In search of a dialogue: Digital di-plomacy of Sweden

Digital diplomacy opens up new opportunities for both developed and devel-oping states to promote their international image, clarify their position on current issues, and realize long-term foreign policy aspirations, but it also brings com-pletely new challenges. The chief one among them is establishing a continuous constructive dialogue with the target audience in the virtual space. Facilitation for this dialogue is one of the key priorities of the digital diplomacy of Sweden. The author examines the activities of the key actors of Sweden’s digital diplomacy (the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs of Sweden, the Swedish Institute, the Swedish Tourist Association (Svenska Turistföreningen), ‘Visit Sweden’) and identifi es their key features. Particularly, the author emphasizes the government’s readiness to implement innovative and creative methods to promote its media projects. The latter include such projects as ‘The Second House of Sweden’, ‘Curators of Sweden’, and ‘Swedish Number’, which were aimed at improving the quality of communication with the foreign audience. In doing so, the responsible minis-tries and agencies placed a heavy emphasis on promoting a dialogue via social networks between the Swedish offi cials and representatives of the civil society on the one hand and foreign users on the other. The leading actors of Sweden’s digital diplomacy actively engaged the foreign audience in discussions on the most important issues on the foreign policy agenda of Sweden. This was most clearly demonstrated in media campaigns designed to eliminate discrimination against women and gender-based violence. The author concludes that Sweden has achieved a certain degree of success in establishing a dialogue with the foreign audience, yet this dialogue is not comprehensive enough and still depends on the initiative of individual politicians and diplomats.

The Sexual and Reproductive Health Context of an Internally Displaced Persons' Camp in Northeastern Nigeria: Narratives of Girls and Young Women

In humanitarian settings, ~35 million girls and young women of reproductive age (15–24) are in urgent need of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. Young women and girls in humanitarian contexts are particularly vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion, gender-based violence, and early and forced marriage. We sought to understand girls' and young women's experiences with unwanted pregnancy, abortion, contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), gender-based violence (GBV), and forced marriage in an IDP camp in Northeastern Nigeria. We conducted 25 in-depth interviews with girls aged 15–19 (N = 13; 8 single and 5 married) and young women aged 20–24 (N = 12; 3 single and 9 married). All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, translated, computer recorded and coded for analysis. The participants in our study fled from and witnessed violence to arrive in the IDP camp with little material support. Lack of necessities, especially food, has driven many to sex in exchange for goods or into forced marriages. This, in turn, leads to increased unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. Participants had limited knowledge about contraception, and some information about SRH services available in the camp, but overall, knowledge and utilization of SRH services was low.

Assessing the Impact of the Violence Against Women Act

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has been hailed as the federal government's signature legislation responding to gender-based violence. VAWA, passed in 1994 and reauthorized three times since then, has created several new programs and protections for victims of gender-based violence. VAWA is, however, primarily a funding bill and what it primarily funds is the criminal legal system. But the criminal legal response to gender-based violence has not been effective in decreasing rates of gender-based violence or deterring violence. A VAWA that discontinued funding for the criminal legal system and instead focused on economics, prevention, and community-based resources—a noncarceral VAWA—could better meet the needs of victims of gender-based violence and target the underlying causes of that violence.

Sustainable Development Goals and India’s Commitment to Gender Justice

Sustainable Development Goals are a set of seventeen interconnected objectives to achieve a sustainable future for all. They take a holistic and multidimensional approach to development to alter our planet by addressing humanity's many difficulties. It is an essential component of all aspects of inclusive and long-term growth. Women need to have equal rights and opportunities and live without fear of prejudice or violence. Goal five expressly mentions gender equality as one of the SDGs. Discriminatory laws must be changed and legislation enacted to advance equality proactively to achieve the goals. Gender-based violence is a top priority for governments all across the world. India is dedicated to promoting equality for all of its residents. The Indian Constitution's Preamble, Fundamental Rights, and State Policy Directive Principles express a strong commitment to gender equality. Also, India is the signatory of UN Conventions like CEDAW, where its pledge towards gender justice is evident. Furthermore, India has incorporated various domestic laws in pursuance of its responsibility towards Gender Justice. However, in India, Discrimination against women remains a profound issue despite reforms in various laws and different policies. Several concerns like female labor force participation, crimes against women, education among women, and discrimination are evident. This paper mainly throws light on the status of Gender Justice in India. It will help the stakeholders working on SDGs and Gender justice in policy development. It will highlight the gains and gaps that India has so far accomplished and encountered.

PRO-Mueve Relaciones Sanas – A Gender-Based Violence Prevention Program for Adolescents: Assessment of Its Efficacy in the First Year of Intervention

PRO-Mueve Relaciones Sanas (PRO-Mote Healthy Relationships) is a gender-based violence and dating violence prevention program targeted at adolescents. The program has been designed to be implemented during three consecutive courses [from the first to third year of Spanish mandatory secondary education (ESO)] in 8 annual sessions, imparted by university students who have been previously trained and supervised by university professors. The present study evaluates the effects of the program after the first year of implementation through a quasi-experimental design (Intervention Group N = 181; Quasi-control group N = 62; Mage = 12.11; SDage = 0.57; 54.7% girls) and assesses whether there are gender differences in the outcomes. The results obtained evidenced a significant reduction in benevolent sexism in the intervention group compared to the quasi-control group. Regarding hostile sexism, it was found to increase significantly in the quasi-control group, while it remained stable in the intervention group. Thus, there were significant differences between both groups after the intervention. Likewise, romantic love myths were found to decrease significantly, and knowledge about gender-based violence increased significantly in the intervention group between the two time points assessed, although there were no significant differences with the quasi-control group. No gender differences in the outcomes of the program were observed. The obtained results supported the efficacy of the program during the first year of intervention in the first course of the ESO and laid the foundation for the following phases of intervention.

Analysis of the Concept of Femicide

Femicide is intrinsically part of gender-based violence, and the two are inevitably linked at all levels. Yet, despite having a common origin, there is a need to analyze femicide as a problem that must be recognized, in social and legal terms, as having its own, particular features. To achieve this, an analysis of 102 concepts was carried out through a frequency count in Google Scholar, followed by their categorization, saturating in six dimensions: economic, social, legal, political, ethical, and cultural. The methodology used a higher-order association of hierarchies by establishing a dyad-triad-tetrad model that shows only the most representative combinations extracted from the definitions of greater weight and scope. From this, it emerges that the current concept of femicide is defined on the basis of a dual social-ethical category in view of its frequency of use in Google. This highlights the distance between what, a priori, seems to implicitly allow for any definition of femicide and the existing reality that favors private or institutional interests.

Displacement and Trauma

Rohingya children have become victims of mass displacement, with some of them being internally or externally displaced because of long-standing violence and prejudice in their own country. Currently, a substantial number of them are residing in refugee camps in Bangladesh. They lost all their rights, including the right to retain their native country's nationality. Their basic human rights are violated when they become stateless refugees in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which emphasize equality, equity, and social justice. Rohingya children in refugee camps face adversity and have limited access to informal education and health services. Due to a lack of nutritious food, healthcare services, medicines, and basic sanitation, the health conditions for some of them are exceedingly poor. Children, particularly young girls, are vulnerable to gender-based violence, child marriage, and human trafficking, both for sex and manual labor. This chapter investigates the childhood experiences of displaced Rohingya children living in Bangladeshi refugee camps.