We grew up in a predominantly sexist system. This is how the laws came into being and important efforts towards true gender equality have been made in the last century. Previously, women had no political participation and were imprisoned for having an abortion. Although there is some progress today, there are still countries that still have a lot of work to do to protect women, not only for the sake of equality, but also to protect their own lives.
And the numbers are alarming. According to the United Nations, at least 45,000 murders of women by their partners or family members were recorded worldwide in 2021. In Argentina, for example, 2021 Supreme Court data found that a woman was the victim of femicide every 35 hours. In Chile, 457 femicides have been officially registered since 2013, but there have been 1,447 failed attempts. Femicides have been recorded in Mexico since 2015. Since then, 6,925 victims have been officially registered as of September 2023, according to that country’s Executive Secretariat.
According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Brazil records the highest number of femicides per year, with 1,900 victims. In addition, the organization assures that the countries in the region with the highest rates of femicide per 100,000 inhabitants are El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Bolivia.
This November 25th marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and until December 10th the 16 Days of Promoting Activism Against Gender-Based Violence will be celebrated, an opportunity to delve deeper into an issue that is affecting the growth of Latin America and the Caribbean influenced .
According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), one in three women in the region have suffered physical or sexual violence from their partner or family member. The most common types of violence are physical violence, sexual violence and psychological violence. Physical violence is the use of force to harm women. Sexual violence refers to any unwanted or forced sexual act. On the other hand, psychological violence refers to acts of verbal or emotional aggression that damage women’s self-esteem or well-being.
Organizations such as the World Bank see this problem as an obstacle to the development of women in the social and economic spheres. In its report, “Preventing and combating gender-based violence,” the organization examines and highlights some measures that have proven effective in responding to violence against women.
Measures highlighted in research that have contributed to the prevention of gender-based violence include women’s economic empowerment through cash transfer programs; domestic violence and child abuse prevention programs; community activism to promote change in patriarchal attitudes and social norms; Interventions in schools to prevent sexual violence among young people and activities with sex workers to reduce violence by clients, police or outsiders.
Ronda Maria da Penha in Manaus, Amazonas.Mariana Kaipper Ceratti/World Bank
The World Bank has worked with countries in the region to prevent, reduce and respond to gender-based violence. Measures range from technical assistance, creation of safe spaces, implementation of services for female survivors of violence, creation of shelters and development of action protocols, to violence support telephone lines and strengthening of sexual harassment policies.
In Brazil, the World Bank provided analytical support to federal governments to understand the risk of violence against women in detention due to the coronavirus pandemic. The “Recovery of Learning Losses from the Covid-19 Pandemic in Brazil” project aims to identify students at risk of dropping out of school due to teenage pregnancy.
Other projects in the region, such as the National Intersectoral Youth Health Strategy to Prevent or Delay Parenthood in Nicaragua, include training for health workers on gender-based violence prevention and best practices for working with adolescents. In Colombia, the “Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Health Services” project carries out detection measures, activation of protocols, provision of health services to victims, rehabilitation and social inclusion.
In Ecuador, the World Bank report “Literature Review What has been used to prevent gender-based violence and strengthen economic empowerment in Ecuador, Latin America and the rest of the world with a focus on indigenous communities?” describes direct interventions to prevent this type of violence. In 2016, the Impact of Transfers on Reducing Intimate Partner Violence program was developed with Colombian and Ecuadorian refugees in poverty, reducing violence by 6% to 7%. Another project in collaboration with Economists Without Borders involved women in solidarity and intercultural economic circuits, which helped promote the exercise of their economic rights and self-determination in various aspects of their lives.
These types of projects reflect the intention to intervene in favor of the prevention and response to gender-based violence. Supporting legislative and policy reforms on this issue, as well as legal protections for survivors and increased penalties for attackers, is a necessary step to begin changing harmful social norms that lead to violence in Latin American and Caribbean homes.
Eliminating gender-based violence is an urgent task that requires the commitment of everyone. Action is needed now to create a world in which all women can live free from violence.
Infographic: 9 messages about gender-based violence in Latin America and the Caribbean. WORLD BANK