In Their Own Words: Exploring Parliamentarians’ Perceptions of Gender-based Violence
This publication explores the engagement and commitment of members of parliament to public policy on the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) across Asia and the Pacific. The study found that parliamentarians saw gender-based violence as a serious social problem in their settings, however they had limited understanding of the causes of violence, and how to prevent gender-based violence. The study also underscored the challenges parliamentarians face in promoting efforts to address gender-based violence, given that gender-based violence is commonly perceived as a 'women's issue' and given low priority on national political agendas.The recommendations generated by this research will be used to raise awareness and facilitate education with parliamentarians on gender-based violence prevention approaches, including work with boys and men; develop networks of champions who can further regional and national level discussions and deliberations on gender-based violence prevention; and strengthen mechanisms that effectively bridge high-level policy action and decision-making with on-the-ground activities.
Date:
February 2012
Category:
Research