Main links

Glossary

→

Catcalling

Catcalling refers to unwanted and often intrusive whistling, shouting, commenting, or sexually suggestive behaviour towards people in public spaces, particularly towards women.

Typical examples of catcalling include inappropriate comments about a person's appearance, clothing, or physique, sexualized remarks, or suggestive gestures. Catcalling can be unpleasant, intimidating, humiliating, or threatening for the person affected and can lead to a feeling of insecurity in public spaces.

Catcalling is an example of sexualized harassment and contributes to the normalization and reinforcement of gender-based violence and inequality. It can have psychological and emotional effects on those affected and help create a climate of fear and insecurity in public spaces.

CEDAW Convention

The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) obliges signatory states to achieve legal and de facto equality between the sexes. CEDAW thus focuses on equality, while the Istanbul Convention places violence against women at its centre. CEDAW was strongly shaped by women's rights organizations from Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

The agreement entered into force in 1981 and has been ratified by almost all states – by Switzerland in 1997. It obliges states to regularly document and review progress and gaps in equality. The NGO Coordination Post-Beijing produces alternative reports on the state of implementation in Switzerland.

Femicide

A femicide is the killing of women because of their gender, including structural and state co-responsibility. The term goes beyond the narrower «feminicide» by focusing not only on the individual crime but also on the social, cultural, and political framework conditions that enable or favour such violence.

Societal Violence

Societal violence manifests as part of a larger system of patriarchal power relations, for example in norms relating to gender roles and gender stereotypes. It is expressed in social norms, institutions, laws, and power relations that maintain and reproduce discrimination, exclusion, and devaluation, particularly of women, queer, trans, inter, and non-binary people, as well as other marginalized groups.

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking refers to the exploitation of people through coercion, deception, or other forms of control for various purposes, such as sexual exploitation, forced labour, organ trafficking, or begging. It is a serious violation of human rights and a form of modern slavery.

Human trafficking can take place in various ways and in various contexts. Victims are often recruited by traffickers under false promises or forced by violence, threats, or manipulation to give up their freedom and end up in a situation of exploitation. This can happen both within a country and across international borders.

Victims of human trafficking are often particularly vulnerable people, such as women and children, people in precarious economic circumstances, migrants, or refugees. They are often isolated and have little access to support and help.

Patriarchy

Patriarchy is a term that describes the dominance of men in various aspects of society and social life. It refers to a social system in which men generally have more power, authority, and privileges than women. The term derives from the Greek word «patriarchês», which means «father» or «tribal father».

In patriarchy, decision-making power, resources, and social positions are often male-dominated. Women and other marginalized groups are disadvantaged or discriminated against because of their gender.

Physical/Bodily Violence

Physical violence includes physical attacks such as hitting, biting, shaking, strangling, physical assaults, up to and including femicide.

Social Violence

Social violence refers to forms of exclusion, devaluation, and control that take place in the social and interpersonal sphere and are based on gender-related power relations. Social violence manifests, for example, in the isolation of individuals, social control through constant surveillance, jealousy, or restrictions in everyday life (e.g., clothing, contacts, behaviour), defamation or targeted social exclusion, stigmatization based on gender, sexual orientation, origin, or lifestyle, trivialization or denial of experiences of violence. Social violence does not occur in isolation but is interwoven with other forms of violence such as psychological, physical, or economic violence.

Economic Violence

Economic violence includes, for example, a ban on working or the confiscation of wages. Economic violence is a form of abuse in which a person exercising violence takes control over another person's access to economic resources. This limits the affected person's ability to provide for their own livelihood and puts them in financial dependence on the perpetrator.

Forced Marriage

Forced marriage refers to a marriage in which at least one person is married against their will or without their free consent. This practice contradicts the principle of free and informed decision to enter into marriage and constitutes a serious violation of human rights.

Forced marriages can come about in various ways:

Direct coercion: This involves the direct use of physical or psychological coercion against a person to force them into marriage, often under threat of violence or other forms of oppression.

Indirect coercion: This refers to situations in which a person is forced into marriage due to social or family expectations or pressure, even if they are not explicitly threatened or coerced.

Early or child marriage: This refers to the marriage of children or adolescents under 18 years of age, which often takes place without their consent or under coercion and can have serious effects on their lives and development.