WHAT IS GENDER OR GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE?
Many terms are used to describe or label essentially the same thing: gender violence, gendered violence, gender-related persecution, or sexual and gender-based violence. According to UNHCR’s guidelines on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons, sexual and gender-based violence (or SGBV) refers to ‘violations of fundamental human rights that perpetuate sex-stereotyped roles that deny human dignity and the self-determination of the individual and hamper human development.’ (5). The terms ‘refer to physical, sexual and psychological harm that reinforces female subordination and perpetuates male power and control.’ (6) According to these guidelines, ‘the term “gender-based violence” is used to distinguish common violence from violence that targets individuals or groups or individuals on the basis of their gender [or sex]’ (7). Gender violence may affect both men and women, but it disproportionately affects women and girls. The term has
