear, shame, or loyalty to their
abuser.

SEWA-AIFW provides support to all individuals that have been impacted by GBV. We will work
with you individually on your needs and provide support.​​