Gender and Development
in Education
Preventing Gender-Based Violence
Nerissa L. Losaria, DEM
At the end of the 2-hour session, the
participants will be able to:
Explain human sexuality in relation to
gender based violence.
Differentiate sex and gender
Define gender-based violence (GBV)
Explain implicit and explicit factors in
schools leading to gender-based violence
The Circles of
Sexuality
Sensuality involves our level of
awareness, acceptance and enjoyment
of our own or others bodies
Body Image/
Intimacy is the ability & need
Sexualisation is the
Human Sexual
to experience emotional
use of sexuality to
Response
closeness to another person
influence, control or
Cycle/ Skin/
& have it returned.
Media
manipulate others
Hunger/
messages/
Fantasy Caring, sharing,
images/
loving, risk
seduction/
taking,
withholding sex,
vulnerability
rape, incest
Sexual Identity is the
development of a sense of
Sexual Health &
Sexual
Biological
who one is sexually,
Reproduction attitudes &
behaviour,
gender, gender
including a sense of
behaviours towards our
reproductive
identity and
maleness and femaleness
health & the consequences
system,
role, sexual
of sexual activity
contraception,
orientation
STDs
Women give birth to babies, men do not.
Women can breast feed babies, men cannot.
Little girls are gentle, boys are tough.
In schools, boys are appointed presidents, girls are
secretaries
Boys are sargeant-at- arms, girls are muses.
Girls have long hair and men have short
hair.
Girls have monthly menstruation
Girls perform better in home economics
while boys in technology and practical arts
Body hair is OK for men, but women have to
remove it
Male voice break at puberty
GENDER is very much
related to SEX and many
people are often confused
about the distinction
between sex and gender.
Whats the difference?
Difference Between Sex and
Gender
SEX
is the
biological
attributes of a
person. It is
universal and
can not be
changed.
GENDER
is socially
determined
and culturally
defined. It
changes
across time,
age and
culture.
It is a learned
behavior.
"any act of gender-based violence that
results in, or is likely to result in, physical,
sexual or mental harm or suffering to
women, including threats of such acts,
coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty,
whether occurring in public or in private
life."
Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence Against Women.New
encompasses, "physical, sexual and
psychological violence occurring in the
family and in the general community
Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence Against Women
physical assault
homicide
sexual assault/abuse
rape
hate crimes
sexual coercion
stalking
forced prostitution/trafficking
genital mutilation
sexual harassment
incest
verbal abuse
economic threats
forced into illegal criminal activities
pornography, internet abuse
date rape
reproductive rights violations
Abuse of women with physical and mental disabilities
Sexual discrimination
Culture bound-practices harmful to women
Ritual abuse within religious cults
In every country, results indicate that between 10% and
50% of women report they have been physically abused by
an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Population-based studies report that 12 and 25% of women
have experienced attempted or completed forced sex by an
intimate partner or ex-partner at some time in their lives.
Interpersonal violence was the tenth leading cause of death
for women 15-44 years of age in 1998.
Forced prostitution, trafficking for sex and sex tourism
appear to be growing.
WHO. Fact Sheet No. 239,June
2000
Nearly half the women who die due to
homicide are killed by their current or
former husband or boyfriend, accounting
for 7% of all deaths among women aged
15-44 worldwide.
47% of women report that their first
sexual intercourse was forced.
World Report on Violence and
Health, WHo. 2002
Rape and attempted rape and acts of
lasciviousness (12% increase)
Physical injuries is highest (14% increase),
Largest group of VAW victims is composed
of women between 18-25 years
Almost 2/3 occurred inside the house and
were inflicted by their husbands
WCC. Feminist Action Research on
the Impact of VAW on Women's
7 out of 10 victims/survivors of rape were
raped by men known to them
6 out of 10 were victims of pre-marital
rape by their present husbands/live-in
partners and this forced them into early
marriages with abusers
3 out of 10 were later forced into
prostitution/sexual slavery
8 out of 10 rape survivors reported
reproductive tract infections
8 out of 10 have sleeping disorders
(insomnia, nightmares and oversleeping)
WCC. Feminist Action Research on
the Impact of VAW on
5 out of 10 (50%) were abused when they were 10
years old and below
3 out of 10 are victims/survivors of multiple incest
2 out of 10 reported temporary loss of sanity
Almost all (97%) of the incest survivors reported
shame, guilt and loss of self-esteem
7 out of 10 survivors blamed themselves for the
abuse
6 out of 10 incest survivors reported that their
mothers are also physically and psychologically
abused
1 out of 3 were abused by their own biological fathers
1 out of 10 was abused by her stepfather
2 out of 10 incest and rape survivors had unwanted
pregnancies
Rape is not a big deal; it is only sex.
Fact: Rape is a big deal. It is a crime of
dominance and control using sex to
express power and anger.
Rape only happens to teenagers or young
women.
Fact: Rapists attack infants, senior citizens
and teens. They attack women, men, girls
and boys.
Rape only happens if you ask for it.
Women who are provocative are the only
victims of rape.
Fact: Womens behavior is irrelevant. To
act provocative or to wear sexy clothing
does not mean you are asking to be raped.
Some women dream or fantasize about
being raped.
Fact: Rape occurs when an attacker takes
control of a woman in reality.
A woman cannot be raped if she keeps her
legs crossed or keeps moving. No man
alone can rape a woman.
Fact: One man alone can rape a woman and
it is a common occurrence.
Rapists are mostly psychotic men. You can
identify a rapist by the way he looks.
