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Physical intimacy and sexual violence are two poles of human behavior. Developmental aspects and evolution of human behavior have a biological, hormonal and social context. Proper balancing of these domains requires normal development in a homely environment of a family. The strong family tradition and openness are important dimensions for an individual to grow.
Respect for women, equal rights for them and understanding the biology of human sexuality for women are still far from realization. Biological instincts and lack of awareness of sexuality hit each other, resulting in many sexual aberrant behaviors. Woman though are stronger in sexuality, men with their dominant tendency and physicality indulge in sexual violence with the females. Take the case of someone being raped in a calamity situation - women stranded in flood disaster in northern India being raped or the medical student being gang raped in a medical campus - which speaks of the dangers of sexual violence against women.
Women through the ages have been subjected to such violence. It is very heartening to note that WHO guidelines and the review of those guidelines are the first step towards recognition of such violence. Implementation of these guidelines always stands as a challenge for every nation or community or legal fraternity to curtail and combat such violence. This along with other biological hazards does play a role in such violent acts of men towards women - it could be lack of knowledge of human sexuality or drugs including alcohol, mental frustration or infection say even tuberculosis. It requires a lot of effort from the community to shoulder the burden of preventing such violence against women along with an emancipation of women through proper education and economic freedom.
Re: Responding to intimate partner and sexual violence against women
Physical intimacy and sexual violence are two poles of human behavior. Developmental aspects and evolution of human behavior have a biological, hormonal and social context. Proper balancing of these domains requires normal development in a homely environment of a family. The strong family tradition and openness are important dimensions for an individual to grow.
Respect for women, equal rights for them and understanding the biology of human sexuality for women are still far from realization. Biological instincts and lack of awareness of sexuality hit each other, resulting in many sexual aberrant behaviors. Woman though are stronger in sexuality, men with their dominant tendency and physicality indulge in sexual violence with the females. Take the case of someone being raped in a calamity situation - women stranded in flood disaster in northern India being raped or the medical student being gang raped in a medical campus - which speaks of the dangers of sexual violence against women.
Women through the ages have been subjected to such violence. It is very heartening to note that WHO guidelines and the review of those guidelines are the first step towards recognition of such violence. Implementation of these guidelines always stands as a challenge for every nation or community or legal fraternity to curtail and combat such violence. This along with other biological hazards does play a role in such violent acts of men towards women - it could be lack of knowledge of human sexuality or drugs including alcohol, mental frustration or infection say even tuberculosis. It requires a lot of effort from the community to shoulder the burden of preventing such violence against women along with an emancipation of women through proper education and economic freedom.
Competing interests: No competing interests