Type of Violence: #6

Today we continue defining the types of violence women and girls experience. The number six is harassment, sexual harassment, and rape.

Harassment is any improper and unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another person.” In particular, “sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favour, verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature. 

Sexual assault involves non-consensual physical contact (for example, touching, forced kissing, etc.) with violence, coercion or threat. 

It is important to stress that harassment is different from sexual assault. For example, sexual assault occurs when the aggressor is an authority. The third concept of this group is rape.

Rape is any act of sexual penetration without consent (i.e., carried out with violence, threat, or by surprise), whether the penis, finger or an object is used.

Reporting on Violence against Women and Girls, A Handbook for Journalist, 2019

Notice that according to the Handbook every rape is a sexual assault, but not every sexual assault is a rape.

Advice for journalist:

• Give the victim/survivor a voice when possible and if they wish to speak out. 
• Talk to experts rather than relatives of the aggressor or victim, whose testimonies often provide little information and are ridden with clichés. 

Stopviolence #Womenandgirls #25November #Niunamenos #Lasmariposas #Noexcuse