Do you see it? It's about Gender Violence

This is a blog in which the editors are women, we write about issues related to motherhood, childhood, education, health ...; When we talk about maternity hospitals, I think it is indisputable that we should also talk about fatherhoods, for many reasons. I think the most notable would be that the upbringing and education of children is a matter of TWO (in the absence of larger communities); and that we are bringing forward the boys and girls who will make up the society of the future; for me there is no doubt.

It is also obvious to me that we should address an issue as topical as “gender violence”; and not only because it is current, also because many fathers and many mothers want to live in a non-violent society: And why not say it? There are so many women and so many men who do not want to turn their back on this reality that it is worth addressing the issue. Since in 1997 gender violence began to be made visible in Spain (before it was suffered in silence by its protagonists) we have MORE THAN A THOUSAND WOMEN murdered; various posts on blogs and social networks are showing that this figure is higher than the victims of ETA throughout its history. All the victims, not only those who lose their lives in violent acts, but also their families, deserve my respect, but the media, social and political treatment of gender violence is not the same as in other cases. But today we are going to discover that violence against women has many more nuances than you think, read on and you will see.

Before, I would like to mention that since the application of the new reform of the new Penal Code this year, “gender” is included as an aggravating factor (article 22.4), so that probation can be imposed in crimes against life, ill-treatment, and domestic. I mean by this that although the reactions in protection and treatment of gender violence, still leave to be desired, if small advances seem to be appreciated.

These weeks we are living (yes, living because it should be an obligation to put ourselves in the place of the victims, their families) with anger as women and children are violently murdered. Mobilization is necessary, and also prevention; but the victims are not limited to those more than 1000 women who have lost their lives. In 2014, there were 347 daily complaints, And do you know how many women are suffering this violence? Well, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior (VioGén system) There are a total of 374.503 cases, between Active, Inactive, Waiting and Discharges. This information I have found at the Observatory of Violence.

Gender Violence: a multidimensional problem

It is still a very clear manifestation of inequalities, and relations of power / domination of men over women. In 1980 it was established that violence against women is the most silenced crime in the world.

Now yes: I have no qualms about showing that Gender Violence it includes “violence” that sometimes we barely perceive; there are many professionals from different disciplines, and many more anonymous people, those who come (come) denouncing it. I refer to explain it to you Ministry of Justice and Argentina. The ways in which this violence manifests itself are:

• Domestic: when the dignity, well-being, physical, psychological, sexual, economic or patrimonial integrity is damaged.
• Institutional: when it is delayed, hinders or prevents women from having access to public policies and exercising rights.
• Labor: discrimination at work is more than known, without going any further, how many women performing the same responsibilities as a man receive lower wages?
• Against reproductive freedom
• Obstetric: it is that exercised by health personnel on the body and reproductive processes of women; and it is expressed in dehumanized treatment, abuse of medicalization and pathologization of natural processes.
• Media: we translate it into publication or dissemination of stereotyped messages and images that could promote the exploitation of women or their images. It also refers to the legitimation of reproductive patterns of inequality and generators of violence.

On the other hand, this image from Amnesty International perfectly explains the WAY of this violence: sometimes it is visible, other times it is not; and it is not always done explicitly

Any victim of gender violence suffers the consequences of it, to a greater or lesser degree; it will depend on the personality and supports of the victim. In some cases aggression is minimized, or denied, justified; but even more serious are the psychological consequences (not to mention the more obvious physical ones) such as depression, stress, resentment, difficulties in establishing healthy interpersonal relationships, mistrust of other people, even sometimes addiction substances (alcohol or other drugs) are used.

Personally, I refuse to normalize any type of violence against women, because I am a woman, a mother, but above all I am a person, and I want a society in which its members establish egalitarian relationships, and that protects (really) the most vulnerable.