This presentation looks at the inter-linkages between gender, mental health, violence against women and girls. It argues that it is only recently that International Conventions and Declarations have started looking at three variables together. The presentation calls for strategies to address the linkages at the policy, protocol development, capacity building (of service providers), programmes (for women's empowerment) and at the level of understanding perpetrators.and engaging with men and boys.

1. Gender, violence and mental health:
An international perspective
Ranjani.K.Murthy, rk_km2000@yahoo.com
Researcher, Gender, Poverty and Health
Presentation prepared for BALM’s symposium on
Gender, Violence and Mental Health,
May, 25, 2015

2. Objectives
Gender
GB Violence
against
women
Mental healthConnections
International
policies on
practice

3. Gender Relations
Gender Relations are socially constructed power
relations between men and women, which interlock
with other power relations like:
- Race
- Caste
- Class
- Ethnicity and religion
- Abilities
- Sexual orientation and gender identity
(Whitehead, 1979+ Cornwall …)
NOT
GENDER ROLES

4. Violence Against Women
“Means any act of gender-based violence, that
results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or
psychological harm or suffering to women,
including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public
or in private life”.
UN, Declaration on the Elimination of Violence
against Women 1993

5. What does VAW encompass? UN, 1993
Physical,
sexual
psychological-
wife
battering,
FGM, marital
rape, dowry,
non spousal
violence,
traditional
practices etc
Family
Physical,
sexual
psychological-
rape, sexual
abuse, sexual
harassment,
intimidation,
trafficking,
forced
prostitution
etc
Com/work /edu
Physical,
sexual
psychological-
perpetuated
and condoned
by state
State

6. Mental Health
Mental health is defined as a state of well-being
in which every individual realizes his or her own
potential, can cope with the normal stresses of
life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is
able to make a contribution to her or his
community.
(WHO, 2014)

7. The links gender, violence and mental
health (WHO)
One in 3 suffer from
depression, anxiety and
somatic conditions- >W
1 in 5 men and 1 in 12
women develop alcohol
dependence
Violence against women
(16-50%,)one important
factor contributing to
depression/PTSD
Rates of depression are
3-4 times higher for
women who have
experienced violence
Violence as one of
the causal factors is
rarely investigated;

8. Link- gender, mental health and
violence the other side
Women and girls with
mental illness labelled
possessed/disturbed
inflicted with violence
Women and girls with
mental illness more
vulnerable to VAW
Men and women with
some forms of severe
untreated mental
illness may be violent
against women

9. Is there attention to the links between gender,
VAWG, and mental health?
Attention Increasing

10. Convention on rights of People with
disability, 2006 – on Women
• States Parties shall put in place effective
legislation and policies to ensure violence
against persons (women) with disabilities are
identified, investigated and prosecuted.
• State parties ensure access by women and
girls with disabilities to social protection and
poverty reduction programmes;

11. WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE
Internationally/nationally
• Better Statistics : UN Gender Statistics (integrate this
better) and National statistics.
• Beyond WHO- UNICEF, UNDP- UNDAF document
• SDGs- One indicator on VAW and mental health. All women
coming for mental health care screened for VAW.
• Develop international and national protocol on the same
• Understanding perpetrators.

12. National strategies: Gender, VAW and
mental health
Integrate in
NHMs
National protocol
development
Training of health
police, personnel
Treatment
Legal, counseling
housing
livelihood
Reintegration
SHGs, MGNREGA
Work with men
and boys

13. Strategies: Understand perpetrators
(Srivatsava, 2012)
Not sex, but
gender
Childhood
experience of
violence
Social
learning
Screen
alcohol use
case for
violence and
serious
mental illness

14. Develop strategies for all three!
Gender/
masulinities
VAW
Mental
health