This paper analyses (female) voices that reported sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to the Commission of Inquiry of the Congo Free State between October 1904 and February 1905. Couldry's (2010) notion of "voice as value" is used to assess the possible contribution of these voices to the decade-long international humanitarian campaign that outsted King Leopold II from his personal colony. Document Analysis was performed on 21 witness accounts, including five female survivors and 16 African and European men who either corroborated or ruled out these women's statements. The analysis reveals one of the two main sites of violence to have been the home of the victim, a peculiar site of conflict-related SGBV even in the DRC today. Additionally, the study suggests a correlation between the geographical region of rubber exploitation and the area of concentration of SGBV - a finding which could signify germination of the 'world's capital of rape' to have started during the Leopoldian era and necessitates further examination. In answer to the inquiry's main question, results show that although voices denouncing SGBV remained unheard during the campaign, they did echo the main message carried by most if not all 300 or so Congolese men and women whose stories bear witness to brutalities that took place 120 years ago. The message they would have wanted reverberated worldwide is that ending the rubber regime was the only way out of their ordeal.

BackgroundGender-Based Violence (GBV) is a global problem rooted in gender inequality. South Africa has exceptionally high rates of GBV. Despite the fact that Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) has been taught as part of the school subject Life Orientation to teach topics like gender equality, studies have demonstrated inconsistent implementation of this curriculum.AimTo investigate Life Orientation educators’ experiences of teaching the curriculum in relation to GBV and gender equality and manging the issue of GBV in public schools located in the Gauteng province, South Africa, and gain information about the challenges educators experience and what they think is needed to actively work towards preventing GBV in schools.Research DesignA qualitative research design was utilised.MethodTwelve participants were interviewed online using a semi-structured interview guide. The data was transcribed, coded, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsThe results indicate that the participating educators experience various challenges and have diverse views on potential improvements. Limited educational and training resources, deep-rooted views of gender roles and cultural traditions, limited recognition of the subject’s importance by educational authorities, as well as uncertainty regarding existing school GBV policies are crucial findings on how the educators experience teaching GBV.ConclusionThis study identified challenges and the potential benefits of improved educator training to address the topic of GBV, more detailed coverage of GBV in the curriculum, increased awareness surrounding GBV and allocating more time to these concepts.

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a public health problem andprimarily affects women. Almost 30% of all women who have been in arelationship with a man, have experienced physical or sexual violence by theirpartner in their life. Even though sexual violence is being investigated inIndia, the determinants of sexual violence are thus far little investigated,specifically the determinants of IPSV. The purpose of the study was toexamine the demographic and socioeconomic determinants of IPSV againstwomen in India. The study was carried out using a quantitative method basedon secondary data from the National Family Health Survey 4 (NFHS-4). Thevariables used was age, residential area, education, religion, wealth index andemployment (current/all year/seasonal). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square testand a multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data.The results indicated that younger women experienced more IPSV than olderwomen, and women in rural areas lived through more IPSV than women inurban areas. However, were women with urban residency were more likely tobe exposed to IPSV, which indicates that urban residency can be a risk factorfor sexual violence. A remarkable finding was that the prevalence of IPSVamong working women was higher (9%) than nonworking women (6%), butthat the adjusted ORs showed no correlation between working status andIPSV. Current study has added further evidence of IPSV in India, usingnationally representative samples. Younger women with lower educationshould be emphasized and seen as a risk group for IPSV. An in-depth studyregarding the partner’s characteristics in India is warranted and an importantstep to chart additional determinants for IPSV. / <p>Betyg i Ladok 201214.</p>

This thesis focuses on gender-based discrimination in the application of French legislation. Discrimination is a major principle of Human Rights. Women and gender minorities, although they are subjected to discrimination, are protected by international treaties and conventions against it. With a Qualitative Content Analysis, this thesis will study different court cases in order to see, through the lens of the Feminist Jurisprudence Theory, the situation of gender-based discrimination in the application of French legislation. The conclusion of this thesis is that, while there is gender-based discrimination in the application of legislation, it comes mostly from how the experience of the individuals is considered by the courts. The higher and lower courts have also different outcomes in some of the cases, due to the role and focus they have. The main discrimination that can be found is indirect discrimination.

