Glossary of Terms
Term | Explanation |
Child Abuse | Child abuse is any action or inaction that causes physical, emotional, or psychological harm to a child. It can include:
Child abuse is usually carried out by a parent, guardian, or someone in a position of trust or responsibility. Both harmful actions and harmful inaction can constitute abuse. See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Child Sexual Abuse | Child sexual abuse is any act where a child is used for sexual gratification by someone they trust or someone who has power, authority, or control over them. The abuser may be a parent, sibling, extended family member, teacher, community leader, friend, stranger, or any other caregiver. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Coercive Control | Coercive control is a pattern of ongoing, planned actions that restrict a woman’s freedom and independence in all areas of life. It is meant to increase a man’s power in a domestic or intimate relationship. This type of abuse is continuous rather than a single incident and can include:
Coercive control affects a woman’s daily life, choices, and ability to participate freely in society. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Defilement | Defilement is a legal term for sexual intercourse or attempted sexual intercourse with a girl below a specified age—in Kiribati, under 13 years. In these cases, the law does not consider consent a defence, because girls under this age cannot legally give consent. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Do No Harm | A Do No Harm approach ensures that prevention programs do not accidentally cause harm, increase risks, or make existing inequalities worse for any individual or group. It encourages program teams to carefully consider potential risks—especially to women and girls—and take steps to keep everyone safe. This approach supports the rights, safety, and well-being of all involved. (See Hub Principle #3) |
Economic Violence | Economic violence is any behaviour that harms a woman or girl’s financial well-being or uses money to control her. It is coercive and controlling, preventing her from being financially independent and maintaining the perpetrator’s power. Survivors may have to get “permission” to spend money on basic needs. Economic violence can include:
Even after leaving the abusive relationship, a perpetrator may use money to continue controlling or pressuring the survivor. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Emotional /Psychological Violence | Psychological or emotional violence is non-physical, non-sexual behaviour that harms a woman’s emotional well-being and dignity. It is often part of a pattern of controlling or coercive behaviour used to undermine confidence and maintain power over the survivor. It can include:
Perpetrators may also repeatedly claim that the survivor is “crazy,” incompetent, or unable to do anything right. Emotional violence can be as harmful as other forms of violence and is often used alongside physical, sexual, or economic violence. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Empowerment | Empowerment is both a process and its result. As a process, it is how women and men gain the confidence, knowledge, skills, self-esteem, and self-respect to take control of their lives. As an impact, it is the positive change that happens at a personal level—like increased confidence, abilities, education, and well-being—and at a broader level, including changes in economic, political, social, cultural, and legal structures. |
Evidence-Based | Evidence-based means using shared knowledge about what works—and what doesn’t—in preventing violence against women and girls. It includes lessons learned from local experience, skills, and approaches that may differ from Western evaluation methods but are effective in the Pacific context. (See Hub Principle #4) |
Femicide | Femicide is the intentional killing of a woman or girl because of her gender. It refers to murders driven by discrimination, unequal power, or harmful gender roles and expectations about women and girls. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Feminism | Feminism is the belief that all people should have equal rights, opportunities, and respect regardless of gender. It focuses on recognising and addressing the ways women and girls have historically been treated unfairly and working to create a society where everyone can live safely, participate equally, and have the same opportunities. |
Feminist and Intersectional approach | The feminist and intersectional approach recognises that diversity and social inclusion are essential for sustainable development and transformative change. It understands that individuals—women, girls, men, and boys—have different lived experiences shaped by intersecting factors such as gender, race, class, ability, and geography. These intersecting factors often disproportionately affect women and girls, particularly those facing violence, abuse, and discrimination.
