City of Chicago Mayor's Office- Gender Based Violence Response


What is Gender-Based Violence?


Gender-based violence (GBV) disproportionately impacts women of color, indigenous women, transgender individuals and LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants, and people with disabilities. It is a human rights violation and a public health crisis. GBV is a form of discrimination and recognized as a manifestation of unequal power. GBV is bias-based harm caused by one’s bias against another person’s gender identity. Harmful acts can include:

 

Physical violence 


Emotional abuse 


Sexual violence 


Sexual harassment


Discrimination based on gender 

Sexual exploitation


Human trafficking


Workplace violence


Economic/ financial abuse


Coercive manipulation

Harms related to immigration


Stalking and harassment, including via electronic communications


Reproductive coercion


Discrimination and/or targeted violence based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity


Institutional violence


Partner Highlights



GBV Task Force


The GBV Task Force

Codified in the Municipal Code of Chicago, the GBV Task Force purpose  is to build a whole-of-government approach to address the pervasiveness of genderbased
violence and human trafficking. The task force shall advise the Mayor on how to:

  • increase capacity and expertise within City departments to address
    gender-based violence and human trafficking;
  • enhance coordination of prevention and intervention efforts among City
    departments and with key outside organizations focused on preventing gender-based
    violence and human trafficking;
  •  improve law enforcement response to gender-based violence;
  •  shift cultural norms on what constitutes gender-based violence and
    human trafficking and its acceptability;
  •  collect, analyze, and use data and research to enhance gender-based
    violence and human trafficking intervention efforts;
  • create alternate responses to gender-based violence and human
    trafficking outside of the criminal justice system; and
  • reform policies that perpetuate or create opportunities for gender-based
    violence and human trafficking.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Any member of the general public may address orally, in person, or in writing; provided that oral public comment at meetings of the City Council shall be subject to the time limits set forth below. Any person who orally addresses the Taskforce shall:

  1. Email madeleine.pattis@cityofchicago.org a minimum of 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting and include their name, organization or affiliation, ward, and phone number.
  2. limit their remarks to three minutes, and if the person intends to address more than one item, use that time, at the Chair’s direction, to address one, or several, such items;
  3. limit their remarks to the subject matter appearing on the agenda of the meeting;
  4. refrain from profane language, obscene conduct, or disruptive comments;
  5. comply with the order of the Chair of the meeting.

Any person who submits written comments shall do so a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the scheduled meeting.

The Chair of the meeting has authority and discretion to:

  1. curtail or limit public comment if the commenter fails to comply with this Rule, and
  2. allow reasonable variances from the three-minute time limit in appropriate, non-discriminatory, circumstances.

Public comment shall be limited to a total of 30 minutes.


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