Citation

Mannell J, Hawkes S. BMJ Glob. Health 2017; 2(3): e000438.

Affiliation

Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000438

PMID

29082023

PMCID

PMC5656114

Abstract

In July 2017 the member states of the United Nations (UN) came together to review progress towards six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including goal 3 (health) and goal 5 (gender equality). The targets within goal 5 are broad and ambitious, incorporating a commitment to ‘end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere’ and also to ‘eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres’.1 Among other indicators, countries are being asked to report on the presence or absence of legal frameworks to enforce and monitor equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as the proportion of women and girls who report suffering from violence. However, contrary to the ideals enshrined within Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, at the level of some individual states, there has been a rolling back of legislation protecting against violence and discrimination. This presents a global health problem because of the significant impacts the removal of this protective legislation has on the health of women, children and those with marginalised gender or sexual identities.

In February 2017 the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, signed into law legislation that decriminalised a first offence of violence committed against family members, including children and spouses. This amendment, supported by 385 of 387 Russian Members of Parliament, effectively reduced the penalty for first offences of violence that do not cause lasting bodily harm from two years in prison to a fine of up to 30 000 roubles (less than US$500). Intimate partner and domestic violence in Russia is described as ‘seriously underreported, under-recorded and largely ignored by the authorities’.2 The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in its 2010 review of the Russian Federation noted ‘serious concern’ over the increase in domestic violence in the country and the ‘legitimizing of a general opinion that domestic violence is a private issue’.3

Other countries, such as Afghanistan, have seen strong political movements against any protection for women experiencing violence. Afghanistan has a small number of internationally funded safe houses that provide temporary shelter and legal aid for women. These safe houses are highly politicised for protecting women who, in leaving their violent husbands, have committed what many Afghans consider to be ‘moral crimes’....

Language: en

Keywords

health policy