POLITICAL-LEGAL PERSPECTIVE 4. Differentiate perpetrators, recognized in the world.

It
IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY survivors; and victims in refers to any harm
gender-based violence. perpetuated against a
Lesson 15: GENDER-BASED
person’s will on the basis
VIOLENCE: SURVIVOR, VICTIM, Definition of Term:
of gender, the socially
PERPETRATOR, AND HUMAN
• Gender-based violence- ascribed differences
RIGHTS
any harmful act that is between males and
Lesson Objectives: perpetrated against a females.
persons’ will and that is
When you finish reading this • Gender-based violence has
based on socially-ascribed
chapter, you should be able to; devastating consequences
(gender) differences
1. Understand the definition not only for victims, but
between males and
of gender-based violence, also for society as a whole.
females (inter-agency
other related terms, and its (Sigal et.al 2013) It results
Standing Committee
forms and consequences; in physical, sexual, and
Guidelines for Integrating
psychological harm to both
2. Understand gender-based Gender-based Violence in
men and women and
violence as a human rights Interventions in
includes any form of
issue; Humanitarian Action
violence or abuse that
2015).
3. Determine the relationship targets men and women
between human rights and Introduction: on the basis of their sex.
gender-based violence; • Gender-based violence is • In the Philippines, gender-
and one of the most based violence has clearly
widespread and human been placed in the realm of
rights abuses, but least women’s human rights
 over the past decade. Prior • Gender-based violence injuries, mental health, and
to 1993, most cuts across public and psychological effects
governments regarded private spheres, including: (depression, anxiety, post-
violence against women home, school and work, traumatic stress, suicide
largerly asa private matter and takes place during and death). Violence also
between individuals. (Loi peacetime and conflict. It is affects children’s survival,
et. Al 1999) both a human rights and a development, and school
development issue, with participation.
• Gender-based violence
negative consequences for
experienced by women • Social consequences
both women and men.
and girls refers to battering extend to families and
and other forms of CONSEQUENCES OF communities. Families can
intimate partner violence GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE also be stigmatized as a
including marital rape, consequences of gender-
• These consequences
sexual violence, dowry- based violence. For
include serious,
related violence, female example, when children
immediate, and long term-
infanticide, sexual abuse of are born following a rape,
impacts on the sexual,
female genital cutting and or if family members
physical, and psychological
other traditional practices choose to stand by a
health of survivors.
harmful to women, sexual survivor, fellow members
exploitation, trafficking of • Health consequences of their community may
girls and women, and include unwanted avoid them.
violence perpetuated pregnancies, complications
• Economic consequences
against domestic workers. from unsafe abortions,
include the cost of public
(USAID 2009) sexually transmitted
health and social welfare
infections including HIV,
 systems and the reduced a. Persons with real or there might be more. In
ability of many survivors to perceived power: any act of GBV, there is a
participate in social and survivor and a perpetrator.
b. Persons in decision-making
economic life. (World All actions in prevention
positions; and
Health Organization, must address potential
Global and Regional c. Persons in authority. survivors and potential
Estimates of Violence In all incidents of GBS, there is perpetrators. Also, all
against Women 2013, always a survivor/victim and a actins in response need to
http://bit.ly/ioTfGVG). perpetrator. Therefore, all address both the survivor
actions in the prevention and and the perpetrator.
SURVIVOR, VICTIM, AND
PERPETRATOR responses to GBV need to Human rights:
address both the survivor and the
• Survivor is the preffered • Human rights are
perpetrator.
term (not a “Victim”) of a universal, inalienable,
person who has lived Remember: indivisible, interconnected,
through an incident of • The words we use and interdependent.
gender-based violence. A communicate a message to Everyone is entitled to all
perpetrator is a person, people who are listening. the rights and freedom
group or institution that Survivor is the preferred without distinction of any
inflicts, supports, or term for those who lived, kind, such as race, color,
condones violence or other through GBV incident. A sex, language, religion,
abuse a person or group of perpetrator is a person political or other opinion,
persons. Characteristics of who commits an act of national or social origin,
perpetrators include: GBV. There might be the property, birth, or other
only one perpetrator, or status.
 • Prevention of and • The right to freedom of
response to gender-based opinion and expression
violence is the directly and to education; (UNFPA,
linked to protection of 2014)
human rights. Acts of
gender based violate a
number of human rights
principles enshrined in
international human rights
instruments and in our Reporters: Jelou Abad
Philippine constitutions. Earl Balendres
These include the following
amongst others:
• The right to liberty and
property of persons;
• The right to the highest
attainable standard of
physical and mental
health;
• The right to freedom from
torture or cruel, inhuman,
or degrading treatment or
punishment;