Although women have gained more respect and rights over the many centuries of human history, modern society has not progressed as much as it should from times when a female was simply a man’s property and are therefore seen as inferior. Countless females are still dealing with aggressive actions against them that are rooted with the mindset that women are unequal to men. It is not uncommon nowadays for women to be beaten and tormented with little or no repercussions for the abuser and lasting physical and mental for themselves. Violence against women has been and currently is an issue Canada and the rest of the world have not been focusing enough on considering the vital importance of women in society. I feel strongly for the victims of the …show more content…
This violence or abuse involves acts made against women with the intent to harm the them or their lifestyle. According to the United Nations Declaration, violence against women is defined as, “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” (United Nations, 1993, article 1). This definition supports my theory that any action made to hurt women is based on gender stigma and inequality between genders. It also implies that the term “violence against women” is not limited to only physical abuse but instead comes in many forms, such as emotional and verbal abuse. In addition, any violence or abuse made towards a women is seen as “a major public health concern and a violation of human rights” (Heise et al.). As these experts of women’s health care claim, the issue of violence towards women is one that awareness needs to be raised about because it disregards basic rights women have and the consequences that arise from this abuse are damaging many …show more content…
For most women, abuse starts at a very young age and the severity can differ from threatening, verbal attacks to violent, physical attacks. According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, “half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16” (CWF, 2015). This statistic is extremely concerning because it implies that a Canadian woman knows someone who has been or is a victim herself of such a crime given that the percentage is so high. In a Statistics Canada survey released in 2013 called “Measuring Violence Against Women”, they concluded that of the women surveyed, “in 2011, the five most common violent offenses committed against women were common assault (49%), uttering threats (13%), serious assault (10%), sexual assault (7%), and criminal harassment (7%)” (Statistics Canada, 2013). These statistics show that a majority Canadian women affected by gender-based violence are victims of physical assault beginning at the age of 16. Taking into account the fact that some cases go unreported to authorities, those statistics are likely much worse and would reveal an even higher percentage of affected women in Canada that suffer violence and
National data gives us an indication of the severity of this issue. When 1 in 5-woman report being victims of severe physical violence (NISVS, 2010), we must ask ourselves if enough is being done to prevent this from occurring. From a historical point, there has always almost been a distinction from men on woman violence. Based on the disparity of cases reported, male inflicted violence on females is much higher and prevalent. When the perpetrators of DV, and IPV are predominately males, we can no longer dismissed this issue as a cultural, or
Violence has become prevalent within society; it is something the western world has learned to accept. With every minute that passes Canadians come face to face with certain acts of violence they may not have previously encountered (citation). Although, violence is not a subject that one can escape, women and children have unfortunately become the prime victims of violent acts. The media glorifies violence in other countries around the world it fails to address the presence of violence within Canada. Although violence is usually associated with gangs and guns, Canada experiences more violence related to bullying, sexual, verbal, cyber and domestic abuse (citation). Amidst the changing societal views towards treating women equally and eliminating objectification, of all these types of violence and abuse in our society, the most common still happens to be domestic abuse, which is mainly targeted at women and affects children. Domestic abuse is described as a form of abuse that takes place in the confines of the household (Citation). Though 51% of Canadians have said to have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse only 20% of those cases related to domestic violence are ever reported (citation). Domestic abuse has become more prevalent in modern society; however, it is an issue that is left un-noticed simply because its effects are invisible outside the walls of ones home. In reality the effects of domestic violence have severe negative effects on women, children and the social structure of today’s society. Without any notification of domestic violence the re precautions of this abuse can be dire. When an individual thinks of domestic abuse, their ideas quickly relate back to women, simply because women are the usual and most common victims of domestic violence. And therefore is an issue that must be resolved rather than ignored.
“Honey, you’re not a person, now get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich!” If a husband were to say these words to his wife today, he would likely receive a well-deserved smack to the face. It is not until recently that Canadian women have received their status as people and obtained equal rights as men. Women were excluded from an academic education and received a lesser pay than their male counter parts. With the many hardships women had to face, women were considered the “slave of slaves” (Women’s Rights). In the past century, women have fought for their rights, transitioning women from the point of being a piece of property to “holding twenty-five percent of senior positions in Canada” (More women in top senior positions: Report). The Married Women’s Property Act, World War I, The Person’s Case, and Canadian Human Rights Act have gained Canadian women their rights.
