violence against women

IUSY
and
ECOSY
Newsletter
25th of November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
CONTENT
INTRODUCTION
International day for eliminating violence against women
Page 3
INTRODUCTION
This day is about change
Page 4
Fighting against violence to women:
we need more than laws.
Page 5
THE HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY
FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Page 6
MY BODY IS NOT YOUR BATTLEGROUND!
Page 7
ECONOMY HURTS
Page 9
INTRODUCTION
JUVENTUD RADICAL ARGENTINA:
25 DE NOVIEMBRE Page 11
SJÖ AUSTRIA:
STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN! THE VIOLENCE PROTECTION LAW IN AUSTRIA
Page 12
JUSOS GERMANY:
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN – A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON
Page 13
JUSOS GERMANY:
LET´S NOT LEAVE MIGRANT WOMEN ALONE WITH VIOLENCE
Page 14
JS PORTUGAL:
A SUMMARY OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS FIGHTING
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN PORTUGAL
Page 15
DEMOCRATIC YOUTH SERBIA:
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Page 16
SSF SWEDEN:
DON´T BE SILENT!
Page 17
JUVENTUD SOCIALISTA URUGUAY:
HIV / AIDS + VIOLENCE
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND feminization of HIV / AIDS IN URUGUAY
Page 18
2
INTRODUCTION
International day for eliminating violence against women
by Kati Hellwagner, IUSY Feminist Working Group Coordinator
Sandra Breiteneder, ECOSY Feminist Network Coordinator
The 25th of November is a crucial day for feminist activists all over the world. Being international socialist
youth organisations, IUSY and ECOSY are strongly
committed to feminism, to the aim of gender equality
and the fight against violence against women. IUSY
and ECOSY are strongly convinced that without gen-
ganisation. This way, we all are raising awareness on
this important day by showing our solidarity and our
concern on the topic.
And of course we also want to invite you to become
a feminist activist and join the IUSY Feminist Working
Group and the ECOSY Feminist Network – because
der equality we will not have social justice for all. In
this struggle we must fight together against all kinds
of gender based forms of discrimination and violence!
only together we are strong!
Stop all forms of violence against women!
That’s why it is an important sign that we as socialist
and social democratic youth organisations join the international campaigns on the 25th of November.
Therefore we proudly present the IUSY and ECOSY
Newsletter for this special day. Please put it on your
homepages, spread it in your organisations, inform
yourself about the topic and also join our 25th of November group on Facebook. We also created a special
online-banner for the homepage of your member or-
3
INTRODUCTION
This day is about change
by Johan Hassel
Secretary General, IUSY
This day is about injustice. It’s about struggle. And it’s
about responsibility.
sion more on the role and the responsibility of men.
Most important issue continues to be creating space
for young women to meet, set their agenda and to
empower themselves. Secondly comes the involvement of men, to discuss their responsibility and how
they can do more in the struggle for gender equality.
“It’s the economy stupid!” The famous slogan from
the Bill Clinton first presidential election campaign
have often been referred too as a reminder of what
it is that really matters in politics and in life. However
when it comes to gender equality it is often ignored.
What we need in IUSY is more feminism. What we
All economical figures clearly show that women are
discriminated because of their gender. Just look at
the wages. Or pick an example of your own - it doesn’t
matter, the conclusion stays the same.
need in IUSY are more men supporting and working
for feminism.
Finally. Theories and principals are supposed to be
realized. When the next EU Commission is up for confirmation by the European parliament, the socialist
group should never let it pass if it is not gender balanced. Already now should the PES and the socialist
group clearly state that the EU Commission has to be
gender balanced – or it will not be supported. Sometimes it just is as simple as that.
Women are constantly discriminated because they
are women. It is unacceptable and still, it goes on. The
struggle is obviously not going as good as it should.
