The report published by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States (CDC), also notes that in seven of these nations the proportion is more than one in every four. “Violence against women in Latin America and the Caribbean: A comparative analysis of population data from 12 countries” is the title of the document that reflects how abuse includes physical injuries -from cuts and bruises to broken bones- going through miscarriages and burns.
However, despite this, between 28 and 64 percent of those affected did not seek help or talk to anyone about this experience. The research also reflects that 10 to 27 percent of women in these countries reported having experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives, committed by a partner or other person, but usually by a man who they already knew.
Besides being a violation of human rights, violence against women has serious health consequences for them and their children, and has a profound impact on health workers and systems in the region, said Dr. Mirta Roses Director of PAHO/WHO.
Meanwhile, Alessandra Guedes, coauthor of the report and regional advisor of PAHO/WHO on Domestic Violence, said that this work can serve to motivate decision-makers to invest more resources in implementing strategies based on evidence that prevent female violence.
However, the text, which collects data from interviews with more than 180 000 females in Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru, is only a small part of reality. Female violence is a problem that goes beyond statistics, persists in every country in the world, a common evil, accepted by many as “normal”, and that can only be removed by the political will and judicial and civil proceedings in all sectors of society.
It is a phenomenon that occurs in various ways: at home, trafficking in women and girls, forced prostitution, violence in situations of armed conflict, including killings.
And also systematic rape, sexual slavery and forced pregnancy, female infanticide and prenatal sex selection of the fetus for male babies, female genital mutilation and other harmful practices and traditions.
The sexist nature of society and the inferiority of the ill-named weaker sex, encouraged in all cultures, and very difficult to eradicate, is one of the basic cause of this disease, experts say. The concepts of patriarchy grouped different processes in their entirety, including culture, hierarchy and structures, among others, and that whole understanding is necessary for its solution.
Even if women’s participation in responsibilities of senior management is increasing more and more, there is still a surcharge on the roles, and although they have gained ground in society, females often remain behind family and in subordination at home. Hence, some interventions are necessary with more promising results, such as promoting education and opportunities for women and girls, improving their self-esteem, and negotiating skills, as well as reducing gender inequities in communities. Advocacy for victims, better awareness of violence and its consequences among health workers, and a greater knowledge of the resources available to battered females (including legal assistance, housing and care of children) can also mitigate the consequences of event. (PL)