According to statistics from the Gender Equality Observatory, of the 65 femicides committed in Puerto Rico, 19 are classified as intimate, two are family, four are non-intimate, one is a transfeminicide, six are related to organized crime, and another 33 cases are still under investigation.
The coordinator of the Observatory for Gender Equality, Irma Lugo Nazario, stated that 16 cases of intimate femicide involved firearms, of which 13 of the men had a driver’s license, which raised the alarm.
Given the current situation, the Peace for Women Coordinator announced this Saturday, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the installation of billboards in various cities of this Caribbean island.
“Those who take a preventative approach are the service organizations that continually develop programs to educate communities about the importance of living in an environment free from violence; “They are constantly threatened with cuts to the funding that allows them to do their work,” the company said.
The Peace for Women Coordinator explained that in a scenario where combating gender-based violence is a government priority, these obstacles to the granting of funds do not exist, so in this reality in Puerto Rico and in the region World, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25N).
In addition, almost 40 attempted femicides were recorded. However, we must not forget that these numbers only represent the reported cases,” said the Peace for Women Coordinator, stressing that the lives of women and girls are at risk every day, both on the streets and under their own control .
They pointed out that having a roof over one’s head is a right, as aggressors typically use strategies to exert control over their partners and isolate them from their support networks; In many cases, when a woman leaves an abusive relationship, she has nowhere to go.
“The lack of affordable housing and long waiting lists in public housing programs force many to choose between abuse at home or living without a safe roof, leading them to return to abusive relationships,” he noted.
In this sense, the company claimed that education with a gender perspective saves lives, which is proven to be the best tool to eliminate inequality among women and girls, the sharpest expression of which is discrimination, which gives way to sexist violence in its various symbolic and concrete manifestations .
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