GBV Relationship Information
Gender-Based Violence
Gender-based violence (GBV) is any act of violence based on someone's gender, gender expression, or perceived gender. It is rooted in gender inequality, abuse of power, and harmful norms.
What is GBV?
Gender-based violence, or GBV for short, is any act of violence based on someone's gender, gender expression, or perceived gender. It is rooted in gender inequality, abuse of power, and harmful norms and stereotypes.
While we may think of violence as "just physical," GBV typically falls into four categories:
Who is Impacted by GBV?
Gender-based violence can happen to anyone — including men. However, women, girls, and gender-diverse people are at higher risk of being affected by GBV, especially if they are part of these groups:
What Causes GBV?
Gender-based violence is all about someone wanting to assert power and control over others. It can happen in many places and can be carried out by anyone who has power over someone else. This could be a partner, family member, teacher, co-worker, classmate, friend, or even a stranger.
Our culture, which influences how we think and act, plays a role in deciding who has power over others and keeps this violence going.
Discrimination based on gender, combined with other forms of discrimination, puts certain groups at an even higher risk of GBV. For example, in Canada, colonial systems and laws are a big reason why GBV happens, especially against First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women.
It's important to remember that marginalized communities aren't just at higher risk of GBV — they also face violence in different ways. They often face barriers to accessing supports and services, and the oppression they experience can also affect the quality of care they receive.
What Can Violence Look Like?
Gender-based violence comes in many forms, and can happen anywhere — at home or in public, in person or online. The list below is not organized in order of severity — all types of violence are unacceptable and harmful to a person's well-being.
Emotional Violence
Aims to hurt the person receiving it emotionally by making them feel worthless, guilty, devalued, lonely, hurt, angry, or sad.
Physical Violence
Any form of physical contact that is aggressive and unwanted.
Financial Violence
Any actions to control or limit a person's finances or resources, including access to cars.
Sexual Violence
Any form of sexual contact that is not wanted.
Please note: These lists are not exhaustive. Many other acts of GBV may fall into the categories above. If you're unsure whether something you've seen or experienced was gender-based violence, you can find more information on the Gender-Based Violence: It's Not Just webpage.
How Does GBV Affect Victims and Survivors?
Gender-based violence can cause serious trauma and distress to victims and survivors. It can have a range of potential physical, emotional, mental health, and social impacts.
Immediate (or Ongoing) Impacts
There may also be disruption to their relationships. Survivors may be blamed or shamed by their friend groups, family, or community if they are seen as "responsible" for the abuse or for exposing the abuser by reporting it.
Longer-Term Impacts
In the longer term, GBV may impact someone's mental health, relationships, and interest in school or work. Every individual and their circumstances are unique, but there is a range of common impacts:
What is Consent?
Consent is when someone agrees to do something or allows something to happen to them. It's an important part of our relationships, whether we are consenting to talking about difficult topics, lending money, engaging in sexual activities or anything else.
In order for consent to count, it must be:
Are Men Responsible for GBV?
Power imbalances and gender norms often define who causes violence and who is at the receiving end.
Historically, men and boys have been taught that masculinity is defined by being tough, not showing emotion, and using violence. In many cases, these values have been taught over conflict resolution skills, emotional intelligence, and empathy towards other genders.
Because masculinity has been defined this way for so long, acts of violence have more often been committed by men. Research has shown that men who strictly follow these traditional gender norms are more likely to be violent and abusive toward female partners.
This doesn't mean that masculinity is bad or that most men are violent. It also doesn't mean that other genders can't cause harm. What it does mean, though, is that most of the violence in our communities (even against other men) is caused by men — and that it can be prevented.
Why Do We Let GBV Happen?
If you've had conversations about gender-based violence before, you may have heard someone ask the question, "Why don't survivors of GBV just report it?"
Sadly, GBV has become so normalized — and even accepted — in society that victims and survivors are often blamed, silenced, or shamed. Sometimes they are told that their abuse was insignificant and not a crime. Other times, the existence of GBV is even denied altogether.
Just 45% of Canadians fully understand the meaning of consent.
— Canadian Women's Foundation, 2022
Because of these attitudes, sexual violence continues – and it can be confusing to understand what consent really is. To change this, we need to create a culture where people respect each other's boundaries and treat everyone equally, no matter their gender.
How Can We Stop GBV?
To stop gender-based violence, we have to change the way things work in our society. We need to end systems that support unfair power differences between men, women, and gender-diverse people — systems which make GBV common in our society. As long as these inequalities exist, GBV will continue to happen.
To do this, we also need to learn about why GBV happens and how it affects people. By understanding these things, we can make better choices and create a safer and more equal world for everyone.
It's a big job, and we all have to work together to make it happen. By speaking up and supporting each other, we can make a difference and end GBV.
You Deserve to Be Safe
If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, help is available. You're not alone, and what's happening is not your fault.