GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
WHAT IS IT?
“Violence against women is any act or conduct, based on gender, which causes death or physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women…”
(Belém do Pará, 1994)
IN THE WORLD 1 IN 3 WOMEN IS A VICTIM OF GENDER VIOLENCE
We understand gender-based violence as a social and public health issue, and as a violation of human rights which affects transversely all aspects of women’s lives. Statistics show the seriousness of this issue: 1 out of every 3 women in the world has suffered physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
Gender-based violence makes no distinction between age, social strata or religion. Any woman can start a relationship in which violent situations may arise that she couldn’t have imagined. In most of these cases, violence is inflicted by the current or former partner and results in severe consequences for the emotional and physical health of women and their children.
STATISTICS IN BUENOS AIRES CITY
1 out of every 3 woman
has suffered gender-based violence.
1 out of every 4 women
has suffered psychological violence.
1 out of every 5 women
has suffered sexual violence
60%
of the victims have children, who are themselves in turn victims of the violence their mothers endure
90%
of women who were victims of gender-based violence did not seek help.
278
Femicides
where committed during 2018 in Argentina.
Refuge
for women victims or gender-based-violence inflicted by intimate partners or former intimate partners, 1 halfway house, and 1 refuge for victims of trafficking.
Sources: World Health Organization. Statistical Report of Cases, Line 144, 2018.
Report on Femicides of the Office of Women (OM), dependent on the Supreme Court of Justice, 2018.
"The figures of violence" Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, 2016.
THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE
Violence against women tends to turn up cyclically, alternating periods of violence and aggression with moments of apparent calm. At first, violence is imperceptible and it is common not to recognize it. If it happened once, it will happen again.
This cycle is more common in situations of physical violence, but it may not necessarily be the case. Violence comes in many forms and they are all equally serius. It's not for you to change. Ask for help. THERE IS A WAY OUT.
1. Tension Phase
» Gradual rise of tension.
» Escalating conflicts and violent acts.
» Verbal abuse, sudden mood swings, at times physical aggressions.
» At this stage, the victim tries to ease down their partner, not to do what upsets them, thinking this will avoid any conflicts and wrongly believing it is her who provokes them.
2. Violent Episode Phase
» Outbreak of violence, either physical, psychological, environmental and/or sexual.
» Tensions that had been escalating break out to a greater or lesser level, ranging from shoves to femicide.
3. Remorseful or Honeymooon Phase
» After the violent episodes the attacker apologizes and behaves kindly.
» Justifies their violent behavior on the grounds of having external problems.
» After that, a period of seduction starts, together with the promise that it will never happen again.
TYPES OF VIOLENCE
The following classification of gender-based violence types is limited, and even though it does not reflect the complexity of the real phenomenon, or what the sons and/or daughters have to go through, knowing them may help you identify it, seek help, and give the first step towards the way out.
Physical
It is inflicted on the woman’s body, producing pain, harm or risk of harm, and any other form of abuse or aggression that may affect physical integrity.
» He pushes you, beats you, pinches you, kicks you, throws things at you..
Psychological
Causes emotional distress and puts down your self esteem, or harms and disturbs your full personal growth, or attempts to put you down or control your actions, behavior, beliefs and decisions, or entails any action that injures psychological health and self-determination.
» He threatens you, harasses you, humiliates you, manipulates you, isolates you, puts the blame on you, controls you, demands obedience, insults you, ignores you, is jealous of you, blackmails you, ridicules you, belittles you.
Sexual
Any action involving the violation of a woman’s right, in any of its forms, with or without penile penetration, to decide voluntarily on her sex or reproductive life by means of threats, coercion, use of physical force or intimidation, including violence by a spouse or other intimate partner or relative, with or without cohabitation.
» He refuses to use a condom, forces you to have sex, demands you to do things you don’t want to.
Economic and patrimonial
Aimed at causing any type of harm to a woman’s financial or patrimonial assets.
»He deprives you or your children of money, controls your expenses, seizes your income, prevents you from earning your own money, hides the existence of goods from you, destroys goods or objects you own or seizes real property.
Simbolyc
is the one exerted over a woman by reinforcing and perpetrating the so known "gender stereotypes” – that is, the representation of a woman as a sex object, casting her only in a maternal role, or as bound to undertake household chords only.
»He makes jokes or comments relating to lack of intelligence, physical ability, reasonability. It also occurs in the media (advertisements where the woman is only represented as a mother, as a housewife) and in social and educational environments.
Social
Aims at the social isolation of a woman, depriving her from social support and driving her away from her usual environment, in addition to humiliating, belittling or ridiculing conducts against the woman in public, as well as treating her friends or family contemptuously.
»He drives you away from your family, friends and workmates; he turns you against your social circles, speaks ill of them, or speaks ill of you in public.
Environmental
This type of violence consists in breaking or throwing away goods that belong to the woman.
»he destroys objects that you hold dear, disposes of pieces of clothing he does not like, breaks gifts someone else gave you
Child abuse
Refers to all forms of physical and/or emotional, sexual, negligent abuse, or any type of exploitation, commercial, or of any kind, that occur in the context of relationships of responsibility, trust or power, and that result in real damage or potential for the health, survival, development or dignity of children.
Sexual violence against children
It is one of the most serious forms of violence against children and has devastating effects on the lives of the children who suffer it. It implies the imposition of sexual behavior by a person (an adult or another minor) towards a child, carried out in a context of inequality or asymmetry of power, usually through deception, force, lies or manipulation. It can include physical contact, but also activities without it, such as exhibitionism, exposure of children to pornography, use or manipulation of children for the production of visual material with sexual content, etc.
ACTS ANS TREATIES
Gender-based violence constitutes a violation of human rights, which are those rights a human being enjoys for the sole reason of being human, irrespective of their age, sex, religion, socioeconomic condition, sexual orientation or political inclinations. The protection of these rights, which should have been guaranteed for the entire population without distinction, has not been respected for women in terms of violence and discrimination.
This made it indispensable to enter into several international treaties establishing the right of women to live a life free of violence in their quality as such. In our country, these treaties enjoy constitutional hierarchy since 1994. In the last few years, specific laws were enacted for the prevention, punishment and eradication of gender-based violence in accordance with these Conventions that have been ratified by our country.
NATIONAL
Law No. 26.485: The Comprehensive Protection Act for the Prevention, Penalization and Eradication of Violence against Women in the Environments where they Develop Interpersonal Relations
Enacted on 2009. This act constitutes a qualitative improvement in relation to previous legislation. It identifies different types of violence and the different scenarios where it can manifest itself, and introduces for the first time the concept of gender-based violence - that is, the violence women suffer for being women.
Law No. 26.061: The Comprehensive Protection Act for the Rights of Children
1989
Read original document
REGIONAL
The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, known as the “Convention of Belem do Pará”
Adopted by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1994. It is the first international instrument acknowledging the right of women to lead a life free of violence. Argentina ratified it in 1996.
INTERNATIONAL
Universal Declaration of Humans Rights
Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948, the Declaration sets out fundamental human rights to be universally protected.
Read original document
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Proclaimed and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. It establishes the inalienable rights of all children, and the obligations of States Parties, governmental organizations, fathers, mothers, and society as a whole to guarantee them.
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979.
Read original document
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
In the Fourth World Conference on Women, held during September 1995, a platform was developed that constitutes a framework of worldwide action to reach gender equality and the empowerment of all women.
Read original document
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
WHAT IS IT?
“Violence against women is any act or conduct, based on gender, which causes death or physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women…”
(Belém do Pará, 1994)
IN THE WORLD 1 IN 3 WOMEN IS A VICTIM OF GENDER VIOLENCE
We understand gender-based violence as a social and public health issue, and as a violation of human rights which affects transversely all aspects of women’s lives. Statistics show the seriousness of this issue: 1 out of every 3 women in the world has suffered physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
Gender-based violence makes no distinction between age, social strata or religion. Any woman can start a relationship in which violent situations may arise that she couldn’t have imagined. In most of these cases, violence is inflicted by the current or former partner and results in severe consequences for the emotional and physical health of women and their children.
IN BUENOS AIRES CITY
1 out of every 3 woman
has suffered gender-based violence.
1 out of every 4 women
has suffered psychological violence.
1 out of every 5 women
has suffered sexual violence
In Argentina, 278 femicides where committed during 2018
60%
of the victims have children, who are themselves in turn victims of the violence their mothers endure
90%
of women who were victims of gender-based violence did not seek help.
Refuge
In the City of Buenos Aires, there is 1 refuge for women victims or gender-based-violence inflicted by intimate partners or former intimate partners, 1 halfway house, and 1 refuge for victims of trafficking.
Sources: World Health Organization. Statistical Report of Cases, Line 144, 2018.
Report on Femicides of the Office of Women (OM), dependent on the Supreme Court of Justice, 2018.
"The figures of violence" Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, 2016.
THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE
Violence against women tends to turn up cyclically, alternating periods of violence and aggression with moments of apparent calm. At first, violence is imperceptible and it is common not to recognize it. If it happened once, it will happen again.
This cycle is more common in situations of physical violence, but it may not necessarily be the case. Violence comes in many forms and they are all equally serius. It's not for you to change. Ask for help. THERE IS A WAY OUT.
1. Tension Phase
» Gradual rise of tension.
» Escalating conflicts and violent acts.
» Verbal abuse, sudden mood swings, at times physical aggressions.
» At this stage, the victim tries to ease down their partner, not to do what upsets them, thinking this will avoid any conflicts and wrongly believing it is her who provokes them.
2. Violent Episode Phase
» Outbreak of violence, either physical, psychological, environmental and/or sexual.
