The 21st century can be characterized by the increasing level of public awareness in regard to various social issues. Among them, the fair and equal treatment of all people is one of the most topical matters that concern progressive communities. In spite of the recent efforts aimed at equality, women across the globe continue to experience unfair treatment. More specifically, they remain subject to serious violence, especially at home.
These instances form an area of concern for the world’s political and social activists, and public health experts. Intrasexual relationships have long endured the dominating role of masculinity. Violent tendencies are a distinct feature of the toxic paradigm that poisons the relationships between men and women today. Furthermore, in many cases, the violence is fueled by the persistence of archaic traditions embedded in the national culture. As a result, millions of women continue to suffer from domestic abuse and discrimination, both verbal and physical. This paper explores the issue of the global violence against women in its current state.
The world has entered a new stage of social development in the 21st century. Today, democratic values and paradigms of equality become particularly important, as society aims to amend for past oppression. Among various discriminatory behaviors, violence against women remains topical for contemporary communities. According to Ali (2018), the problem is global in nature, and it was addressed with utter seriousness by the United Nations.
This key global organization describes violence against women as “any case of gender-based violence” that entails adverse consequences for the victims’ “physical, sexual or mental” well-being (Ali, 2018, p. 4). As can be inferred from this definition, the issue is highly complex, as it encompasses various aspects of women’s lives. Their suffering extends beyond the physical domain, as a history of gender-based abuse undermines the normal development of a person’s psyche and sexuality.
Under these circumstances, the protection of women against persistent violence has been prioritized as a social policy of paramount importance. Ali (2018) states that the problem is multifaceted, as well, taking the forms of domestic physical violence, rape, forced marriage, or trafficking. At the same time, it is necessary to note that men can also become the victims of violence and abuse. However, Ali (2018) argues that the likelihood of such a situation for them is incomparably lower than for women.
All these instances represent the various avenues that are used by patriarchal societies to degrade women. Brown et al. (2017) draw a connection between such instances and the ideological honoring of aggressive responses to the actions of women. Across many cultures, men are socially encouraged to behave in a violent manner as a means of asserting their dominance and masculinity. Doing otherwise can be perceived as a sign of weakness, meaning that healthy intersexual relations are compromised under this continuous influence from the outside.
Ultimately, society has made significant progress in terms of informing the public about violence against women and its repercussions. Nevertheless, the problem remained acute in the 21st century, as millions of women continue to experience the relentless pressure of abuse. Such violence is often conditioned by the prevalence of archaic, patriarchal views within a culture that shapes intersexual relations. Under the influence of obsolete values, masculine aggression is nurtured, whereas the value of women is diminished. In a right value-based society, men will not have to resort to violence to defend their honor. Accordingly, further measures are required on a global scale to break the circle of toxicity and violence, providing women with sufficient security and recognition.
References
Ali, P. (2018). Gender‐based violence and the role of healthcare professionals. Nursing Open, 5(1), 4–5.
Brown, R. P., Baughman, K., & Carvallo, M. (2017). Culture, masculine honor, and violence toward women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(4), 538–549.