Intimate partner violence has been a significant issue for centuries in all countries. "Since 1974, nearly 2,600 spousal homicides have been recorded in Canada" (Bunge, 2002). Of these homicides, more than three-quarters have been against women. Although through feminism and the women's liberation movement, there has been a slight improvement in the incidences of violence against women, there has also been a drastic change in the perception of the issue by society. After reviewing the most recent literature on violence against women and victimization through intimate partners, it has become prevalent that there are now two crucial stances that are taken. The first position is that of the women being victimized as the main issue, including prevention, causes and incidences. The second position is that of women becoming more 'aggressive' and the issue of violence against both men and women. "Wife battering- the original problem constituted by the 1970s feminists- has morphed into 'domestic violence' and then into 'husband abuse'" (Minaker, 2006). This literature review will examine the background information on intimate partner violence including different arguments and perspectives, theories, and methodologies as well as discuss the major findings and future directions of research.
Gender-based violence has been recognized as a large public health problem as well as a violation of human rights worldwide. One out of three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in another way at least once in her life (www.infoforhealth.org). The abuser is usually a member of the family, introducing the difficult problem in that the abuse usually happens behind closed doors, and is often viewed by cultural norms and legal systems as a family matter rather than a crime.
Since 1970, there has been an increasing and alarming rise 138 percent of violent crimes committed by women. Still, while the equivalent percentage compared to male violence is small 15 percent to 85 percent the fact that the numbers have elevated so drastically points to something changing in society.
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2004. 263-64. Print.
From Statistics Canada data, 6 percent of Canadians who have or had spouse or partner were victims of domestic violence in the previous 5 years (2010). At the same time, most cases of domestic violence are not reported to the police. Statistics Canada (2010) mentions that only about 22 percent of victims reported the assault to police. Obviously, many cases are not reported to the police for different reasons. Neil Boyd (2015) points out that it may be because victims did not think it was important or did not want to involve police. Some victims depend financially on their abusers, some are worried about the family and some do not believe that calling the cops will change anything (Boyd, 2015). According to Statistics Canada (2013), women are three time more likely to become the victims of spousal homicide than men. In the Gangaram and Allen case, the victim was several times physically assaulted by her ex-boyfriend before (Gillis,
During the 1980s and 1900s, domestic violence was one of the most unreported crimes that involve females and males getting hurt and dying. Kicking, choking, killing, and saying brutal or despise words that could hurt the victims physically or emotionally are considered domestic violence. In fact, many victims are afraid to seek for help. According to “The Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC), women account for approximately 85 percent of all intimate partner violence, with women aged 20-24 at greater risk” (Batten, par.16). Most pregnant women are at risk as well. “But underlying approach is still one that assumes the perpetrators are men and the victims are woman” (Haugen, par. 1). Moreover, both males and females believe that domestic violence is a solution to their issues.
In the single year of 2009, there were 460,000 reported incidents of sexual assault against women in Canada (“Criminal Victimization in Canada” 1). Amnesty International once stated that aggression against women “is so deeply embedded in society that it often fails to garner public censure and outrage.” This is evidenced by the fact that only roughly 10% of all sexual assaults are revealed, and to exacerbate the circumstances, women are frequently repudiated, blamed, and dispensed apathetic or cruel manipulation (“Violence Against Women Information” 1). Women’s rights are constantly defiled through domestic violence, and yet it is still abounding and ubiquitous in developed countries. Indeed, every six days, a woman in Canada is brutally killed by the one whom she considered her loving male partner. With every year that passes, approximately 362,000 children are witness to violent parental episodes in Canada. Witnessing violence can disturb the development of children and can eventuate in
One of the most important human rights issues facing Canadians today is the high rate of sexual assault against women. Sexual assault against women acts as a barrier to gender equality and stands in the way of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Sexual assault can be any unwanted physical contact or menacing of a sexual nature or in a sexual situation, done intentionally or recklessly without permission. It includes attempts and threats of unwanted sexual contact. Sexual assault can cover actions range from kissing or sexual touching to sexual act. Sexual assault is a criminal offense even though the victim does not have any physical injuries. Sexual assault in Canada is gendered and socially-patterned. Women are more likely to experience
Tjaden, P., Thoennes, N. (2000b). Full report of the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
United Nation (1993) Declaration on the elimination of violence against women: proceedings from the United Nation world conference on Human Rights G.A. res. 48/104, 48 GAOR Supp.(No. 49) at 217, Doc. A/48/49.https://www.unfpa.org/swp/2005/english/notes/page3.htm Accessed on April 2014
Violence against women: a ‘global health problem of epidemic proportions’ 20 JUNE 2013 | GENEVA
Violence against women (VAW) is now considered and recognized as a public health predicament and a human rights infringement of a worldwide scale and force (Ono, 2013; Raj & Silverman, 2002). Research evidence exists for it serving as a crucial social determinant of health and its resulting vast and damaging impact on physical and mental health for women in Canada (Sharma, 2001). Violence as a concept includes diverse forms of abuse that are directed at women and girls across their lifetime. One critical category or form of violence against women is domestic violence. For the purpose of this paper terms violence against women and domestic violence will be used interchangeably. Domestic violence has been recognized as a critical social problem