In the Pacific, where intimate partner violence rates are among the highest in the world and societies are often strongly patriarchal, this approach is critical. It addresses the root causes of violence against women and girls and provides the foundation for ending VAWG, promoting gender equality, and creating locally relevant, transformative responses. (see Hub Consultation Report 1, page 7) |
Feminist Approach | A feminist approach recognises that violence against women and girls is both caused by and reinforces gender inequality. It focuses on changing unequal power relationships, challenging harmful social norms, and addressing systems that allow discrimination and exploitation to continue. A feminist approach to prevention places women’s human rights at the centre and works in solidarity with those most affected by violence, including people who may face additional barriers or exclusion because of their identity, status, or circumstances. See Hub Principle #1 |
Gender | Gender refers to the roles, behaviours, expectations, and identities that societies associate with being male, female, or other gender identities. In simple terms, gender is about how people identify themselves and how society expects people to act based on whether they are seen as male, female, or another gender identity. |
Gender Based Violence | Gender-based violence is any act, or threat of an act, that causes—or is likely to cause—physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological harm to women. It stems from unequal power between genders, where a perpetrator uses power and control over another person. Emotional / psychological abuse often accompanies physical or sexual violence but can also happen on its own. GBV can occur at any stage of a woman’s life and includes early marriage, female genital mutilation, sexual abuse, domestic violence, coercion, and structural forms of violence such as legal discrimination or deprivation of rights. Gender-based violence violates women’s human rights and can happen in both public and private life. (see UN Women and Fiji National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women) |
GBV Counselling | Gender-based violence counselling is support provided by trained professionals to help people who have experienced violence because of their gender to heal, cope, and recover. In simple terms, it is confidential emotional and practical support for survivors of gender-based violence. |
Gender equality | Gender equality means that women and men have the same status, rights, and opportunities in all areas of life. It means everyone should have equal chances to realise their potential and contribute to social, economic, political, and cultural development, and to benefit from these opportunities.
Achieving gender equality may also require equity, which means fairness in how support and opportunities are provided. Treating everyone the same does not always lead to equal outcomes, so different needs and barriers may need to be addressed. (see also Fiji National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women) |
Gender Inequality | Gender inequality is the unequal distribution of power, resources, opportunities, and social value between men and women in a society. It happens because of widely accepted gender norms and social structures that favour one gender over another, limiting the rights and opportunities of women and girls. In the Pacific, as in many places, these norms and structures affect access to education, work, decision-making, and leadership. (see also Fiji National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women) |
Gender norms | Gender norms are the shared beliefs and expectations in a society about how boys and girls, and men and women, should behave, what roles they should have, and what interests or activities are considered appropriate for them. These norms influence how people are expected to act, the opportunities they have, and how their contributions are valued in families, communities, and workplaces. (see also Fiji National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women) |
Inclusion | Inclusion means ensuring that women and girls—in all their diversity—are represented, heard, and able to access support, services, and opportunities equally. An inclusive approach recognises that different groups may face different barriers and works to remove these so that everyone can participate and benefit. Inclusion helps ensure that prevention strategies are fair, relevant to local contexts, and responsive to the diverse realities of women and girls across the Pacific. See Hub Principle #1 |
Intersectional | An intersectional approach recognises that women and girls experience violence in different ways depending on overlapping aspects of their identity, such as ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socio-economic status. These factors can combine to create different levels of risk, barriers to support, and experiences of violence. An intersectional approach helps ensure responses to violence are inclusive and address the needs of those facing multiple forms of discrimination. See Hub Principle #1 |
LGBTQI | LGBTQI is a term used to describe people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, or sex characteristics. It stands for:
Intersex – people born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female. |
Male Advocacy | Male advocacy is when men actively support efforts to prevent gender-based violence and promote respect, equality, and safety for women and girls. It involves men and boys speaking out against violence, challenging misogyny—attitudes, behaviours, or systems that devalue, control, or discriminate against women—and working to dismantle patriarchal systems that give men power over women. Male advocacy also uses gender-transformative approaches, which go beyond simply including men in programs. These approaches aim to change harmful gender norms, roles, and power imbalances, promoting healthy masculinities, equality, and mutual respect. In simple terms, male advocacy means moving from being a passive bystander to an active ally, challenging societal structures that allow violence and inequality, and helping create a safer, fairer society for everyone. (see also the Warwick Principles and UN Women) |
Patriarchy | Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold most of the power and authority in society, families, and institutions, and where women and girls often have less power and fewer opportunities. In simple terms, patriarchy is a system where men are generally expected to lead and make decisions, and women have less influence or control. |
Persons with Disabilities | Persons with disabilities are people who have physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments that may affect how they move, communicate, learn, or take part in everyday activities. In the context of violence against women, women and girls with disabilities may face a higher risk of violence, abuse, and exploitation. They may also face additional barriers to reporting violence or accessing support and services. Recognising these risks is important to ensure that prevention efforts and support services are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to their needs. |
Physical Violence | Physical violence is any act that causes harm to the body of a woman or girl. It includes actions such as:
Physical violence is often the most visible form of abuse. However, many women try to hide their injuries because of shame, fear, or concern about stigma from others. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Power | Power is the ability to make decisions and influence one’s own life and the lives of others. All relationships involve some form of power. When people can make decisions about their own lives, it supports self-respect, confidence, and equality with others. However, when power is used to dominate or control others, it can restrict their choices and rights.
