Prepared by the Anglicans Promoting
Respectful Relationships Project
Committee
Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
May 2012
 Christians believe human beings are
created in the likeness of God, which
demands a concern for the dignity and
inherent rights of men, women and
children
 The cornerstone of Christian belief is
the example of the life of Jesus Christ,
who demonstrated high regard for the
dignity of women, respected them, and
entrusted them with his mission
 Living Christian faith warrants ending
all forms of violence
 Anglican communities are the right
people to address violence, a crisis that
threatens the preservation of our
Christian principles
WHAT IS GENDER BASED VIOLENCE?
(GBV)
The term gender-based violence is an
umbrella term for any harmful act that is
perpetrated against a person’s will, and
that is based on socially-ascribed (gender)
differences between males and females.
While GBV is usually targeted at women
and girls, boys and men may also be
survivors of GBV.
GBV can occur within the family or
community and, is perpetrated by persons
in positions of power.
FORMS OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

Physical abuse

Financial abuse

Property damage

Social isolation

Emotional abuse

Spiritual abuse

Threats
Primary prevention seeks to
prevent violence against women
before it occurs in the first
instance
Strategies which do not have a
focus on violence but address its
underlying causes, such as,
adherence to rigid gender
stereotypes and unequal power
relations between men and
women, are primary prevention
strategies
 A woman is killed in Australia almost every week
by a partner or ex-partner
 More than 1 in 3 Australian women (34%) who
have had an intimate partner, have experienced
violence from a partner or ex-partner

31% of women who experienced physical
violence in the past 12 months were assaulted by
a current and/or previous partner, compared to
4.4% of men
 An estimated 1 in 4 children and young people
have witnessed violence against their mother or
step-mother.
The Impact of the
Problem
(WHO 2002; VicHealth 2004; KPMG 2009)

Women exposed to violence risk developing health
problems including: anxiety, depression, pain
syndromes and phobias

For women under 45, intimate partner violence
contributes more to their poor health and death
than any other risk factor, including high blood
pressure, obesity and smoking

1 in 4 Victorian children have witnessed intimate
partner violence. This exposure increases their risk
of mental health, behavioral and learning
difficulties in the short term, and of developing
mental health problems later in life

Violence against women and their children cost the
Australian economy $13.6 billion in 2008-09. If
there is no reduction in current rates, it will cost the
economy an estimated $15.6 billion by 2021-22
Australia identified 3 factors
that determine its prevalence
Unequal power relations
between men and women
Rigid gender stereotyping
of women and men
Tolerance of violence in
popular culture (VicHealth
2012)
Determinant 1
Unequal Power Relationships
Between Men and Women
Research shows that ‘violence supportive
attitudes’ are more likely to exist in cultures
where unequal power relations and rigid
gender roles between men and women exist
(WHO 2004)
Using inappropriate male power at
an individual level
•
•
•
•
He acts like he is the boss
He acts like she is a slave for him
He acts like the master of his castle
She must ask him to do anything
He is teaching her about his power and control
DETERMINANT 1
Unequal Power Relations between men and women
Factors which affect attitudes
to violence against women
across society
•
•
•
•
Tolerance of violence in our society
A link between viewing of pornography and
electronic games which demean/degrade women
Structural barriers and institutionalised
discrimination
Use of the media to perpetuate myths and
reduce empathy for victims
DETERMINANT 1
Unequal power relations between men and women
Sandra Bem
Sandra Bem (1993) identifies three common
beliefs about women and men in western society
and that these beliefs have led to rigid
stereotypes
1. Women and men have basically different
psychological and sexual natures;
2. Men, are the superior, dominant gender;
3. Gender differences and male superiority are
natural
Costs in Terms of Psychological
Well-Being and Relationships
Research has found that MEN who adopt a
rigid masculine gender role:
•
•
•
•
•
Are more likely to be upset if their wives
earn more money than they do;
Are less likely to be comfortable with
child care;
Are less likely to ask for help when they
need it;
Are less likely to be sympathetic and
tender;
Are less likely to be tolerant of their
spouses’ faults
Costs in Terms of Psychological
Well-Being and Relationships
Research has found WOMEN who adopt
a rigid feminine gender role:
•
•
•
•
Appear to have lower self-esteem;
Are less capable of bouncing back
from failure;
Are more likely to believe that women
are to be seen and not heard;
Are more likely to conform to group
pressure
MINI PLENARY
How has what’s been talked
about here impacted on you?
Register your interest on
line
www. melbourne anglican. com.
au
Want to
find out
more?
Complete and send off
the ‘register your interest
form’ in the Anglican
Peer Mentor Brochure
Contact the Project
Coordinator to talk to
members of your
parish about their
involvement
bodde@bigpond.com.au
MINI PLENARY
What actions will I take to
pursue this matter?
THANK YOU
For participating in this workshop. We’d
like to know what you thought about it and
if it was helpful to you. You do not need to
give your name
Please use the form being circulated to
provide your feedback about your
experience