- [Instructor] Welcome to the Gender-Based Violence
Awareness course.
This training was developed
by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, DHS,
for airport and private aviation industry personnel.
(gentle music)
You just saw three interactions at an airport.
These kinds of interactions
might happen dozens of times every day.
Did you witness gender-based violence?
How would you know?
You interact with a traveling public every day
and you are in a unique position to respond
to self-disclosing victims of gender-based violence.
By the end of this course, you will be able
to define the concept of gender-based violence,
identify various forms of gender-based violence,
describe ways to support gender-based violence
victims and survivors.
Before we begin, we'd like to provide some information
about the vocabulary we will use.
You will hear several terms throughout this video.
For the purposes of this training,
the term victim will be used to describe a person
still experiencing gender-based violence.
The term survivor will be used to describe
a former victim who is in the process of recovery.
Now let's start with basic information
about gender-based violence.
What is gender-based violence?
Gender-based violence is any harmful threat or act
directed at an individual or group
based on a victim's actual or perceived biological sex,
gender identity, gender expression, sexual identity,
sexual orientation, and/or other actual
or perceived difference from social norms
of masculinity or femininity.
Would you guess that even a threat alone
of a harmful act is considered part of the dynamics
of gender-based violence?
It is.
Would you think that gender- based violence can be directed
toward a group and not just an individual?
It can.
A common misconception is that only women and girls
are victims of gender-based violence.
While women and girls are disproportionately impacted
by gender-based violence,
the reality is that it can occur to anyone in any population
and to individuals of any age, socioeconomic status,
culture, gender identity or expression,
sexual identity or expression, ethnicity,
nationality, and religion.
You might think of gender-based violence as a physical act.
It can also include psychological and emotional abuse.
In fact, gender-based violence is rooted
in the balance of power within a relationship.
The physical, psychological, and emotional elements
of gender-based violence are the actions driven
by a desire to maintain power and control
over another individual.
Do you think you have ever actually witnessed
gender-based violence?
How would you know if you had?
This training opened with several vignettes
representing possible gender- based violence scenarios.
You probably had an opinion about each vignette.
The reality is any one of those vignettes
could have represented gender-based violence
and any one of them could have represented
an innocent situation.
Your key takeaway is this.
There is no single definitive set of indicators
for gender-based violence.
There are many forms of gender-based violence.
One form is forced marriage.
A forced marriage means a marriage
to which one or both parties do not or cannot consent.
Forced marriage is not an arranged marriage
in which family may take the lead in selecting a partner,
but the ultimate choice to marry
remains with the individual.
When it comes to marriage, consent is multifaceted
and involves consenting to be married at all,
consenting to the individual marriage partner
and consenting to the timing of the marriage.
As of January 2022,
forced marriage has no federal legal definition
and state laws concerning the practice vary significantly.
This makes education, identification, and prevention
of forced marriage difficult.
Another form of gender-based violence
is female genital mutilation or cutting,
abbreviated as FGM/C.
FGM/C refers to all procedures involving partial
or total removal of the external female genitalia
or other injury to the female genital organs
for non-medical reasons.
These procedures can be performed
with or without medical practitioners,
but are often performed outside of a medical setting
and improper unsterile instruments are frequently used.
The origin of FGM/C dates back centuries
and is a social norm carried out for a variety of reasons,
including culture and tradition.
The average age at which this happens is 0 to 15.
Victims are urged or even forced to submit to the procedures
because "every woman in our family has submitted."
"The procedure is rite of passage into adulthood."
And some communities believe it could increase
the girls' marriageability in the future
due to notions of controlling sexuality.
Because of the traditional nature of this crime,
victims may resist coming forward
to report the activity for fear of disappointing
their families or communities.
A third category of gender-based violence
is domestic violence or intimate partner violence.
Domestic violence can include psychological abuse,
financial control, emotional abuse, and physical violence
that may or may not include sexual aggression.
Stalking is another form of gender-based violence
that can occur within the context
of an intimate partner relationship,
but it can also occur between strangers.
By definition, stalking is when a perpetrator
engages in a course of conduct,
directed at a specific person
that would cause a reasonable person
to fear for their safety, or the safety of others,
or suffer substantial emotional distress.
These examples—forced marriage, female genital mutilation
or cutting, and domestic violence—
are just three of many forms of gender-based violence.
What can you do to support victims
and survivors of gender-based violence?
First, if you see someone in immediate danger,
notify law enforcement or airport police immediately;
otherwise, do not approach someone you think
might be experiencing gender-based violence
to offer assistance.
Here's why.
As shown by the vignettes which opened this training,
gender-based violence is nuanced
and aviation staff's interpretation of the situation
could differ from reality.
Victims may fear that your interference
would lead to additional abuse,
or put their abusers and/or their family members
at risk of punishment.
Victims may want the abuse to stop
but not want punitive action against their perpetrators.
In such cases, victims may be conflicted,
possibly wishing to avoid bringing attention to themselves.
In most instances, it is also not advised
to contact law enforcement
without consent of the victim first.
Victims may fear law enforcement
and abusers could punish or retaliate
for drawing attention to them.
They may believe that their lives
or the lives of their children will be in increased danger
if there is an intervention.
In the most extreme instances,
retaliation could result in a victim's death.
Allowing victims to make informed decisions in a safe space
is the most helpful thing you can do.
So what else can you do to help?
There are two approaches you can take.
The first approach is passive.
Leave information about available resources
for gender-based violence in discreet,
yet easily accessible places.
Having the resources available and accessible
can help victims make informed decisions
about their own lives and safety.
Restrooms are places where they may expect to be alone,
away from their abusers.
In the restroom they could read a poster
or take a small card with resource information.
You can also work within your aviation organization
to raise awareness on gender-based violence
by sharing this training.
The second approach is reactive.
It depends on victims approaching you
and identifying themselves.
This approach lets victims decide
whether they feel safe enough to reach out for help.
In such instances, you should be prepared
to respond appropriately.
When possible, identify a secure area
where you can escort a victim to discuss their needs.
This place should be private.
Only the self-identifying victim
and those providing requested assistance
should be allowed in this area.
Some victims travel with their children.
They should all be kept together as much as possible
in the secure location.
Never leave children alone in a dangerous situation
and wait for appropriate input from service providers
about child placement.
Have a list of available resources at hand.
First and foremost, don't blame the victim.
Be accepting and non-judgmental.
Refrain from offering unsolicited advice.
Trained service providers are best positioned
to render assistance,
and victims are the most informed about their situation.
Understand your responsibilities regarding confidentiality,
know the requirements regarding disclosing information,
and communicate these requirements to the victim.
Your employer should provide you with information
about the data you are required to disclose to authorities.
To summarize, here are ways you can help.
Prepare a list of available resources for victims
and survivors, and know who they are and what they provide.
You can use a list in the description section
of this training as a starting point.
Work with your aviation organization
to make this information available in your facility
and raise awareness and education among staff.
Be prepared if victims approach you
by having a private secure area where they can reach out
for assistance and know how to respond with empathy
in a way that is compassionate and empowering.
Gender-based violence is a serious
and unfortunately common occurrence.
As an aviation industry employee,
you interact with the traveling public.
This puts you in a position to respond
to self-disclosing victims of gender-based violence
and to get information into the hands of those
who need it most.
Thank you for completing the Gender-Based Violence course.
You should now be able to define the concept
of gender-based violence,
identify various forms of gender-based violence,
describe ways to support gender-based violence victims
and survivors.