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What is gender violence? Some warning signs
It is any action or attitude between couples
or an ex-couple imposed on a woman to
subordinate or discriminate her. It includes
gender or “machista” violence, sexual, phy-
sical, financial, and psychological abuse.
According to a United Nations report, gen-
der violence affects one out of three women
throughout their lives.
And remember a:
•
Gender violence has nothing to do with
personal situations: problems at work,
family tensions, etc.
•
The only party responsible for violence
is the party that is violent: you cannot
blame women and blame them of doing
something that led to such a situation.
There are several indicators that are often
ignored because they are considered nor-
o r p o r a t e
mal or are tolerated in relationships bet-
ween couples. These are devastating for
women and often lead to more dramatic
situations.
What can you do if you are a victim of
gender violence?
Dial 016, a toll-free number, functioning 24
hours a day, 365 days a year. They offer free
legal advice on resources and rights, and
on the steps to take in case of abuse. As-
king for help does not force you to take any
action that you do not want to take, but it is
necessary to be informed just in case.
Be ready to react in the event of ag-
gression:
•
Write down the aggressions that you
suffered and try to remember the dates
and the eruption of violence from the
beginning to the end.
•
Tell somebody about what is happe-
ning, ask for their help, and ask them to
accompany you to obtain information if
you do not want to do it alone.
Think on how to protect yourself and
try to be prepared:
•
Rely on people that you trust (at work,
your neighbourhood, girlfriends...) who
can help you in case of an emergency.
•
Have the most essential items at hand
(keys, important documents...).
•
If you have children, create a signal to
let them know that it is necessary to
leave the house.
•
Have your children memorise the num-
ber 112 as a reference in the event of
an emergency.
In the event of aggression:
•
If you are in danger, dial 112.
•
Get away from rooms where there are
dangerous objects (for example, the
kitchen) and try to find a safe place (the
safest place is the room closest to the
street door from where it would be ea-
sier to flee).
•
If you are not able to escape, protect
the most vulnerable parts of your body
(face, head, and chest).
Some examples “don’t ignore them”: