MUJERES EN EL MUNDO: GENDER VIOLENCE AND EUROPEAN UNION

Unfortunately almost every day, news on people, victims of gender violence. Increasingly, the means they use to solve this problem but not enough because the victims are still increasing, the vast majority of battered women by their partners. The statistics speak for itself.

Text Suzanne

Domestic violence is a violation of human rights of women. Violence directed against women by their partners or ex-boyfriend is an epidemic of global proportions that has devastating physical, emotional, financial and social effects on women, children, families and communities around the world. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive and threatening behavior that may be physical, emotional, economic and sexual violence and intimidation, isolation and coercion. Domestic violence also has important consequences for young children, family, friends, coworkers, and community. Relatives and friends may themselves be targeted by the abuser in retaliation for helping a woman leaving a violent relationship or seek help. Children in homes where domestic violence occurs may be witnesses of abuse, may themselves be victims of abuse, and may suffer harm "incidental" to domestic abuse.

So, I want explain about the research on the causes of gender violence, but before I’d like begin making you a question…

Why do you think the gender violence exist? Is it caused by genetics or disease? Is the religion o belief, unemployment, age or other reasons the cause of gender violence?

This violence can occur in all social groups and all economic and cultural levels.The purpose of domestic violence is to establish and exercise power and control over another, men use more often against their partner, which may include current or former spouses, girlfriends or Dating Partners. While other forms of family violence are also serious, this site will address the unique characteristics of violence against women in intimate relationships.

Domestic violence is a behavior that is learned through observation and strengthening the family and society.

Why the cases are repeated despite existing law s to punish these abuses?

Domestic violence is repeated because it works.

The pattern of domestic violence allows the author to gain control of the victim through fear and intimidation. Get the compliance of the victim, even temporarily, it strengthens the author's use of these control tactics. More important, however, the author is able to strengthen his abusive behavior due to the socially sanctioned belief that men are entitled to control women in relationships and the right to use force to ensure that control

Organismes support and roadmap

In Andalusia as well as the rest of the autonomous communities in Spain there are official institutions like Andalusian Women's Institute which makes available to the victims, foster homes, psychologists, family support, legal aid. All this for free for those women who come to the center.

Spanish Women's Foundation is a non-governmental organization for the intervention,the prevention and eradication of gender violence between their activities. Thus in 2005 there is the Observatory on Gender Violence, which collect daily through the media, news, views and reports that may be of interest not only to professionals in the field, but also to the population as a whole.

The Center also has a database of Good Practice which includes projects and practical experiences that have proven successful in various forms of gender violence intervention (awareness, prevention, detection or recovery of damages.)

Do you think that gender violence is something only in Spain? What place in Europe in regard to cases of gender violence?

Gender violence in Europe and in the world

First step in solving a problem is recognizing that it exists, sexist violence in the world is far from over.

Only 23 countries in Europe, five American and Japan-recorded and made public data on deaths of women by their partners or former partners, according to the Second Report contains International Violence Against Women, the Centro Reina Sofia. The work, data from 2003, places Spain at the tail of European countries in number of killed by violence against women, behind countries like Britain, Denmark, Finland or Switzerland.

The lack of data causes in many countries people do not understand that the problem exists. As it is not known if male violence that causes death, it is assumed that there is not. In Argentina, people are surprised by news of women murdered by their husbands who are published in Spain, but unaware that his country does not get any statistics to determine whether or not there something similar happens. There has not been even that first step. European countries like France and Greece do not offer numbers.

Europe against gender violence

These 23 States have provided the Queen Sofia Center figures for 2003 murders of women perpetrated by their partners or former partners. There are 17 European countries are not among them Italy, Ireland, France and Greece, five American-Puerto Rico, United States, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica and El Salvador and one Asian-Japan. The major indexes have them Puerto Rico (15 per million), Luxembourg (13 murders per million females), Hungary (12 per million) and Finland (10 per million). But in the case of Luxembourg should be borne in mind that the low population density makes any fire death statistics. Spain, with 3.6 killed by male violence, is below the world average and European (around six per million women). At the bottom of the list are Iceland, Malta, Sweden and Spain, surpassed by Denmark, Switzerland, USA, Finland and Hungary. This does not mean at all that data from Spain are positive. So far in 2010 were killed 73 women and 61 in 2011. In 2012 the number of victims in Spain has fallen to 49. According to sources of Government Office for Gender Violence (Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality).

Europe against gender violence

Although protection from sex discrimination dates back to 1957 in the social and labor, what about Europe is doing to prevent violence against women?

The countries of the European Union have the same resources and agreements? Is there a manual of best practices and common organisms to combat this problem?

European Union have also made significant actions to achieve the elimination of violence against women. The Treaty establishing the European Community recognizes the right to equality between women and men, and urges all States parties to develop specific policies for the prevention and punishment of gender violence.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union expressed in the same vein, also contain several provisions affecting the protection and promotion of physical and psychological integrity of all people, and parity between women and men.

In the practical sphere this Europe-wide strategy is reflected in the creation and coordination of networks of assistance to victims, representing a clear guideline of what should be the focus of care measures by European Union states, as well as in the recent Decision No. 803/2004/EC of the European Parliament, by adopting a program of Community action (2004-2008) to prevent and combat violence on children, youth and women and to protect victims and groups at risk, Daphne II (2004-2008)

Daphne III OJEU L 173/19, 03/07/2007. Decision 779/2007/EC of June 20, 2007 is an specific program to prevent and combat violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk in the general integrated Fundamental Rights and Justice (2007-2013).