» Tensions that had been escalating break out to a greater or lesser level, ranging from shoves to femicide.
3. Remorseful or Honeymooon Phase
» After the violent episodes the attacker apologizes and behaves kindly.
» Justifies their violent behavior on the grounds of having external problems.
» After that, a period of seduction starts, together with the promise that it will never happen again.
TYPES OF VIOLENCE
The following classification of gender-based violence types is limited, and even though it does not reflect the complexity of the real phenomenon, or what the sons and/or daughters have to go through, knowing them may help you identify it, seek help, and give the first step towards the way out.
Physical
It is inflicted on the woman’s body, producing pain, harm or risk of harm, and any other form of abuse or aggression that may affect physical integrity.
» He pushes you, beats you, pinches you, kicks you, throws things at you..
Psychological
Causes emotional distress and puts down your self esteem, or harms and disturbs your full personal growth, or attempts to put you down or control your actions, behavior, beliefs and decisions, or entails any action that injures psychological health and self-determination.
» He threatens you, harasses you, humiliates you, manipulates you, isolates you, puts the blame on you, controls you, demands obedience, insults you, ignores you, is jealous of you, blackmails you, ridicules you, belittles you.
Sexual
Any action involving the violation of a woman’s right, in any of its forms, with or without penile penetration, to decide voluntarily on her sex or reproductive life by means of threats, coercion, use of physical force or intimidation, including violence by a spouse or other intimate partner or relative, with or without cohabitation.
» He refuses to use a condom, forces you to have sex, demands you to do things you don’t want to.
Economic and patrimonial
Aimed at causing any type of harm to a woman’s financial or patrimonial assets.
»He deprives you or your children of money, controls your expenses, seizes your income, prevents you from earning your own money, hides the existence of goods from you, destroys goods or objects you own or seizes real property.
Simbolyc
is the one exerted over a woman by reinforcing and perpetrating the so known "gender stereotypes” – that is, the representation of a woman as a sex object, casting her only in a maternal role, or as bound to undertake household chords only.
»He makes jokes or comments relating to lack of intelligence, physical ability, reasonability. It also occurs in the media (advertisements where the woman is only represented as a mother, as a housewife) and in social and educational environments.
Social
Aims at the social isolation of a woman, depriving her from social support and driving her away from her usual environment, in addition to humiliating, belittling or ridiculing conducts against the woman in public, as well as treating her friends or family contemptuously.
»He drives you away from your family, friends and workmates; he turns you against your social circles, speaks ill of them, or speaks ill of you in public.
Environmental
This type of violence consists in breaking or throwing away goods that belong to the woman.
»he destroys objects that you hold dear, disposes of pieces of clothing he does not like, breaks gifts someone else gave you
Child abuse
Refers to all forms of physical and/or emotional, sexual, negligent abuse, or any type of exploitation, commercial, or of any kind, that occur in the context of relationships of responsibility, trust or power, and that result in real damage or potential for the health, survival, development or dignity of children.
Sexual violence against children
It is one of the most serious forms of violence against children and has devastating effects on the lives of the children who suffer it. It implies the imposition of sexual behavior by a person (an adult or another minor) towards a child, carried out in a context of inequality or asymmetry of power, usually through deception, force, lies or manipulation. It can include physical contact, but also activities without it, such as exhibitionism, exposure of children to pornography, use or manipulation of children for the production of visual material with sexual content, etc.
ACTS ANS TREATIES
Gender-based violence constitutes a violation of human rights, which are those rights a human being enjoys for the sole reason of being human, irrespective of their age, sex, religion, socioeconomic condition, sexual orientation or political inclinations. The protection of these rights, which should have been guaranteed for the entire population without distinction, has not been respected for women in terms of violence and discrimination.
NATIONAL
Law No. 26.485: The Comprehensive Protection Act for the Prevention, Penalization and Eradication of Violence against Women in the Environments where they Develop Interpersonal Relations
Enacted on 2009. This act constitutes a qualitative improvement in relation to previous legislation. It identifies different types of violence and the different scenarios where it can manifest itself, and introduces for the first time the concept of gender-based violence - that is, the violence women suffer for being women.
Law No. 26.061: The Comprehensive Protection Act for the Rights of Children
1989
Read original document
REGIONAL
The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, known as the “Convention of Belem do Pará”
Adopted by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1994. It is the first international instrument acknowledging the right of women to lead a life free of violence. Argentina ratified it in 1996.
INTERNATIONAL
Universal Declaration of Humans Rights
Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948, the Declaration sets out fundamental human rights to be universally protected.
Read original document
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Proclaimed and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. It establishes the inalienable rights of all children, and the obligations of States Parties, governmental organizations, fathers, mothers, and society as a whole to guarantee them.
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979.
Read original document
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
In the Fourth World Conference on Women, held during September 1995, a platform was developed that constitutes a framework of worldwide action to reach gender equality and the empowerment of all women.
Read original document
