Thousands of women from Latin America, one of the regions of the world with the highest rate of femicide, took to the streets to demonstrate in defense of their rights this Saturday, November 25, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women . The United Nations and human rights organizations called on governments to urgently advance gender policies in this region, where at least 4,050 women were victims of femicide in 2022 and where the female population also suffers from inequality, poverty, fear of reporting and a lack of regulations against them to protect.
First change: November 26, 2023 – 00:45
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The streets of the most important cities in the world were full of demonstrators this Saturday, November 25, on the occasion of the protest International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which, according to the United Nations, affects one in three women worldwide.
In the Latin American region, where, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), at least one woman is murdered every two hours for gender-related reasons, feminist, social and human rights organizations called for protest marches. The authorities are calling for more strategies and measures to combat the violence against women and combat other scourges that particularly affect the female population, such as inequality, sexual abuse and harassment.
The claims were supported by UN Women Regional Director María Noel Vaeza, who stated: “The evidence shows that the presence of a strong and autonomous feminist movement is a crucial factor in promoting changes in public policies to eliminate violence “against women”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres agrees, saying violence against women is a terrible violation of human rights and a public health crisis.
Violence against women is a terrible violation of human rights, a public health crisis and a major obstacle to sustainable development.
Let us build a world that once and for all refuses to tolerate violence against women anywhere and in any form.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) November 25, 2023
Latin America is one of the regions with the highest femicide rates
At least 4,050 women were victims of femicide in 2022 in 26 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the latest regional data submitted by official organizations to the Gender Equality Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean (OIG) ECLAC and this week published.
“We never tire of repeating it: Latin America and the Caribbean have a duty to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.” It is unacceptable that more than 4,000 women and girls are murdered in our countries every year murdered on the grounds of gender,” said ECLAC Executive Director José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs.
According to OIG calculations based on age-disaggregated data from eight countries, in more than 70% of cases the victims are women between the ages of 15 and 44, while 4% are children under 15 acts. In the case of Panama and Uruguay, the proportion of children under 15 years of age who are victims of femicide is over 10%.
The highest femicide rates per 100,000 women in 2022 were reported in Honduras (6.0) and the Dominican Republic (2.9).
Lack of investment and legislation
Violence against women “is costly, with some countries estimating that the economic impact of gender-based violence is around 3.7% of GDP. However, the investment is regrettable, amounting to barely 0.2% of total support in 2022,” lamented UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.
“Our collective non-investment nonsense is made all the more frustrating because we know what needs to be done: reform and implement cross-sector laws and policies; ensure survivors have access to the services they need; expand evidence-based prevention efforts; and take responsibility for the aggressors,” Bahous added in a message marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
On the other hand, the legislation has shortcomings.
The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women broadly governs international efforts. The document defines violence against women as follows:
“Any act of violence based on female gender that results or may result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, as well as the threat of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, regardless of whether they take place in public life.” or in private life.”
While there is regulatory progress in Latin America, the lack of effective laws still poses a burden for the region.
In the case of the Caribbean, according to the ECLAC Observatory, there is no country that has comprehensive laws against gender-based violence. As far as the classification of the crime of femicide is concerned, in Latin America and the Caribbean there are 18 countries with this criminal figure; Of these, 13 have comprehensive laws against violence against women.
Comparative table of regulations on the crime of femicide in Latin America and the Caribbean, France 24, based on data from the Observatory for Gender Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean and ECLAC © France 24
The UN General Assembly has officially declared November 25th as the Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The mobilization of groups and activists who flood the world’s streets with green and purple every November 25th is a leadership role recognized by the highest international authorities and represents the hope for peace.