Friday 24 July 08:15 - 09:45

Hall: 21 - Room 18

Chair and Presenter: Bloom Jill

Division: Division 3: Psychology and Societal Development

The UN defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or summering to women." Gender-based violence (GBV) is present in every society around the world and takes many forms ranging from human trafficking, sexual abuse to domestic violence (WHO, 2018). GBV has long been recognized as a human rights issue that has serious implications for public and mental health, yet most gender violence not only goes unpunished but is tolerated in silence. One major obstacle in combating GBV is the fragmentation of efforts, highlighting the need for more coordinated and innovative interventions. The six presentations that make up this Symposium address GBV across global populations, in widely varying contexts, and from a range of perspectives, each proposing strategies and interventions that address the pervasiveness of GBV. The first two presentations on the incidence of Intimate Partner Violence in Oceania and GBV towards gender and sexual minorities in Canada, respectively call for culturally grounded mental health support to achieve gender equality in Oceania, and trauma informed gender affirming care for Two- Spirited, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersexed sexual minorities in Canada. The following two presentations focus on human trafficking, first, addressing the role of shame in gender violence, demonstrating how shame can be co-constructed in dialogic exchange between self, perpetrator, family members. Second, the intersectionality of war and human trafficking in war torn countries is presented. Next, domestic violence among refugees populations is addressed, utilizing transnational feminist and intersectional approaches to address the unnuanced binary of victim/perpetrator. The final presentation focuses on climate change and weather related disasters exacerbate gender-based violence (GBV), disproportionately affecting women and girls. Understanding these dynamics is essential for advancing psychological science and practice in global contexts.