The Significance of the Responses to Gender-Based Violence (The Case of Jordan)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of the significance of the various responses women receive from NGOs and different parts of the Jordanian society when sharing their experiences of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This has been explored through a qualitative study where five semi-structured interviews have been conducted with professionals at NGOs in Jordan working with women who have experienced GBV. Theories on agency and vulnerability have been utilised in order to understand the impact the various responses have on the women. The results indicate that the family’s response is usually to blame the woman, pressuring her to endure and stay silent, and in the process limiting her agency. However, in some instances, the family provides her with a safe space, providing her with the social support needed in order to create change. In the rare cases that the woman reports the violence to the police, their response usually involves normalising the violence or issuing a warning and threatening to put the man in prison. This response fails in protecting the woman from further violence and does not lead to any substantial change. Conversely, NGOs tend to adopt a more empathetic response, creating a safe space and actively listening to the woman sharing her experiences, understanding her situation and contextualising the response, forming the response as a journey and supporting her in taking responsibility to create change, all within the situation she is in. This response creates social support for the woman in her capacity to take transformative action and change the dynamics of her situation. In conclusion, this study underscores that when the response succeeds in creating space for transformative action, then a truly significant change can be created.