Gender-Based Violence: An Analysis of VAWGS and the Gendering of Power

Abstract

To fully tackle the persistent global crises of violence against women and girls (VAWGs), world leaders, lawmakers, non-governmental organisations, academia, and such other stakeholders need to consider the role of the normative nature of gender inequality. This is highly significant as the gendering of power, a by-product of gender inequality underlies all significant aspects of human societies, ensuring the continuation of VAWGs both in private and public spaces worldwide. However, both concepts can be difficult to grasp especially for young criminologist scholars. This article is designed to analyse gender-based violence, specifically VAWGs as the inevitable consequence of gendered power. It describes factors that researchers and stakeholders should consider as they delve deeper into the persistent nature of VAWGs and enact new laws or policies as needed. Exploring the link between VAWGs and the gendering of power can be especially helpful to the larger criminology research community as a clearer understanding of the intersectionality of these elements can enable them to better situate their studies in the context of the larger body of academic research on gender inequality.

Keywords: VAWG, violence against women, violence against girls