This study's focus is aimed at determining the effectiveness of a protection order (PO) in South Africa obtained against gender-based violence (GBV). This legal instrument's function is to protect victims against further violation from the perpetrator. The Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998 (DVA), grants victims the right to a PO. However, the enormous number of GBV cases in South Africa continues to increase. This alludes to South Africa's lack of adequate implementation and enforcement, in contradiction of its constitutional obligation to protect. The continued prevalence of GBV requires an investigation of whether preventative legal instruments, such as the PO, are fulfilling their purpose and the judicial implications of failure to provide protection. This study examined the international human rights law obligation South Africa has to promote and fulfil the right to protection against GBV. Extensive existing research confirms that victims of GBV, statistically, are likely to be female. It was vital to examine obligations that South Africa has assumed through regional legal mechanisms, as they similarly guide implementing protective measures against GBV. The national legal framework was revisited and the provisions in the DVA were reassessed to give a clear indication of the PO processes. The outcome of the study revealed that South Africa's PO process provisions in the DVA, have enabled South Africa to comply with its international, regional and domestic obligation to safeguard victims against GBV. However, there are glaring shortcomings in the implementation of the PO machinery. Law enforcement and prosecuting authority were found to be major contributors to these shortcomings. The research found that several of these essential service providers are challenged with full adherence to the provisions regarding the granting of the PO. These shortcomings have the effect that, in practice, South Africa has failed to comply with its obligations to international and regional human rights treaties and the South African Constitution. This study recommends ways in which POs can be applied more successfully in South Africa. The study suggests revised and strengthened legal processes, and more effectively informed intervention strategies.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Democratic South Africa was based on a constitution that is meant to have democratic values that promote human dignity and non-discrimination. Such democratic values were put in place to ensure that the human rights violations that took place in apartheid South Africa would not take place again and that everyone, especially those previously oppressed are treated with respect and dignity. Despite the guaranteed human rights that are supposed to apply to everyone, lesbians and other members of the LGBT community still face discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Nell and Shaprito (2011, p12) point out that “in stark contrast with constitutional guarantees of freedom and human rights for all, research indicates that homophobic victimization is an endemic part of the South African landscape”.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape in the world. Experiencing rape frequently proposes substantial consequences on survivors’ physical, psychological and social wellbeing, which accentuates the importance of providing survivors with help, support, and protection. However, the scarce studies examining survivors’ experiences with the support system indicate many flaws within the system, sometimes even resulting in further harm. This failure of governmental support systems stimulated an increasing manifestation of NGOs as providers of survivor support. It is consequently crucial to understand and evaluate the success of these services to fully understand the quality of available support. The objective of this study was to investigate women rape survivors’ post rape experiences and their journey and subsequent experiences with the counselling provided to them by the Cape Town based NGO Rape Crisis. Fifteen adult rape survivors were recruited via opportunity sampling and asked to participate in one hour long unstructured interviews. In line with the research topic and the research questions, an intersectional feminist paradigm was chosen for the theoretical framework and thematic narrative analysis was applied as the analytic approach. The analysis showed four themes relating to rape survivors’ narratives on post-rape challenges, namely; the silence and stigma that victimises survivors, the psychological effects of rape, help seeking as a last resort, and demystifying counselling. Additionally, five themes around survivors’ experiences of Rape Crisis counselling were established, namely; the value of a professional safe space, building a counsellor relationship, talking and listening, a collaborative effort to finding oneself, and sharing collective stories of pain. The findings highlight the need for more outreach and education efforts around rape, as well the importance for professional yet not too clinical psychological support which incorporates empowerment principles and focuses on help to self-help.

This study aimed to investigate gender-based evaluation differences in situations that occasionally can be perceptualized as sexual harassing situations. Hypothesis stated that when women are presented as victims in an eventual sexual harassing situation, participants would rate the event as more serious in comparisons when the victims are men. The study used survey-based between-group experimental design with story-based gender manipulation of the victim’s character in fictitious stories that may or may not be attributed with low-, moderate- or high grade of seriousness into a ratio scale (0-10). Four groups (N = 120) were included and separated depending on the victims as well as the participants gender. The assumption homogeneity of variance for one-way analysis of variance was violated when Levene's test was performed. Non-parametric equivalent Kruskal Wallis-test indicated a significant difference between the groups. Further findings were presented from multiple Mann Whitney U-tests for six possible comparisons (α = .008). Five significant differences between the groups were found confirming the first hypothesis despite the strict alpha level. Concluding the results as a potential confirmation of the prototype theory.

Subtle occurrences of discrimination, insults, and slights against gender can impact woman of all ages, although little research has been done on the mental health impacts of these events on adolescents or middle-aged women. Additionally, a person’s own views on sex roles and sexism may impact how these events affect them. The following study examined the relationship between mothers and daughters on variables related to ambivalent sexism, gender-based microaggressions, and anxiety and depression. One hundred two mothers and their adolescent daughters completed various online surveys through the use of a Qualtrics panel. The sample was fairly representative, with respondents varying in social class, age, religious preference, and geographical location. Mother and daughter participants separately completed various online measures related to microaggressions, sexism, and mental health. Results indicated that mothers and daughters reports of mental health outcomes, experiences of microaggressions, and ambivalent sexism were very correlated. Additionally, for both mothers and daughters, there was a positive correlation between experiences of gender-based microaggressions and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. A moderation analysis was done to see if a women’s level of benevolent sexism acted as a moderator to the relationship between experiences of microaggressions and mental health. Although no significant interactions were found, the results did approach significance for the dependent variable of mother’s depression. This study highlights the occurrence and impact of gender-based microaggressions on two under-researched populations, and also begins to explore how views about gender roles may interact with mental health.

This qualitative research study used hermeneutical phenomenology to understand how female victims of the Darfur conflict perceived justice, as related to their lived experiences. Reports from the various international media and Human Rights Organizations and United Nations agencies have revealed a disproportional number of victims’ claims on the lack of effective legal ramifications for perpetrators and the high impunity rates that rob victims of achieving justice for the atrocities they have experienced. The purpose of this investigation was to discover how and if the challenges that the victims’ experienced shaped their interpretation of justice, and how they made meaning of these experiences, as related to their perceptions of justice. This study was important for building peace, since there could be no peace without justice