Fact: Most rapists are men with no obvious
signs of mental illness. In study after
study, researchers are unable to find any
significant psychological difference
between men who rape and men who do
not rape.
Men rape because they need sex.
Fact: Men do not rape because they need a
sexual partner. Men rape in order to
humiliate and dominate a woman. In fact,
most men who rape are either married or
have regular sexual partners.
Most rapes are spontaneous. A man sees a
woman and has to have her.
Fact: Most rapes are planned. A man may
watch a particular woman for a while and
try to learn her daily routine.
It is impossible for a man to rape his wife.
Fact: A husband can rape his wife and a
boyfriend can rape is girlfriend.
Rape only happens if you are out on the
street late at night.
Fact: Rapes occurs at all times of the day and
majority cases of rape/sexual assault
incidents occurred in the survivors home or
at the home of a friend, relative or neighbor.
There are patterns of sexual abuse and/or
harassment of girls by both male students
and teachers.
School children engaged in
commercialization/exploitation
Teacher tolerance of male students domination of
classroom space at the expense of girls participation in
lessons;
The celebration of masculine competitiveness; the
allocation higher status tasks and responsibilities to male
students and teachers, and domestic-related ones to female
students and teachers
the acceptance of bullying and verbal abuse as a natural
part of growing up
Teachers unofficial use of free student labour, especially
that of girls
Gender fair language
School Facilities
- common toilets/lactines and
locker rooms
Textbooks and reference materials highlight male
heroes and personalities and gender
stereotyping
Participation
-leadership roles (PTCAs, Teacher Association,
School Councils)
-in school and educational projects
Teaching-Learning Process
Socialization process (classroom groupings,
seating arrangements, assigning of roles,
participation in school activities)
These taken-for-granted routine practices in
school all too often teach children that
masculinity is associated with aggression,
while femininity requires obedience,
acquiescence and making oneself attractive
to boys
The structures and practices that fill the
school day with explicit and implicit rules and
norms serve to guide and regulate behaviour;
in so doing, they reinforce the unequal
gender relations already reproduced in the
home and perpetuate
notions of male superiority and dominance
(Dunne et al., 2006).
Recognize the problem is rooted in cultural
attitudes and social structures that prioritize
mens needs over those of women
Recognize the link between violence
prevention and increasing gender equity
Teach young people to engage in respectful
and emotionally healthy relationships
Empower young people with useful
knowledge, skills and understanding and
promoting positive, non-violent relationships
based on equality and respect
Create an atmosphere where violence (such
as bullying) and the use of aggression to
resolve conflicts is not tolerated
Help young people critically examine
gender roles away from strict
dichotomies of masculine and
feminine towards more inclusive
definitions of human potential and
diversity
Create atmosphere of moral
tolerance and respect for difference
Give out specific information on
Prevalence and incidence
different forms of VAW
Misconceptions and myths about rape, incest,
sexual harassment and violence
Resources available to those who have been
victimized
Law, rules, regulations and procedures
Promote gender-sensitive learning (classroom
structure, groupings, learning processes,
gender
fair language and examples)
Provide strong support services to ALL teachers
and
students
Generate correct sex-disaggregated data
Provide school facilities esp. toilets, locker rooms
Ensure fair resource allocation for all
Intensify guidance and counseling programs
Protect our students from all forms of abuse
- proactive stand
- response alertness
Promote personal protection, hygiene and good
Application:
List GBV you must have observed in schools and
identify measures/interventions on how your school can
prevent or minimize gender-based violence
GBV
Incidents
Read Sonias Story
Who are
Involved
Preventive
Measures
SONIAS STORY
Instructions:
1. Rate the characters 1 to 5, such that #1 is the most
offensive and #5 is the least offensive. You have 5
minutes to write down your answers silently.
(Characters: Sonia, Greg, Jose, Bong, Lito)
2. Discuss with the group your answers for 20 minutes.
3. Assign a reporter in your group to write your ratings on
the board. 2 minutes given to discuss the groups rating
of the characters.
SONIAS STORY
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Sonia who
was in love with a man named Greg. Greg lived on the
other side of the river where Sonia lived. The river that
separated the two lovers was teeming with man-eating
crocodiles. Sonia wanted to cross the river to be with
Greg. Unfortunately, the bridge had been washed out. So
she went to ask Jose, a boatman, to take her across. But
the look in his eyes frightened Sonia, so she went to her
friend Bong and explained her plight to him. Bong did
not want to be involved at all in the situation. Sonia felt
that her only alternative was to take the boat, even
though she did not trust Jose.
SONIAS STORY
When the boat was already in the middle of the river, Jose
told Sonia that he couldnt control himself and he wanted
to make love to her. When Sonia refused, he threatened to
throw her overboard. But if she complied, he said he
would deliver her safely to the other side. Sonia did not
want to be eaten alive by the crocodiles, but she didnt
see any alternative for herself, so she did not resist Jose.
Jose gratified his desire for Sonia, then delivered her to
the other shore where Greg lived.
SONIAS STORY
When Sonia told Greg what had happened, he blamed
her because of the way she dressed. He saw her as
unclean and cast her aside with disdain. Heartsick and
dejected, Sonia turned to Lito, a karate black-belter. Lito
felt anger for Greg and compassion for Sonia. He sought
out Greg and beat him brutally. Sonia was overjoyed at
the sight of Greg getting his due. As the sun sets on the
horizon, we hear Sonia laughing at Greg.
SONIAS STORY
Each of the characters in the story represents a
member of society:
1. Jose
2. Greg
3. Bong
4. Lito
5. Sonia
WHO ARE WE IN THE STORY?
