Namratha Kulkarni
Introduction
Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the most pervasive and devastating human rights violations across the globe. It transcends borders, cultures, and communities—affecting individuals regardless of age, class, race, or sexual orientation. Whether it takes the form of intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, child abuse, or human trafficking, GBV leaves a lasting impact on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of survivors.
While GBV is often addressed as a social and legal issue, it is equally a public health emergency. At the heart of the healthcare system stand professionals—doctors, nurses, midwives, and mental health workers—who are uniquely placed to identify, intervene, and support survivors. Their involvement is not only a professional duty but also a powerful opportunity to catalyze change.
Understanding GBV: A Health Crisis in Disguise
GBV encompasses any act of violence or coercion directed at someone based on their gender. This includes physical abuse, sexual assault, emotional manipulation, economic control, and reproductive coercion. While women and girls are disproportionately affected, GBV also impacts men, boys, and individuals across the gender spectrum.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1 in 3 women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence, mostly at the hands of an intimate partner. In some regions, the prevalence is even higher, signaling an urgent need for stronger, more proactive health system responses.
Why Healthcare Professionals Must Act
Healthcare providers are often among the first and only contacts that survivors may have with formal systems. This puts them in a unique position to make a meaningful difference.
1. First Responders to Physical and Mental Trauma
Survivors of GBV often present with injuries, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, or reproductive health issues. Trained health professionals can identify these symptoms, initiate care, and refer patients to appropriate support services. Timely, trauma-informed intervention can reduce long-term health complications and even save lives.
2. Providing Safe Spaces for Disclosure
Healthcare settings can serve as safe, confidential environments where survivors feel empowered to share their experiences. When met with empathy and professionalism, individuals are more likely to speak up, seek help, and begin the journey of healing.
3. Recognizing Hidden Signs of Abuse
Not all victims have visible scars. Emotional abuse, coercion, and economic control often leave invisible wounds. Healthcare professionals who are trained to ask the right questions sensitively can uncover hidden forms of abuse and provide support before the situation worsens
4. Addressing Reproductive and Sexual Health Consequences
GBV can severely impact reproductive health—leading to unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and unsafe abortions. Providers can offer respectful, non-judgmental care and counseling, helping survivors regain autonomy over their bodies and health decisions.
5. Preventing Further Harm
Untrained or unaware professionals can unintentionally retraumatize survivors through victim-blaming, breaches of confidentiality, or dismissive attitudes. Ensuring all healthcare staff are educated about GBV helps build a culture of compassion and accountability within institutions.
6. Driving Cultural Change
By treating GBV as a health issue, not just a private matter, healthcare professionals can challenge societal norms that condone or normalize violence. They play a pivotal role in shifting public attitudes, empowering communities to recognize and reject gender-based violence.
Integrating GBV into Medical and Nursing Curricula
To create lasting change, GBV education must begin at the training stage. Integrating GBV-related content into the medical and nursing curricula is essential to build a new generation of empathetic, informed, and skilled healthcare professionals.
- Early Sensitization: Introducing the concepts of gender, power dynamics, consent, and violence during foundational medical education creates awareness and sensitivity from the outset.
- Skill-Based Learning: Curriculum should include practical modules on screening techniques, trauma-informed care, ethical documentation, referral mechanisms, and legal aspects related to GBV.
- Interdisciplinary Training: Collaborative sessions with departments of psychiatry, forensics, law, and social work can offer students a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of GBV.
- Case-Based and Reflective Learning: Real-life case discussions, role-playing, and reflective journaling can help learners internalize the emotional and ethical dimensions of working with survivors.
- Continuous Education: GBV education should not stop at graduation. It must be reinforced through regular CME (Continuing Medical Education), workshops, and in-service training programs.
By embedding GBV awareness and response strategies into the heart of medical education, institutions can nurture a healthcare workforce that is not only clinically competent but also socially responsible and ethically grounded.
Building a Responsive Healthcare System
To fulfill their potential in ending GBV, healthcare professionals need:
- Regular training on GBV identification, response, and referral pathways
- Clear protocols and guidelines to handle GBV cases sensitively and effectively
- Multidisciplinary collaboration with legal, social, and psychological services
- Support systems within institutions to manage vicarious trauma and burnout
When these elements are in place, the healthcare system transforms from a passive observer to a proactive advocate for survivors.
Conclusion
Gender-based violence is not just a societal issue—it’s a health emergency that demands the active involvement of healthcare professionals. Whether through compassionate care, informed screening, or public advocacy, they hold the tools to make a real difference.
By empowering healthcare providers with the right knowledge and skills—beginning with education and sustained through practice—we can not only help survivors heal but also take crucial steps toward a more just, equitable, and violence-free world.
Healthcare professionals are more than healers—they are catalysts for systemic change in the fight against GBV
About the contributor: Dr. Namratha Kulkarni, MBBS, MD (Community Medicine), is a fellow at EGBVF Ending Gender-based Violence Fellowship at IMPRI and is an Assistant Professor at KAHER’s JGMM Medical College, Hubballi, Karnataka
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
Read more at IMPRI:
Beyond the Basics: Rethinking Men’s Role in Ending Gender-Based Violence
Pune, A City I Once Knew: Growth and Women’s Everyday Experiences in Public Spaces
Acknowledgment: This article was posted by Bhaktiba Jadeja, visiting researcher and assistant editor at IMPRI.
