Zero-Tolerance Policy Toward Gender-Based Abuse and Violence

Abstract

Gender-based abuse and violence refers to any act perpetrated against a person's will and is based on gender norms and unequal power relationships. This terminology encompasses threats of violence and coercion, which can be physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual in nature, and often take the form of a denial of resources or access to services. Eliminating gender-based abuse and violence has become a priority for sustainable development, as one of the most pervasive human rights violation in the world today is largely rooted in gender inequality with norms and attitudes that condone violence within the family, the community, and the State (Alan 2016; WHO 2013;Nnawulezi et al. 2018).To this end, there is a call for zero tolerance and immediate action to end violence against women, where existing laws protecting women be vigorously enforced, with an emphasis on prevention, survivor services, the need for reliable data, and the importance of engaging men and boys to stop violence against women and girls (Sen and Mukherjee 2014; Flood 2015). A zero-tolerance policy is one that imposes strict punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct (Nicholson and Carty 2015;Russo and Pirlott 2006).