Structural Barriers to Accessing Response Services for Gender-Based Violence Survivors
Project Details
Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the most pervasive human rights violations in the world and its effects have monumental consequences for the health, safety, wellbeing, and productivity not only of individuals, but entire nations. Worryingly, global estimates indicate that less than 40 percent of women and girls experiencing GBV will seek help of any kind, with far fewer survivors making formal reports.
This research aims to unpack the structural, social, and financial costs borne by survivors that shape their experiences of help-seeking in the Asia Pacific region, through analyses of country-level laws and policies that oversee, regulate, and monitor help-seeking processes. The Asia Pacific region has some of the highest recorded prevalence rates of GBV globally; and, like most other regions, has relatively low usage of support services. While many of the psychosocial factors that keep survivors from reporting are well understood, the barriers arising from laws and policies, administrative practices, public sector budgeting, and public infrastructure have not been fully explored, analysed, or documented.
Until these effects are better recognized and addressed, the proportion of survivors who approach police, legal assistance, health care, or social service providers will remain persistently low. This research aims to establish an understanding of the structural barriers that discourage GBV reporting, towards equipping policy makers and service providers with the information to create safe and conducive environments for survivors to seek help.
Researchers
Funding
United Nations Population Fund Asia Pacific Regional Office (UNFPA APRO)