Shraddha Malviya ,Varsha Patel
ABSTRACT
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a critical global human rights and health crisis, requiring a shift from reactive measures to proactive, multi-sectoral intervention strategies. This systematic review synthesizes recent evidence on protection frameworks regarding women’s rights, utilizing a PRISMA-informed selection of 21 core studies from an initial identification of 385 unique records. The findings are categorized into structural policies, technological advancements, and socio-cultural barriers.
Structural and policy-level protections are shown to significantly influence the prevalence and reporting of violence. For instance, the presence of female politicians in office correlates positively with increased GBV reporting, suggesting an empowerment effect, while alcohol prohibition serves as a behavioral regulation that improves societal attitudes toward spousal violence. Community-based interventions, such as couple counseling and the integration of women’s local knowledge into environmental management, act as protective factors that enhance social agency.
Despite these frameworks, the sources highlight significant systemic barriers often termed “bureaucratic violence.” Institutional neglect is evident where sexual violence against community health workers remains “hidden in plain sight,” and legal systems are used for repression, such as the use of strategic defamation lawsuits to silence the #MeToo movement in India. Marginalized groups, including terminally ill migrants and women with disabilities, face insurmountable financial and legal barriers to safety. The psychological impact of such violence is profound, with high prevalence rates of perinatal depression and suicide ideation linked to intimate partner violence (IPV).
This systematic review synthesizes recent evidence on intervention and protection frameworks regarding women’s rights and gender-based violence (GBV). Utilizing a PRISMA-informed selection of 21 core studies, the review categorizes findings into structural policies, technological advancements, and socio-cultural barriers. The evidence highlights that while legal and technological tools provide critical infrastructure for safety, their efficacy is often attenuated by “bureaucratic violence” and entrenched patriarchal norms.
Keywords: Gender-Based Violence (GBV); Women’s Rights; Intervention Strategies; Intimate Partner Violence (IPV); Intersectionality; Public Policy; Safety Technologies.
