Introduction
Across the world women has been denied equal rights, hence increasing their vulnerability to various types of violence. Even though domestic violence is global problem, there have been no formulate law or provisions that penalizes those who facilitates domestic violence. The problem regarding this issue is that domestic violence is normally reflected as a private issue that should be solved outdoor the state’s jurisdiction. Battered women are generally mistreated and ordered to return home if they attempt to file their grievance with the authority. Although there are established few shelters that aims to accommodate those women that fear their life, more have not be done to punish the perpetrator (Terry, Geraldine & Hoare, p.110). For instance, spousal rape is not yet considered as a criminal act where husband is granted the rights and control over their wives body every time. Is some countries, there exist some penal codes that provide provision that gives the authority right to drop the charges that are filed against the offender if he agrees to marry the victim.
The consequence of gender based violence can be categorized into three categories that include physical, psychological or mental and sexual and reproductive consequences. On the physical consequences, women who are victim of this situation suffer from permanent or partial disability due to physical beating, poor nutrition, gastrointestinal problems, organ damage, and exacerbation of chronic diseases. When women are subjected to violence, they are accompanied by psychological problems such as fear, anger, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder such as nightmares, sleep disorder, depression, suicidal thoughts (Terry, Geraldine & Hoare, p.110). The perpetrators of this issue also suffers from, shame, self –hate and self-blame, social stigma, isolation and social rejection. Finally, on the issues regarding sexual and reproductive problems the consequences involves abortions, unprotected sex, sexual disorders and risky behaviors, suicide, maternal death, infertility, bad pregnancy outcomes, and chronically pain among others.
The reason why this issue raised my concern is due to the fact that there has been well established law or provision that prohibits the gender violence. As a result this issue has become a global problem and still continues to thrive regardless of whether the country is developing or developed. The gender violence has also been integrated by the advanced technology. In other words, the technology has come to facilitate the gender violence (Simister, p.104). For example, the gender violence that involved two celebrities, Chris Brown and Rihanna was all over the media. To those people who copy what the celebrities do, this act enhanced their violent behaviors towards women.
Vision
Our vision is to join hands as one community in the prevention and mitigation of violence against women, and assist the victims of such violence.
Mission
The movement is committed to provide support, advocacy, and education for all people that are affected by the emotional, sexual violence, domestic and elder abuse against women.
Goals
In order to attain the vision of this movement, various measures must be put into concern. One of the important issues is to integrate the gender based violence and the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs). This will help the movement to acquire a stepping stone and a guideline towards eradicating the gender based violence in different countries. This is because, if the long term consequences of the gender violence are not properly addressed, they may adversely affect the MDGs and hence reduce the rate of sustainable and just development among international communities. In addition, use of media such as internet will be embraced to help in spreading the campaign against female victimizations across the world.
Goals
Long term goals
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and increasing the level of education among the stakeholders
In most countries or regions, the gender violence is associated with extreme poverty and hunger. This is common in the developing countries where there are high levels of hunger and economic instability. The level of domestic violence is also associated with the level of illiteracy. Therefore, in order to eradicate the gender based violence, this movement aims to achieve universal education and eradicate poverty and hunger among regions that are prone to domestic violence (Santos & Marion, p.34).
Empowerment of victims of sexual abuse and teenage mothers
This movement aims to empower and assist the marginalized groups of young girls and adults who are victims of sexual abuse. This involves provision of incentives to talented and innovative women that lives in the marginalized areas.
Short term goals
Promote and evocate the authorized reforms regarding the national Women’s Rights Bill
Sensitization of the civil community on the exercise and implementation of women’s legal rights concerning trafficking, early marriage, and other personal lawsuit issues such as inheritance
Rethink society with the feminist’s theory: This goal is accomplished through teaching the community on the applicability of discipline such as socialist feminism, feminist literary criticism and women’s studies among others.
