How different forms of inequality contribute to violence against women
2 minutes
People experience different forms of power, privilege and oppression, based on their identity and social status.
Women do not only experience sexism. They may also experience racism, classism, ableism, heterosexism, colonialism, ageism and more. These multiple forms of discrimination interact and intersect, so that women are not only unequal to men, there are also inequalities between women.
Power, privilege and oppression are reinforced by social systems and structures — such as health, education, welfare and legal systems.
What does this mean for the prevention of violence against women?
Gender inequality is a necessary condition for violence against women. But it is not the only, or most prominent, factor in every context.
The gendered drivers of violence against women are often experienced in combination with other forms of structural inequality and discrimination. This helps to explain why there are different rates and types of violence experienced by different women.
Women who face multiple forms of discrimination may experience violence more frequently, or of greater severity.
What you can do
- Look at how other forms of structural inequality and discrimination intersect with gender inequalities to exacerbate violence.
- Engage and partner with other sectors or organisations, such as disability or migration support services (especially those for women), to ensure they have the specialist knowledge needed to do prevention work effectively.
- Work to transform norms, structures and practices at the same time, to create gender equality for all.
Prevention of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
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A key set of resources about violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander womenChanging the Picture from Our Watch contains a set of clear actions that are needed to address the many drivers of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
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Information about family violence prevention in Indigenous communitiesThis resource sheet from the Australian Institue of Health and Welfare examines the extent of the problem of violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and explores some programs that have been trialled to reduce family violence.
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Challenging misconceptions about violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander womenThis factsheet from Our Watch's Changing the picture contains information challenging misconceptions about violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Preventing violence against women from a diverse range of communities and backgrounds
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A landmark article about intersectionalityKimberle Crenshaw’s landmark article coined the term 'intersectionality' to describe African American women’s experiences of violence.
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Insights from primary prevention of violence against women workersReflections collected at a VicHealth forum aimimg to generate discussion among practitioners of primary prevention of violence against women about the challenges and opportunities emerging from their evaluation practice.
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A guide about gender inequality and other forms of inequalityThis guide from Multicultural Centre for Women's Health builds on Change the story, addressing the ways in which the intersections between gendered inequality and other forms of inequality impact on peoples’ lives and experiences.
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A report about working with migrant and refugee men in prevention of violence against womenThis report by White Ribbon explores the key issues in working with men from immigrant and refugee communities in Australia to prevent violence against women.