Índice
Violence against women is any violent act that results in physical, psychological or sexual harm to a woman. Also taken into account are threats that include such acts, in turn, arbitrary deprivation of liberty and forced pregnancy. These actions fall within this crime regardless of whether they are carried out in public or private life.
The United Nations has tried to stop this social fact for more than 2 decades, although the attempts are very efficient, there is still no assurance that it has been completely stopped. This is because violence against women ignores the political or economic system, since these acts occur in all societies around the world.
Violence Against Women: Evolution
Since the United Nations began to implement measures against gender violence, there has been a change in terms of rights and benefits in certain aspects. However, the cases continue to increase over the years and the level of violence that occurs in them increases.
Despite the efforts to try to create a message that raises awareness in society in a massive way (which have been efficient so far), mistreatment and abuse continue to emerge. Statistically, women are the most affected in these cases of gender violence, since they are usually harassed, beaten, mistreated and are victims of kidnappings.
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This can be observed in the statistical study carried out by experts worldwide. Next, we observe the data reflected in said analysis:
- According to statistical studies, every twelve seconds a woman is beaten by her partner or lover.
- The women in more than 90% of the cases of domestic violence they are the victims.
- The data indicates that 65% of women will suffer abuse at some time in their lives.
- Pregnant women who are beaten occupy 60% of the cases of domestic violence where women are the victims.
- More than 80% of the men who abuse women had fathers who abused their mothers when they were children or adolescents.
Statistics in Spain
According to the statistical studies carried out in Spain to analyze the growing problem in terms of violence against women, a considerable increase can be observed annually.
However, although the authorities make efforts to stop this criminal act, gender violence continues to gain ground today, as we see below:
- Gender violence has claimed the lives of more than 750 women in the last 10 years.
- Only 25% of the aforementioned victims filed a complaint against their attacker prior to the murder.
- More than 650,000 women annually are victims or suffer psychological damage as a result of gender violence.
- Approximately 145,000 complaints are registered annually as a result of the crimes involved in the gender violence and in most cases, it is women who go to the authorities.
Violence Against Women: Measures that have been taken
Due to the monitoring that this problem has been carried out over the years, multiple governments worldwide implement laws, measures and actions with the intention of reducing cases of violence against women. The methods that most countries have implemented are the following:
- Measures that raise awareness in society.
- Prepare statistical studies annually.
- Coverage by journalists in the cases.
- Attention to victims and helplines.
- Houses that welcome the victims.
- Standard laws against gender violence.
- Courts already specialized in these cases.
All the actions and measures that have been taken and presented in these years are correct and, in most cases, efficient. However, the reality is that, until now, statistically it has not been enough, however, the United Nations continues to develop new methods that help reduce the number of annual cases.
Types of Violence Against Women
Gender violence is characterized not only by being physical abuse, but in many cases (especially women), tends to suffer psychological aggression, harassment, sexual abuse and even economic violence. Next, we will show you the actions that characterize the types of violence against women:
physical violence
In this case, the aggressor uses the act of applying force with the intention of causing physical damage to the woman's body. The injuries caused in these cases can be serious and range from blows, shoves and pinches to burns, use of weapons, cuts, assassination attempts and abortions.
This type of violence is the most common and evident, since it can be demonstrated quickly. However, on many occasions it does not require medical intervention and usually begins with a simple slap or push.
psychological
In these cases, the aggressor uses actions that are manifested through verbal or non-verbal conduct. An attempt is made to devalue the victim through insults, threats, lower prices, intimidation and abuse of authority. It is very common for the aggressor to use children in his threats, such as: "I'm going to take them away and you won't see them anymore."
In turn, he tries to manipulate his feelings and likes to make the victim suffer. Break things that are valuable to her or just damage her clothes so she doesn't feel the need to go out. He disavows the mother in front of the children and demands conditions that are not typical of a couple, he tries to manipulate the situation so that the woman always thinks that she is to blame.
He shows no empathy for the victim, making fun of everything she does and trying to keep the woman in a constant state of depression. He controls her time, he looks for pretexts to start an argument and he doesn't have the slightest respect for her and he does everything possible to break all ties of communication with friends or family.
This type of abuse is the most complex to assimilate and detect, in turn, the victims may be self-conscious about telling their problems and live with constant fear and insecurity as a result of the multiple threats and insults received, which ends up destroying their self-esteem and their personality and identity as a woman gradually disappears.
Violence and sexual abuse
It is a type of violence that has increased in recent years at a statistical level and they do not usually make complaints about it out of fear. It occurs when the aggressor performs any forced act of a sexual nature or without the consent of the woman. He tries to abuse her through the use of force, intimidation and threats.
sexual harassment
It occurs when the aggressor tries to take advantage of a situation in which he has an important position at the level of teaching or work superiority, to request sexual favors. In this sense, the woman is threatened or intimidated by the aggressor, in turn, he promises her something in return, be it a raise or a higher grade in the student case.
This usually causes the integrity of the victim to be abused, and she is also involved in an uncomfortable situation in which the attacker tries to persuade her not to say anything and not try to report it to the authorities.
Trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of exploitation
It involves actions that lead to the kidnapping, transfer, shelter and subsequent exploitation of prostitution. This case is usually very common in women, where the aggressors resort to tactics that include the use of force, threats, deception or fraud in order to obtain the consent of the person and thus obtain financial benefits through the victims.
Kidnapped women will suffer crimes related to sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and physical and psychological abuse. In most cases, women tend to be drugged for a better manipulation of the victim, coupled with this, the aggressors end up murdering the person when they feel that they can no longer take advantage of it.
economic violence
The victim is intentionally deprived by the aggressor in an illegal and unjustified manner in the use of the resources for the well-being of women and their children. Discrimination when having shared resources as a couple is also within this type of violence.
The abuse is related to the fact of making the woman feel that she is incompetent and that she does not know how to manage money. In these cases, it ends up lowering the person's self-esteem and generates insecurities in their decision-making.
She is denied when choosing where the couple's money will go and her opinion is not taken into account, sometimes the aggressor waits for the victim to collect the money that corresponds to her for her work to take it completely without justification and spend it on other things without her consent.