Social movements have shaped the modern world socially, politically and culturally. Social movements are particular group action in which large informal groups of persons work for or oppose changes in a given social issues. Therefore types of social movements involve alternative social movements, redemptive social movements, revolutionary social movements and reformative social movements. It is noted that social movement can occur at the group, society or individual level as well as advocate for either radical or minor changes (Freeman & Jo, 23, 1983).
Alternative social movements are associated and occur mostly at the individual level while they advocate for minor changes. Redemption social movements are also associated with individual level however their advocate for radical changes. Reformative social movements mostly occur at a broader groups or either society level and may advocate for changes that are minor. Revolutionary social movements are associated and happen at group or societal level as well as advocated for radical changes (Wilkinson, Paul, 65, 1971). This is a specific type of social movement that is dedicated to carry radical reforms in addition gaining some control of the state. Social movement is also categorized in several classifications they include scope, targets, methods, type of change and range.
Scope is a social movement can be either fundamental or reform. In reform movement there are some norms and laws due to advocates’ changes while a radical movement is dedicated to some changing values of system in a fundamental way. Civil Rights Movement in America is an example of radical movement since it facilitates law that binds the rights of each and every woman in United States. It is noted that women has unequal legal rights therefore increasing their vulnerability to violence in every given society. It has come to our concerns that in most countries there is no specific laws that to penalize domestic violence.
Targets are the group movements that are very focused on influencing positively other groups or any society in general. For instance targets may attempt to change the women as victims of violence to equality society where the idea of equality is well pronounced. Also individual movements may focus to affect other individuals. Type of change is that change that every movement might seek that may be innovative or conservative. For an innovative movement it introduces new changes in norms and values while conservative movement seeks to reservation existing values and norms (Freeman & Jo, 263, 1983). Another category of social movements include methods of work which include peaceful and violet movements.
In social movements the sense of membership proposes that every individual is some discipline thus they share norms and values that are possessed by social movement. Norms are used to suggest behavior that symbolizes the member’s loyalty in social movement. In our case the members involves the victims who are women, perpetrators who are men, non-government and government (Wilkinson, Paul, 45, 1971). Members in the initial stages are women. Women are the victims of violence where by the is inequality and are discriminated from basic human rights that leads to exposed to hardship, lack of custody rights, sexual subjugation and inadequate access to education. However, feminist movement is there to perform series of campaigns for reforming the above issues.
The feminist movement's importance varies among nations or societies and range from antagonism to female genital mutilation in one country. The intermediaries are Non-government organizations that assist the victims of violence either by providing basic needs such as food and clothes. They also provide lawyers in case of court case and being on the side of victims. The Non-government organization involves the United Nations organizations that ensure human rights are enhanced accordingly.
In long term men and the government are known members; men are known to be custodian of culture since changes comes from them while the government is policy formulators therefore they should enhancement human rights. The best motivation that can make people to become members of my social movement is by having norms and values that will set the best discipline of the members. Commitment is strengthened by participation in group activities with other members and by appealing in actions, individual or communal that publicly define the individual as a committed member. Obligation is strengthened by contribution in group activities with other members (Freeman & Jo, 93, 1983). Also they can be by engaging in individual, actions or collective.
In achieving equality by elimination of all forms of violence against women both domestic or during war, it is important to incorporate various forms of action that will enhance the achievement of these goals. Since equality cannot be achieved through individual effort, it is paramount to include all the stakeholders including the perpetrators, victims and the society at large (Klandermans, 140). This involvement may take various forms considering the advancement in technology. Therefore the movement can use forums, social media, articles, protests or / and marches. These forms of action will help in sensitizing the stakeholders about the problem, its impact and how to cab it and the possible benefits that can be accrued from the achievement of equality where all forms of violence against women are eliminated.
Forums and the social media can be used as a platform, in which stakeholders come together either physically or through the internet and discuss the prevalence, causes, impacts and appropriate ways of solving the same. It may include the presence of governmental and non-governmental organizations that are concerned with gender equality issues and deal with formulating policies that will help in eradicating the same (Klandermans, 176). In such forums, stakeholders will discuss the reality of the case using various techniques and insight that will assist them in seeing the need for such a movement that will be meant in fighting for equality.
