How to prevent gender-based violence: examples and values

Various ideas, examples and values to empower women and fight against violence.

Gender-based violence is a social scourge of which there has been a growing awareness in recent years.

Through campaigns, visibility and demonstrations, the population has been taking a stance increasingly against any type of aggression, both physical and psychological, against women.

However, much remains to be done.. For this reason, in this article we explain in depth how to prevent this type of violence, education programs focused on children and adolescents to raise awareness and prevent them from exercising violence or being victims of adults.

• To take into account: "The 30 signs of psychological abuse in a relationship".

Gender violence in our society

Violence against women does not begin in marriage, nor does it begin in courtship. It is something much deeper, inherited from parents to children. There are many cases of abusers who saw and lived situations of aggression towards women in their early childhood. It is for this reason that it is really important to work to break this hereditary chain.

Although in recent years there has been a greater awareness of the issue, involving both men and women, the truth is that there is still a long way to go. The proof of this comes at the end of the year, when we take stock of the number of women murdered by their partners, rapists and muggers who physically, psychologically and sexually abused them.

Fortunately, thanks to the sensitivity and the social movement, governments have been putting in place programs and policies to end this scourge.promoting education for equality in primary and secondary schools, as well as combating sexist myths and associated stereotypes.

The testimonies of women survivors have made it possible to study this phenomenon in greater depth, learning what strategies should be promoted to ensure greater survival in the face of this type of violence, in addition to offering methods for reporting when one experiences or sees a case of this type.

Values to promote

The following are values that should be promoted to fight against gender violenceThe following values should be promoted in order to fight against gender violence, either by directly attacking the underlying cause, gender inequality understood in a broad sense, or by promoting a greater degree of understanding of the phenomenon and involvement in the struggle for equality.

1. Fostering women's self-esteem

Especially girls and adolescents. The idea should be promoted that they are capable of anything they set their minds to and that they, by the simple fact of existing, are already valuable. They do not need a partner to feel something.

This idea aims to avoid toxic relationships that, if they evolve, can degenerate into episodes of both physical and psychological violence.

Learning that you are valuable enough to stop the relationship at the first signs of undervaluation and humiliation by your partner is one of the best prevention techniques.

2. Men and women should be equally involved in parenting.

Although the idea that the man goes to work and the woman stays at home to take care of the children and do the housework is quite outdated, the truth is that there is still no equal distribution of work at home.

Both the father and the mother, in heterosexual couples, are in charge of raising the children. Both act as developmental role models for the children.

The father cannot disengage from his children, and it must be clear that he is as responsible for what his children do as is the mother. Educating is an exercise in equality.

3. Roles are not linked to gender

Closely related to the previous value, it is important to identify those roles traditionally associated with one gender or the other, and to be aware of how this has been changing. and become aware of how this fact has been changing.

Both men and women can perform any job and also be of any form without falling into typical insults such as "faggot" or "tomboy".

4. Gender-based violence is not (only) a marriage thing

Many teenage girls who have boyfriends, without knowing it, are victims of gender violence, however subtle it may be. This type of violence can be physical and explicit as well as more psychological and less clear.

Pejorative comments and verbal humiliation are aggression. This is why programs for the prevention of gender-based violence should help to understand when one is a victim of psychological mistreatment.

5. Love and violence are incompatible

No matter how painful it may be for the victim, must become aware that if he/she suffers aggression from his/her partner, it is because he/she does not love her/him..

Love is a fact, not an assumption. When two people love each other, they cuddle, caress and say nice words to each other. In other words, they treat each other nicely.

Violence is not something pleasant and, therefore, it is not a symptom of love in any way.

6. There should be mutual respect and care in the couple.

Two people who love each other may argue and sometimes have disagreements, but this will eventually be resolved.

Love implies that both partners respect each other and show that they care about each other. and show that they care about each other.

Arguments are a normal and healthy part of any healthy relationship. What is not normal is aggression of any kind.

7. He/she is neither sick nor out of control.

The abuser does not do it because he/she has a mental disorder or because he/she could not control him/herself.

If he did it, it is because he felt he had the capacity and the right to do it.and subjugate his partner through violence. In addition, it is common for the aggressor to humiliate his victim after the violent episode has occurred.

8. The victim will always be innocent

There may have been an unpleasant situation in which both the aggressor and the aggressed shared a few unkind words, but the one on the receiving end of the aggression will always remain the victim.

It is common for the victim to feel guilty, and that is why the myth that he/she asked for it must be fought.

Today, there is a widespread belief that if the woman was beaten up it was because she did something wrong. It may be the case that something did happen, but the beating will never be justifiable and the woman will never be able to justify it. the beating will never be justifiable and the perpetrator is clearly to blame..

Examples of effective campaigns

The following are two examples of successful campaigns that have been carried out in two Latin American countries: Mexico and El Salvador.

1. Love, but the good kind

Carried out in Mexico and focused on teenagers and teachers.This campaign involved the implementation of workshops that reflected on traditional roles and gender stereotypes. Reproductive and sexual rights were also addressed.

This campaign had a positive effect on those who participated, achieving a significant reduction in aggressive behavior and pejorative beliefs towards women among young men.

Thanks to the campaign, it has been possible to fight sexism in Mexico, one of the countries most affected by male violence in Latin America, and to demonstrate the need and effectiveness of early intervention in such a critical period as adolescence.

2. Young women's city

El Salvador is another of the countries plagued by this social scourge.. In addition to episodes of violence against women, there are numerous cases of teenage pregnancies caused by sexual violence.

This program focuses on assertiveness, encouraging women to speak without taboos about this type of violence and if they have suffered an episode, to serve as a testimony that it is possible to move forward.