the high cost of gender-based violence

A new study released by the International Center for Research on Women, titled “Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities,” investigates the relationship between gender-based violence, household economic vulnerability and costs to public resources in three countries: Morocco, Uganda and Bangladesh.

Gender-based violence has a devastating impact on economic growth, affecting the livelihood of women, their households, and entire communities.  Victimization can force women to take unpaid leave from work, lower their ability to be productive, and force family members to change their work schedule, all of which can lead to a loss in earnings and community standing.

The data from this new study contributes to an expanding body of research demonstrating that violence against women impedes the development of a country both on a local and national scale. While economically and socially disparate, Morocco, Uganda and Bangladesh all have high rates of gender-based violence.  Two-thirds of respondents from Bangladesh and half from Uganda experienced physical violence. Sixty-one percent in Bangladesh and 47% in Uganda experienced sexual violence. These experiences of abuse are not isolated incidents either; in Morocco 46% of women experiencing physical abuse and 52% of women experiencing sexual abuse reported multiple episodes of violence.

And yet, women seek services through the health care system and/or the justice system at a much lower rate than reported prevalence. During the 12 month period in which the study was conducted, only 17% of women in Morocco and 10% in Bangladesh used health services as a result of abuse. Many factors contribute to this disparity including the high out of pocket costs for women, isolation of resources, and cultural attitudes endorsing gender-based violence.

Even under-accessed the cost of gender-based violence is enormous for individual households and communities.  In Uganda, a nationally representative study of hospitals estimated that the costs from treating victims of physical violence were about $1.2 million annually. In Bangladesh, women utilize the Salish, a community-based dispute resolution system, to seek justice from gender-based violence. The study found that 53% of cases arbitrated related to gender-based violence, costing approximately $17.5 million in rural areas and $6.14 million annually.

In developing nations, the indirect costs of gender-based violence – reduced productivity, inability to perform household tasks, and absenteeism from work – are absorbed by local businesses and can be crippling for their prosperity, and in turn the livelihood of the overall economy.  Using the average market wage rates, the study estimated that the value of work lost to a household per incident of violence was about $5 or 4.5% of the average monthly income of the households study.  Factor in that incidence of gender based violence is often not isolated and the financial burden to each household becomes monumental.

The bottom line is that women are silently experience violence and when they do seek services it effectively drains community resources.  Gender-based violence does more than cause injury and a laundry list of chronic health problems; the indirect costs of violence thwart the economic growth of families, communities, and entire countries.  Women are the key to solving the economic problems of developing nations. Beyond the clear violation of human rights, at some point, it becomes a simple matter of national self-interest.

an eye-opening internship

by Stacie Graff

I have always been interested in fighting for women’s issues and the empowerment of women. Prior to interning at Jewish Women International this past semester, I worked on women’s issues through a social lens and never got a chance to understand the political side of the issue. During my internship at JWI , I had the opportunity to learn about women’s issues through a political lens.  I have been exposed  to a little of everything- sitting in on appropriations meetings, researching demographics of congressional districts and  attending a press conference introducing the International Violence Against Women Act.

Last week, I also attended a breakfast briefing entitled “How to Reduce Gender-Based Violence through Improving Reproductive Health Services.” The event addressed the intersection between gender-based violence and access to reproductive health services and was sponsored by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, the International Center for Research on Women and the International Rescue Committee.

I learned that for many women suffering from gender based violence, access to basic reproductive services is their only link to medical care. They are otherwise forbidden from seeking medical attention because of their abusers strict control over all aspects of their lives. Therefore, the reproductive health sector in these countries is a crucial resource to hearing the voices of women who suffer from violence. This may be the only place where women and girls can find safety and comfort. Many women fear the consequences of sharing their story with anyone and do not even share their horrors with medical professionals. Far too many women remain in silence with no guidance and counseling. Cultural and legislative changes on a global scale must be taken to enable women to safely seek services and build lives free of violence.

With the reintroduction of the International Violence Against Women Act, the call to action is gaining momentum.  To truly combat gender based violence, improvements must be made in the health care sector.  I believe there is a need for improved ethical training of medical professionals to notice the warning signs of abuse and connect the victim to available services. However, services such as counseling must be provided in such a way as not to disrupt cultural barriers.

Cultural barriers are yet another reason why many women remain silent.  Violence may be widespread, but remains unaddressed because cultural norms prohibit an open dialogue about abuse.   Communities may accept specific rituals that are considered abusive to many but painfully welcome a woman into society and make her eligible for marriage. One of the challenges is that individuals defending gender equality must appear unbiased – protectors of women’s physical safety and health but not disrespecting of the community culture.

We must work together to build safe environments for women and girls to thrive. Demonstrating the connection between gender-based violence and reproductive health services will help empower communities change the attitudes and social norms that sanction violence.  The United States by supporting legislation like I-VAWA which focuses on long term systemic changes and localized initiatives to change social norms, is transforming the global discussion about gender based violence.  We cannot merely enter a country and expect to improve the situation overnight. If we don’t include women in the entire process- from evaluations of existing services and policy to the implementation of new programs- we will not be able to eliminate violence.  By understanding the culture and the locations where women seek refuge, foreign aid will be more able to help and less likely to be perceived as having the goal of  forcing our cultural values onto a nation that is different than our own.