The numerous cases of femicide that occur with terrifying frequency are the most brutal expression of gender violence, a phenomenon that knows no borders.
Gender violence (generally manifested as violence once morest women), both physical and psychological, has become a serious global public health problem that affects more than a third of all women worldwide.
It affects women of all nationalities, religious beliefs and social classes and even the most developed industrialized countries are not exempt from this problem. In Honduras, for example, organizations defending the rights once morest women registered 293 femicides between January and December 20, 2022. That country has the highest rate of femicide in Latin America.
Magnitude of the phenomenon
With variations depending on the country in Latin America, between 17% and 53% of women ever married or in a physical union declared having suffered sexual, physical or psychological violence from an intimate partner. For some women, verbal abuse, coercion, isolation, deprivation, threats, and humiliation are worse than physical abuse.
Effects on the health of women victims of domestic violence
Women victims of violence suffer a wide variety of health problems such as damage to various organs and bones, miscarriage, exacerbation of chronic diseases, gynecological problems, and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. In addition, they are more susceptible to a variety of mental health problems such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleeping and eating disorders, and emotional distress, some of which can lead to suicide. The percentage of women worldwide who are abused during pregnancy is estimated between 25% to 45%.
The harmful effects of domestic violence are not limited to women, but also extend to their children. Children who grow up in families where there is domestic violence are prone to a wide range of emotional and behavioral disorders. It is estimated that one in three abused children becomes an adult abuser or a victim of violence.
Violence once morest women has a high economic cost for society. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, the cost of the consequences of violence once morest women in that country is greater than 5.8 billion dollars annually. This violence results in nearly two million injuries and more than 1,300 deaths annually in the United States alone.
Violence once morest women as a public health problem
An important aspect of this approach is the fact that public health assigns an important role to prevention, in the conviction that by implementing appropriate policies the magnitude of this phenomenon can be reduced. In addition, as Dr. Carmen Barroso, former Western Hemisphere Director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, points out: “Health systems must be the gateway for detection, treatment and support for victims of violence once morest women”.
developed policies
In Latin America and the Caribbean, for example, many countries have approved legislation that represents important advances in addressing the problem of violence once morest women. In addition, in all countries campaigns have been carried out for prevention, awareness, promotion, dissemination and/or encouragement of attitudes, values and practices of respect for human rights and a life free of violence once morest women.
However, the response is still insufficient. In the United States, for example, there are more shelters for abandoned animals than for battered women. In addition, there are still certain “critical knots” in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and plans to eradicate violence once morest women.
Solving the problem of violence once morest women will require not only passing but also systematically enforcing relevant legislation. There is still a very high level of impunity for the aggressors that must be resolved if this problem is to be resolved. It is also important to emphasize the critical role of women in maintaining the health and stability of the family. That is why promoting gender equality globally may be the best strategy to prevent violence once morest women.
