This year for #16DaysofActivism, we ran a social media campaign highlighting some often-ignored aspects of gender-based violence.

  1. On India’s declining female workforce participation “There is a double burden of work–outside work and home work–which is really overwhelming for women.
  2. On the role of men and boys “Whenever we talk about preventing violence against women, generally, men see themselves in the role of a protector. Instead, let us focus on what we can do so that women do not need protection in the first place.”
  3. On the need to focus on pleasure “Stigma increases shame and violence. When we talk about our desires, it helps us feel more comfortable with ourselves, and that strengthens choice and agency.
  4. On the connection between mental health and violence “While research shows that chronic violence or traumatic events have links to common mental disorders like depression and anxiety, they also have an impact on ‘softer’ aspects of mental health.”
  5. On the need to understand backlash “When women and girls try to voice their agency, try to claim their rights, they face all sorts of negative reactions, ranging from exclusion, to removal of their privileges, to violence.”
  6. On navigating power structures online “Online violence or technology-enabled violence can take several forms. It can be verbal abuse, it can be threats, it can be violation of consent in many different levels.”
  7.  On the gaps in the law “Section 375 of the India Penal Code defines rape as an act perpetrated by a man, against a woman. By its very definition, it excludes men from having faced sexual violence.
  8. On India’s problematic mainstream discourse on sexual violence “Every time a crime against an upper caste/class cis-woman is reported, personal stories of privileged women fearing men, who typically belong to working class, Dalit, and poor communities, in Indian public spaces go viral.”

Read the full article about missing when we talk about gender-based violence at India Development Review.