@munnatic
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The most promising prevention strategies in my context has been community mobilisation and activism which has worked so far. We conduct sessions with women and men on power and gendered norms. However the sessions are conducted separately. I also see that we could use the couple’s approach which could work better.
Community campaigns on violence and mental health have shown promising results. Apart from that we also provide services like counselling, extended services like Psychiatric referral and Clinical Psychologist along with Legal, Police and Health referrals to women.If Mercy lived in my community, the risk factors would be similar to mentioned in the video, like exposure to violence as a child, depression increases the chances of perpetrations of violence, gendered norms like women and men have different roles. For e.g. men are the provider and women are caretakers and child bearers. Lack of education for both women and men which leads to warped understanding about the roles that they need to play. Poverty and lack of resources. Social norms that encourage perpetration of violence. Not bearing a male child is another reason for perpetrating violence by men and their families which threatens women’s identity in the society.
Protective factors for Mercy would be social protection and laws in place especially for women and practical implementation of it by authorities. Education for girls and boys both leads to an understanding about the societal norms and bring about a shift in the gendered roles. These girls and boys when they grow up are more likely to accept the equal household chores. Educated women may tend to earn more than uneducated women and be able to provide in the house plus know the ways of savings and investments of money. She will be more likely to have an asset like a vehicle.
Situations triggers for Mercy would be intoxication of both alcohol / drugs, she challenging authority of her partner and asking for money which her partner may not be able to provide. Refusal for sex too has dire consequences with women being raped by their husbands.In Mercy’s life and community, girls have been brought up with an intention of getting married, looking after a home and bearing children. Girls are not educated as parents feels it is important for boys to study as girls will get married and go to another home. Boys are considered to be head of the household and provide for the family. Girls / women are expected to support whatever their partners do. It is also ingrained in these girls from the childhood that it is okay for a husband to beat his wife. It is a vicious cycle, where girls are not educated about their rights, there is poverty and the patriarchal structure in their community enables violence in Mercy’s life and community. The religion that Mercy and her community follow teaches them to be a good wife, remains chaste while it seems okay for men to have sexual initiation before marriage and how to look after a home. Mercy has learnt through her mother that it is okay for husbands to beat wives, she herself went through that and although she wished a different life for her daughter she sent her daughter to church to learn how to be a good wife. The cycle of violence has continued through the generations.
Violence will worsen if she continues to take the beatings and not speak about it to anyone. Her daughter too, like Mercy will grow up with the thought that husbands beat wives.
It could worsen if girls are not educated and boys are not involved in understanding household work. It could worsen if the communities are not educated about women’s rights and relationships including violence.
