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Lesson 1��What is Gender-based Violence (GBV)?

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What is Gender-Based Violence (GBV)?

… all acts perpetuated against women, men, boys and girls on the basis of their sex [gender] which causes or could cause them physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, [spiritual] or economic harm, including the threat to take such acts, or to… [restrict] fundamental freedoms in private or public life in peace time and during situations of armed or other forms of conflict. (Interfaith Brief on Gender-Based Violence, n.d.)

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GBV is Physical Violence

Any of the following on the basis of someone’s sex:

Shoving
Hitting
Kicking
Tripping
Bullying

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GBV is Sexual Violence

Forcing someone to have sex against their will
Sexual abuse of children
Threats of a sexual nature
Using power/authority or force for sex
Forced marriage
Verbal abuse (sexualized remarks)

(Deepan, 2017, p. 10)

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GBV is Gender Inequality� Gender Inequality says…

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I’m ALLOWED to but you are not
I can have an education but you cannot
I can buy certain things but you cannot
I can have friends but you cannot
I can make the decisions but you cannot
I get more food than you

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GBV = Controlling Behaviors = Oppression

What are controlling behaviors?

When a husband isolates his wife from her friends or family
When a husband refuses his wife money for household expenses
When a husband demands to always know his wife’s location
When a husband forces his wife to have sex
When a husband does not let his wife share her opinions or share in household decisions

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Activity One: Persons or Things (Deepan, 2017, p. 44)

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��Lesson 2�� Whom do we blame for GBV?

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Globally, one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

(Violence Against Women and Girls: Does Faith Matter?, n.d.)

Boys who witness their fathers abuse their mothers are more likely to abuse their wives during adulthood.

(Violence Against Women and Girls: Does Faith Matter?, n.d.)

When men drink alcohol in excess, they are much more likely to physically or sexually abuse their wives.

(Cadena, n.d.)

“… long-term effects of GBV on its victims are high rates of depression, abortions, STDs, complications in pregnancy, complications during childbirth, dropping out of school, and poverty among women victims.”

(Khalaf-

Elledge, 2021)

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Activity 2: The Blame Game

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Grandmother

Mother

Pastor

Who will cause her the most harm?

Community Leaders

Father

Future Husband

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Whom do we blame?

In some cultures, tradition requires women to marry at a certain age and the parents choose their husbands. Surprisingly, a mother or mother-in-law may be the gatekeeper for this decision.
Religious leaders (pastors) can either support or condemn GBV in their sermons.
In most cultures, community leaders are in a position of influence, which means they may have the power to stop GBV in their communities.
Globally, men are predominantly in positions of power over nations, regions, communities, and families.
In cultures where FGM (female genital mutilation) occurs, oftentimes the matriarchs of families deny stopping this cruel act on the basis of tradition (it is not found in Scripture or other sacred texts) (Diallo, n.d., p. 2).

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Lesson 3��A Conduit for Change

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What does God say about inequality?

Genesis 1:26–28 Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness… So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’

When sin entered our world, the role of men and women changed; however, Jesus Christ came to restore that roll.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither… male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus

Philippians 2: 3-8 Although Christ was given power over His people, the church, “he humbled himself,” and died for us (Philippians 2: 6-8). Likewise, to follow Christ is to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition… but in humility consider others [no matter the gender or age] better than yourselves.”

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Teacher: Remind the class that God created man and woman equally in His image. They were originally created to rule over fish, birds, and animals, not each other.

Next, ask the students to take a moment and reflect on these verses. Then, ask these questions:

How did God create man and woman? (‘In God’s image’ in the Bible)

b. ‘Let us make man in our own image.’ Why is God saying ‘us’ and ‘our image’? What does this mean? (Humans were made in the image of God, of the Trinity.

c. What does it mean for men and women to be made in the image of God, especially in the image of the Trinity?

(For example: i. They’re made differently, but are equal in power and worth. ii. God is relational: God exists in the Trinity, which is a loving relationship. God creates people to love, who will love in return. We are created to love God, each other and the creation, and to be in relationship with each other.)

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What does God say about Oppression?

“…set the oppressed free…” (Isaiah 58:6)
“…[do] not turn away from your own flesh and blood…” (Isaiah 58:7)
“… do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk…” (Isaiah 58:9)
“… satisfy the needs of the oppressed…” (Isaiah 58:10)
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,… (Proverbs 31:8)
Jesus said, “whatever you did for the least of these [the most vulnerable, the powerless, the weak, the voiceless]…, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40)

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What does God say about the Household?

Ephesians 5:25

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her…”

God expects husbands to love their wives so much that they will die for her – sacrifice all for her.

Colossians 3:19

“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh to them.”

Colossians 3:21

“Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged”

Colossians 3:12

“...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

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Activity 2: Protection

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Grandmother

Mother

Pastor

Who can offer her the most protection?

Community Leaders

Father

Future Husband

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Activity 4: Help Map

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Where would you go to report abuse?

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References

Cadena, S. (n.d.). Intimate Partner Violence and Alcohol use among the Ngöbe and Buglé Indigenous Population of Panama, Central America (p. 14). file:///C:/Users/farri/AppData/Local/Temp/Dialnet-IntimatePartnerViolenceAndAlcoholUseAmongTheNgobeA-4066466.pdf

Deepan, P. (2017). Transforming Masculinities: A Training Manual for Gender Champions (p. 80). Tearfund. tearfund.org/sexualviolence

Frame, J. (Director). (n.d.-a). Forms of GBV. Wheaton College. https://lms.wheaton.edu/course/5422225849/materials?f=535895973

Frame, J. (Director). (n.d.-b). Work of Organizations Part of Chab Dai.

Interfaith Brief on Gender-Based Violence. (n.d.). 7.

Nowhere to turn—Gender-based violence against Roma women | UNDP in Europe and Central Asia. (n.d.). UNDP. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/library/roma/nowhere-to-turn-gbv-against-roma-women.html

Santamaría, A., Gerald, C., Chamorro, F., Herrera, V., Flores, H., Sandoval, I., Gómez, B., Harbar, E., Liriola, L., de León Richardson, R. G., Motta, J., & Moreno Velásquez, I. (2019). Social determinants of violence against women in Panama: Results from population-based cross-sectional studies and a femicide registry. International Health, ihz116. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihz116

Transforming Masculinities (p. 4). (n.d.). Tearfund. https://lms.wheaton.edu/course/5422225849/materials?f=535896020

Violence Against Women and Girls: Does Faith Matter? (p. 4). (n.d.). Tearfund. https://lms.wheaton.edu/course/5422225849/materials?f=535896020

Voices Against Violence: A Guide to CAFOD’s work on sexual and gender-based Violence (p. 24). (n.d.). CAFOD.

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