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| Introduction Forms of Gender-based Violence and Their Consequences
Effects on Reproductive Health Decision-making Effects on the Economics of Reproductive Health and Family Planning Service Delivery |
Violence against women and girls has a direct bearing on
their reproductive and sexual health and rights, and is recognized by the World Health
Organization (WHO) as a priority public health issue. Dealing with this violence as a
public health issue is one of the most pragmatic and effective ways to combat it. A "life-cycle perspective" recognizes the specific kinds of violence suffered by girls and women at each stage of their life cycle, and their immediate and long-term effects. This throws the problem into high relief, presenting a compelling case for urgent public policy initiatives, particularly in the area of reproductive health. Bias in Infancy and Early Childhood: Even before girls are born, they suffer from the widely prevalent preference for sons. Societies’ strong preference for male children in some countries has led to female infanticide and selective abortion of female foetuses. In China, a l987 census survey showed half a million fewer female infants than one would expect, given the normal biological ratio of male-to-female births. The ratio of males to females has been rising since l982. Other studies reveal that increased availability of reproductive technology such as amniocentesis and ultrasound has enabled this particular form of gender-based violence. Similar patterns of higher than normal male-to-female sex ratios are found in India and the Republic of Korea. The cumulative impact of the abortion of females was powerfully demonstrated by Nobel prize-winner Amartya Sen’s groundbreaking work on the "missing women". The results indicated that male-to-female ratios in China, South Asia, and North Africa were higher than normal. Sen concluded that if these regions had normal sex ratios, there would be more than 60 million more females alive today. Closely related to gender-based violence is discrimination that can be life threatening. In poor communities, little girls are often neglected and even denied food, education, and medical care. Data from developing countries indicate that the mortality rate among girls age 1 to 4 is higher than that among boys in the same age group. |