Breakthrough India Pan-Asia Summit 'Reframe' Recommends Feminist Action Plans to End Gender-based Violence

NEW DELHI, March 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakthrough India's three-day Pan-Asia Summit 'Reframe' concluded with a dialogue and recommendations from intersectional feminists across the globe to end Gender-based Violence. The summit was held from March 2-4, with the aim to co-create a future agenda in the Asian context, to end Gender-based Violence.

Led by Sohini Bhattacharya, CEO, Breakthrough India, industry experts discussed the core problems acting against the prevention of Gender-based Violence in the region.

Shanthi Dairiam, Founding Director, International Women's Rights Action Watch, Asia Pacific, Malaysia, initiated the discussion by saying, "There must be clarity on the concept of Gender-based Violence underpinning a policy and a plan to end GBV. Often, GBV is neutralized by saying that such violence takes place against men. The policy and strategy must establish that the inequality of women is the root cause of Gender-based Violence. Additionally, we should create a comprehensive programme to end it. This must look at several interrelated interventions from law enforcement, organizations for women, relief services, etc. and must be coordinated in all sectors through an effective institutional mechanism that coordinates, uses a common database, allocates budgets, and monitors enforcement and impact."

While national level advocacy is important to move national level commitments aligned to SDG goal 5, regional coalitions and partnerships play a central role to align efforts and resources at a regional level. Further, it enables strengthening the roll-out and implementation of a multi-sectoral response to urgently address gender-based violence with a particular focus on women and girls across this diverse region.

Ruby Kholifah, Director, Asian Muslim Action Network, Indonesia, said, "One of the biggest obstacles in the implementation of regulations for women is about the social support and people awareness because there are some obstacles in the community relating to religious interpretation around violence against women. Some use religion to protect the perpetrators by claiming that beating wives is for "education". In 2017, we realized, there needs to be a strong transformation in the way religious leaders are involved in the agenda of ending GBV. Religious leaders should first listen to the voices of the victims. Especially in Indonesia, Islamic religious texts should be interpreted in reference to supporting women's rights."

Another challenge faced by women's rights organizations is resourcing. As per Association for Women's Rights Development (AWID), despite new funding commitments made, women's rights organizations receive only 0.13% of the total Official Development Assistance and 0.4% of all gender-related aid.

Gopika Bashi, Manager, Resourcing Feminist Movements, AWID, India, said, "People working in the field of Gender-based Violence struggle for resources. The annual median budget for 48% feminist organizers last year was USD 30000 or less. Resources are even lower for organizations led by women, girls, non-binary individuals, who have faced intersectional discrimination. In terms of data from the donor ecosystem, only 1% is committed to gender equality initiatives. There is restricted space for resourcing and funding feminist movements in Asia, especially India. Even in the past 3 years, it has been difficult for organizations working to end gender-based violence to find funding, to continue activities without facing criminalization as well as regulation of funding flows. The role of the private sector in the co-opting language of feminist movements should also be assessed."

Breakthrough has been working on violence against women and girls for over two decades by focusing on prevention by transforming norms and narratives. The summit shed more light on learnings, best practices, strategies and tools to address, prevent, and respond GBV across spaces including domestic, private, public, workspaces in both the online and on-ground spaces.

About Breakthrough:

Breakthrough works towards making violence and discrimination against women and girls unacceptable. We change gender norms by working with adolescents and youth, their families, and their communities, as well as by using media campaigns, the arts and popular culture to build a more equal world around us and create a more enabling environment.