Harmful Practices
What is a harmful practice?
Harmful practices are persistent practices and behaviours that are grounded on discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, age and other grounds as well as multiple and/or intersecting forms of discrimination that often involve violence and cause physical and/or psychological harm or suffering.
Has a negative impact on a person’s dignity, physical, psychosocial and moral integrity and development, participation, health, education and economic and social status.
What causes harmful practices to emerge?
The causes of harmful practices are multidimensional and include stereotyped sex and gender roles, the presumed superiority or inferiority of either sex, attempts to exert control over the bodies and sexuality of women and girls, social inequalities, and the prevalence of male-dominated power structures.
What are some examples of harmful practices?
There are many harmful practices across the globe. Below are some examples, and you can click on each to learn more.
Sex Selective Abortion
The practice of terminating a pregnancy based upon the predicted sex of the infant, sometimes referred to as ‘son preference’.
Trokosi
Is a form of ritual servitude, where girls are forced to live and work with priests in religious shrines to “pay” for the sins of family members.
Muti-killing/Muti
Where the killing of children is believed to bring supernatural benefits or the use of their body parts is believed to produce potent magical remedies.
Menstruation Ostracism
The isolation of girls/women menstruating due to beliefs that they will bring the family bad fortune or ill health.
Scarring or Branding
Etching or cutting into the skin tissue to leave permanent marks which is sometimes done as a rite of passage into adulthood, as a sign of status and beauty and also to link individuals to tribes.
Dowry Violence
Any act of violence, harassment or abuse associated with the giving or receiving of dowry (payment of currency, property, gold, land etc.) at any time before, during or after the marriage.
Cao gio
Otherwise known as ‘coining’, is performed by taking a hard object, such as a coin, and rubbing it along the skin in a linear fashion. This can cause bruising and lesions.
Forced Marriage
The marriage of two individuals without one or both adult’s consent, or where a child under the legal age (under 18 years) is forced to marry, sometimes referred to as “child marriage”.
Find out moreWhere have harmful practices been recorded globally?
The map below highlights some of the harmful practices prevalent in countries across the globe. Many practices, however, have not been researched and therefore will not appear on the map. Harmful practices can happen anywhere, as families move with these practices embedded in their culture.
*Please note, prevalence of FGM, Breast Flattening and Spirit Possession, Witchcraft, and Ritualistic Abuse are not recorded on this map.
View our FGM Prevalence Map, Breast Flattening and Spirit Possession, Witchcraft, and Ritualistic Abuse Map.
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