Protest and marches come into the scene as an activist movement which is meant to demonstrate in order to alert the government and the international community on the extent and prevalence of the particular gender issue. These are protest that sensitizes the public on the effect of gender violence and the importance of ensuring such equality. It therefore includes demonstrations with gender inequality slogans that are directed to the government and the society informing and requesting for cooperation in fighting the vice. This action will create awareness to the stakeholders and as a result a possible action may be taken by the government by enacting law against gender violence or NGOs in assisting its victims.
The movement will have a national outlook with groups of activist in the entire country. The leaders will be meeting occasional to discuss the progress and the next course of action to be taken by the movement (Klandermans, 184). If the leaders see it fit for such a national or regional forum or protest, the information will be communicated to the members through their regional offices and group leaders. A date will be set and the whole schedule programmed such that the protest or forum will be a success.
Technology is an important tool that can be used in advocating for gender equality and elimination of gender violence for this case. The print media can be used in producing informative, educational and recommendation messages to the public. However, since this is limited to the literate, radio, television and cinema or video shows can be used extensively to communicate information about the same (Silverstone, 241). It will be possible to use video clips, drama, poems, dances and songs using television and videos in teaching about the gender issue. This will teach the intended audience through an emotional experience and they will see the impact such violence have on the victims health, social life, economic and psychological wellbeing.
The most appropriate technology to use will be the print media, audio visual and the internet. Gender violence articles, poems and creative stories can be printed to sensitize the public on the prevalence and the possible benefits of equality. The audio visual media can be used as stated in the above paragraph. The internet has become an important form of interaction with the number of people accessing internet services increasing due to the increase in mobile devices that have internet access. Particularly, the social sites are an important platform of socialization. The movement will utilize the social media in creating interactive pages and groups that will involve people in discussion and recommendation on the way forward (Silverstone, 256). Since this will attract a global family, it will be able to see the global prevalence of violence against women and be able to formulate policies that can be applied to cab its spread.
Music will be used to inform and educate about gender violence and the importance of equality. It can be incorporated during protest sand forums that involve all the stakeholders to create the awareness required. It would use prominent musicians who are seen as idols and role models so that they can inspire the public in retrieving from gender violence (Parrillo, 453). The songs would be communication on how gender violence is propagated and how it can be stopped. For example, we can use the song, Never Again’ by Nickel back. A song about a father who is an abuser The songs can be used in the emergence stage to sensitize the people about the existence of the vice, in coalescence to complain about its prevalence, in bureaucratization to advocate for fundraising and in decline to point out at things that are not running according to the movement goals.
The success of the movement is dependent on the organizational plan and the involvement of all stakeholders. It will be determined by the cooperation of the government, NGOs and movement members in advocating for the realization of such equality. However, the achievement of its objective may be hindered by lack of support from the government or NGOs, lack of financiers or / and rigidity of culture in accepting such changes of equality. In solving these constraints, the movement can approach NGOs other organizations such as the United Nation for financial help and it can also teach custodians of the culture about the benefits that result from embracing such changes.
Works Cited
Freeman, Jo. Social Movements of the Sixties and Seventies. New York: Longman, 1983. Print.
Klandermans, Bert, and Conny Roggeband. Handbook of Social Movements Across Disciplines. New York: Springer, 2010. Print.
Parrillo, Vincent N. Encyclopedia of Social Problems. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 2008. Print.
Santos, Marion B. Consensus: Combating Gender Based Violence Through Islam, Tradition, and Law. Zomba, Malawi: Kachere Series, 2006. Print.
Silverstone, Roger. Media, Technology, and Everyday Life in Europe: From Information to Communication. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate, 2005. Print.
Simister, J. Gender Based Violence: Causes and Remedies. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2012. Print.
Social Movement Studies. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Carfax International Publishers, 2002. Print.
Terry, Geraldine, and Joanna Hoare. Gender-based Violence. Oxford: Oxfam, 2007. Print.
Wilkinson, Paul. Social Movement. New York: Praeger, 1971. Print.