Understanding how power operates in relationships—between men and women, among women and men, and between adults and children—is important for preventing and responding to gender inequality and violence. |
Prevention | Prevention of violence against women means taking action to stop violence from happening in the first place by addressing its root causes and promoting respect, equality, and safety for women and girls. |
Referral | A referral is when a survivor is connected to another service or professional who can provide the specific help or support they need. For example, a referral may be made to legal services, counselling, medical care, or shelter services. |
Rights Based | A rights-based approach recognises violence against women and girls (VAWG) as a violation of human rights. It addresses both the immediate impacts of violence and its root causes, such as structural inequality and discrimination. This approach affirms that all women and girls have the right to live free from violence, and that governments and institutions have a responsibility to respect, protect, and ensure these rights. (See Hub Principle #1) |
Survivor | A survivor of violence against women is a woman or girl who has experienced violence or abuse and continues to live and move forward after that experience. This term focuses on strength and resilience, rather than defining a person only by the harm they experienced. |
Survivor Centred | A survivor-centred approach puts the rights, needs, and choices of survivors at the centre of all prevention and response efforts. It ensures survivors are treated with dignity, respect, and safety, and that their voices guide policies and practices. This approach prioritises safety, informed consent, confidentiality, and non-discrimination, while recognising the broader power imbalances that contribute to violence. (See Hub Principle #1) |
Sexual and reproductive health | Sexual and reproductive health means having the knowledge, care, and services needed to make safe and informed choices about sex, pregnancy, and reproduction, and to stay healthy in these areas.
In simple terms, it is about being able to have healthy relationships, prevent or plan pregnancies safely, and get care for sexual and reproductive health needs. |
Sexual Harassment | Sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual attention in the workplace. It can happen to both women and men and may be physical, verbal, or non-verbal. Examples include: · Unnecessary or unwanted touching or physical contact (pinching, patting, kissing) · Unwelcome sexual comments, gestures, or leering · Displaying offensive material, such as posters or drawings · Demanding sex in exchange for a job or position · Sending offensive emails or text messages, including pornography · Unwanted sexual advances or harassment outside the workplace Sexual harassment can be a single incident or repeated behaviour. It also includes situations where the workplace feels intimidating, hostile, degrading, or offensive due to others’ behaviour. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Sexual Violence | Sexual violence is any act of a sexual nature that abuses, humiliates, degrades, or violates the dignity of a woman or girl. It includes any sexual act or attempt that is unwanted, or done through coercion, pressure, or manipulation. Sexual violence can take many forms and occur in different situations. Examples include: · Forced sex – being physically forced to have vaginal or anal sex, including rape within or outside marriage · Coerced sex – being pressured emotionally, financially, or socially to have sex, including without protection from pregnancy or STIs · Transactional sex / sexual exploitation – being pressured to have sex in exchange for money, help, job promotion, or school advancement · Forced exposure to pornography · Forced pregnancy, sterilization, or abortion · Forced or early/child marriage · Female genital mutilation · Virginity testing · Incest Sexual violence can be carried out by one person or multiple people and may be planned or sudden. It can occur at home, work, school, in public spaces, or elsewhere. Perpetrators can be partners, family members, acquaintances, friends, or strangers, though often they are known to the survivor. Like other forms of gender-based violence, sexual violence can cause physical, emotional, and psychological harm. It is a common but often hidden problem, and many survivors may not recognise their experiences as sexual violence. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Trafficking in Persons | Trafficking in persons is the act of organising or facilitating the movement, entry, or exit of someone with the intent of sexual exploitation. It often involves the use of force, threats, deception, debt bondage, or taking away travel or identity documents to control and manipulate the victim. (See Regional GBV Counselling Framework) |
Transformative Change | Transformative change means creating long-term changes in the social norms, systems, and power structures that allow violence against women and girls to occur. It goes beyond responding to individual cases and focuses on addressing the root causes of inequality and discrimination. This includes challenging harmful gender roles, changing unequal power relationships, and promoting fair access to resources and opportunities. A transformative approach works to build respectful relationships, gender equality, and safer communities for everyone. (See also Hub consultation report page 2 and Hub Principle #6) |
Women’s Rights | Women’s human rights are the rights and freedoms that all women and girls are entitled to, including the right to live free from discrimination, violence, and inequality. |
Violence Against Women (VAW) | VAWG refers to any act that causes or is likely to cause physical, sexual, or psychological harm to women and girls. It includes:
VAWG can also occur online or through social media. It affects the safety, well-being, and happiness of women, girls, and often their families and communities. (see UN Women and Fiji National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women) |