Diferentemente iguales
To know more about this topic, I have visited the web site of UN Women where you can find more information about the forms of violence against women. In this web site, they describe 5 different forms:
1 - Intimate Partner violence: This is the most common form of violence against women around the world and this is any behaviour by a current or former partner or spouse that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm. Worldwide, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence – mostly by an intimate partner.
2 - Sexual violence: Sexual violence is any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances against a person´s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. These include: unwanted sexual advances, rape, Sexual abuse of children and forced marriage.
3 – Human trafficking: it is the acquisition and exploitation of people, through means, such as force, fraud or deception. The practice ensnares millions of women and girls into modern-day slavery, many of whom are sexually exploited. 71% of all trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls
4 – Female Genital Mutilation: it´s includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Beyond extreme physical and psychological pain, the practice carries many health risks, including death. The majority of girls were cut before 5.
5 – Child Marriage: It´s usually means an end to girl´s education, vocation and her right to make life choices. Research confirms that girls who marry in childhood are at greater risk for intimate partner violence than girls of the same age who marry later.
These forms of violence are sustained in the fact that men are above women. We have been raised in a society where media, movies, religion, mark a great difference between the roles of both genders. It means that men have to be strong, powerful and also they have to bring the resources to home and women have to be sensitive, weak and, of course, they have to stay at home taking care of the children. And this also affects to our perception of being in couple, to our perception of love, and this can lead us to some of the forms of violence that we saw before.
Thanks to the work of a lot of people, organisations and governments this situation is changing. They are trying to change this reality, trying to explain a different and saner kind of love, promoting a kind of relationship where one don´t try to be the owner of the other, where you enjoy your freedom being in couple, where you respect when your partner says “no”.
Each one of us has a big responsibility not just denouncing when we see something wrong but to share a saner perception of love to our children at home, in the schools, in our messages, media, etc. 25 of November is the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and it´s in our hands to change this inequality between boys and girls, men and women. We are different, but equals in rights.
Leave no one behind - End violence against women.
If you want to know more about this topic, check the links below.
European Institute for Gender Equality:
http://eige.europa.eu/gender-based-violence/eiges-studies-gender-based-violence/study-identify-and-map-existing-data-and-resources-sexual-violence-against-women-eu
UN Women web site:
http://interactive.unwomen.org/multimedia/infographic/violenceagainstwomen/en/index.html#nav-6
-Kilian Martel Álamo-