Category: Structural Violence

Structural violence refers to systematic and normalized social, economic, and political oppression of vulnerable populations. Structural violence includes income inequality, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, sexism, ableism, and other means of social exclusion leading to stress, poverty, trauma, crime, incarceration, lack of access to care, healthy food, and physical activity.

Those in power typically benefit from structural violence. As a rule, they will cling to their power at all costs, including through physical violence to preserve or enact systemic changes that reinforce power divides. We live within systems that are expressly designed to reinforce social disparities.

Olympics 2024: France Takes the Gold in Islamophobia

Gender Structural Violence #imankhelif #islamophobia #mentalhealth #olympicgold #olympics2024 #sifanhassan globalhealthjustice

Posted on July 20, 2024January 30, 2025

As the curtains fall on the 2024 Paris Olympics, what should have been a celebration of global athleticism and unity is overshadowed by troubling undercurrents of Islamophobia and racism – major social determinants of health globally. France, the host nation, stands accused of perpetuating Islamophobia in ways that challenge the very spirit of the Games. One of the most poignant examples of this was the experience of Iman Khelif, an Algerian boxer whose Olympic journey was marred by discriminatory practices….

Chiquita guilty of funding terrorists in Colombia

Social Determinants of Health Structural Violence Colombia corporate crime corporate greed Corporate predators decolonizehealth Geopolitical Human Rights Violations inequality International Responsibility political determinants of health social determinants of health Social Justice

Posted on June 11, 2024July 15, 2024

A South Florida jury just found Chiquita Brands liable for killings by right-wing paramilitary death squads that the the company financed in their banana plantations. Chiquita, formerly the United Fruit Company (UFC), has a long history of deadly repression against workers. The New Orleans-based multinational has long monopolized land and markets and controlled governments throughout Latin America. UFC was implicated in massacres in Colombia, the overthrow of democratically elected President Jacobo Arbens of Guatemala, and propped up many so-called “banana…

More years of schooling improves all-cause mortality globally – Lancet

Social Determinants of Health Structural Violence austerity education education apartheid equity fair taxation global health Global Health Justice global south health disparities social determinants of health Structural violence the lancet

Posted on February 10, 2024May 14, 2024

A systematic review and meta-analysis by the IHME-CHAIN collaborators (Lancet 23 January 2024) demonstrated that increased “years of schooling had a significant and consistent effect on all-cause mortality risk and that the protective effect of education persisted for female and male individuals, across all age groups, and all levels of Socio-demographic Index of the country where the data were collected. These findings are similar to the protective effects of a good diet and physical activity and the harms of risk…

Mexico’s Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion nationwide

Posted on September 15, 2023September 20, 2023

¡Victoria! Wave High the Green Bandanas! Years of concerted action by reproductive rights activists in Mexico have just gained a huge win. “Today is the day of victory and justice for Mexican women!” declared Mexico’s National Institute for Women. “No woman or pregnant person, nor any health worker, will be able to be punished for abortion,” proclaimed the Information Group for Chosen Reproduction, GIRE, which filed the suit. The judgment means that the country’s federal public health service and any…

Fossil Fuel Shackles: How Wealthy Nations Hook Developing Ones

Posted on September 2, 2023December 14, 2023

Introduction In the realm of global environmental justice, a disconcerting phenomenon has gained prominence in recent times: the entrapment of impoverished nations by their wealthier counterparts into a relentless dependence on fossil fuels. (1) This practice, though obscured by economic negotiations, perpetuates a cycle of environmental degradation and inequality. By examining pertinent examples and evidence, this essay aims to illuminate the detrimental consequences of this pattern, exposing how such actions hinder both sustainable development and the global fight against climate…

European Union Policies doomed the Migrant’s Boat Off Greece

Structural Violence

Posted on July 27, 2023December 14, 2023

The ongoing climate crisis and regional wars are rapidly increasing the number of people seeking safety. The World Bank observes that by 2025, 143 million people may be compelled to migrate as climate change worsens. It would seem to be a time for compassion and accommodation. But the European Union’s response to such desperate people has primarily been to bolster its own borders and force countries outside the EU to keep migrants away, in a practice called “externalization.” On June…

Racism in Childbirth: Black Families Face Higher Mortality Rates in the wealthy USA

Structural Violence

Posted on May 15, 2023December 14, 2023

Research uncovered an uncomfortable truth regarding childbirth outcomes: even affluent Black families are at a higher risk of maternal mortality than similarly economically privileged white families. This study shatters the commonly held misconception that financial resources alone can shield Black mothers and infants from the impacts of racial discrimination. Instead, it reveals the presence of deep-seated structural inequities within American society. The findings expose a broken healthcare system that fails to protect the lives of Black mothers and infants, perpetuating…