The recently launched month-long campaign against gender-based violence (GBV), led by Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, with support from various government departments, is perhaps the first time that a serious whole-of-government approach has been taken. was adopted to resolve this persistent problem.

Violence against women is not only domestic and sexual violence, but also a symptom of the broader oppression of women and gender inequality. It is the result of structural violence – manifested in the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities and decision-making – which gives rise to several forms of violence against women.

A meeting of the Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST) highlighted that existing systemic vulnerabilities and inequalities in the public and private spheres intersect in the field of work, influencing women’s entry into the workforce , their retention and their decent work opportunities. Economic uncertainty, unsafe working conditions and gender discrimination contribute to a cycle of violence that extends to different areas of life. Combating GBV in the world of work requires recognition of this continuum of violence. During the panel discussion, Sanya Seth, UN Women Country Program Manager, said: “Poverty and lack of access to resources add to the structural barriers women face, complicating the problem. . » Harish Sadani of Men Against Violence and Abuse said: “Men are not the enemy, the mentality is. How to involve men in the process? If we say that masculinity is a social construct, that means that certain men in these individual systems can be worked on. I don’t like the word ally because men’s lives are also affected. The rape and murder of RG Kar and the boys’ locker room affair are examples of this. A counter-narrative must be constructed.

According to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a crime against women is reported in India every three minutes, two women are raped every 60 minutes and a young married woman is found beaten to death or burned every six hours. Gender-based violence has become so normalized that many women believe it is perfectly normal for a man to beat his wife if she makes a mistake, or something as trivial as not cooking properly or not talk to other men. Despite the existence of several women’s helplines and police stations, women continue to face barriers to accessing them, largely due to lack of awareness, stigma and fear of reprisals. . Domestic violence is a complex and widespread problem in India, but it often goes unreported because the victim must return to the abusive spouse or partner due to a lack of alternatives. This has serious repercussions on the physical and emotional health of these women. Patriarchal norms, discrimination against women, poverty and lack of education play a key role in this.

Jahnvi Andharia of the ISST said that for most women working in the informal sector, the experience of violence cannot be divided into separate categories of “domestic” or “workplace” violence. There is also the violence they experience on the way to work. Women and girls are forced to negotiate with their families, community leaders and even the transportation system to be able to work. These negotiations involve developing a fairly high tolerance for different types of harassment, as long as it gives them the opportunity to earn a living.

Accountability in the face of structural violence requires a greater collective effort than has been observed so far. The fact that nine ministries and departments are involved in the campaign against violence gives hope that the message will be widely disseminated. This effort must involve NGOs and other civil society and human rights groups to make a real difference.

The opinions expressed are personal