Why? It’s because of us men. When someone is loosing someone else is winning, and men are afraid to
loose on gender equality. And that is how it may look
at a first glance. But it’s not true. All people – women
and men – are winning on gender equality. Yes, men
will have to give up power and positions. But the
winnings will be bigger. A more equal society where
you know that you are seen for who you are and not
because of your gender also means more recognition
for men. Which men actually wants to continue to be
promoted just because they are men and not because
of their competence? Which men want to continue to
oppress half of the world? It is time to turn questions
around. It is time to get more people into the struggle. It is time for men to take responsibility.
Let’s continue and enforce our struggle for gender
equality together!
I hope that we in IUSY will put the struggle for gender
equality on top. That everybody in our movement will
take their responsibility. I want us to focus our discus-
4
INTRODUCTION
Fighting against violence to women:
we need more than laws.
by Petroula Nteledimou
President of ECOSY – Young European Socialists
Member of the National Board of PASOK (Greece)
Until a few years ago, domestic violence was a “nonissue”. Misunderstood as a “private family matter”, something “expected and excused”, a “bad moment”, it
was neither legal, but also nor illegal, neither right,
but also nor wrong, just one more piece of the house
laundry to be hidden and well cleaned by the women.
But this has to change. In some countries, like in Spain,
progressive legislation has put domestic violence in
a new legal – and gradually also social – framework.
We have to follow this example everywhere in the
European Union, and also put it forward for the rest
of the world. There is no equality, as long as women
All of this, until recently. Because today, everybody
knows that violence in any case, physical or psychological, is unacceptable. And domestic violence is
much more than that. In many countries, it is subject
to penal prosecution – and this is how it should be
everywhere.
denounce it “voluntarily” under the exercise or threat
of any kind of violence. And before all, it is women
themselves who have to realize that it is not just a
right, but also an obligation towards all the next generations of women, to bring domestic violence before justice and to expose it in the eyes of society. To
simply change legislation is not enough; we also have
to change the mentalities. And if young socialists –
women and men – will not do that, then who will?
Domestic violence refers mainly to violence against
women and children. They are the usual victims; and
they have known – for generations how to silence
about it. They still do so. Violence in the family knows
no borders, no discriminations: one can find it in all
countries, in all cultures, in all social classes, among
non-educated and well-educated people. The circle is
always the same: violence – shame – excuse – silence.
It breaks only seldom, and when it comes to light, we
all pretend to be very surprised. And very often, it is
the victim, not the guilty, who carries the social stigma. That’s why it is only rarely revealed: because the
actual punishment of the victim is bigger than the
punishment of the guilty.
5
THE HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN
by Sandra Breiteneder, ECOSY Feminist Network Coordinator
space, (nearly) no place exists, where they can be sure
of not getting victim of violence.
Beginning in 1981, when the United Nations founded
this day as a day of action against violence on women, actions take place all over the world.
The origin of that date is the death of the 3 sisters Mirabal, who were tortured, raped and murdered by the
Dominican Republic`s secret service on 25th of November 1960 because of their activities against the
dictator Trujillo.
Also socialist and social democratic youth organisations all over the world set public signs on this international action day against violence every year.
We have to reconquer this space, to organize ourselves to fight sexism, patriarchy, capitalism and exploitation. One day a year is not enough to win this
struggle.
Violence has it`s roots in patriarchy, which is the instiutionalized, systematic discrimination of women in
nearly every part of daily life. For women, no secure
6
MY BODY IS NOT YOUR
BATTLEGROUND!
by Kati Hellwagner, IUSY Feminist Working Group Coordinator
Women still are that part of population that gets most
suppressed by society. A crucial point of that oppression lies within the topic of violence – Violence is influencing every part of women`s lives.
psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by
the State, wherever it occurs.
The report also holds down that in most states statistics about violence against women do not exist. This
fact makes it even more difficult to do a global analysis of the field of violence.
There is still much left to do to be able to ensure a certain standard of self-determination for women– not
only in so called “Third World Countries”, but in every
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
part of the world the struggle for that is not over yet.
Especially because of the fact that in the last time,
conservatives and right-wings are on the rise again
and try to push back to the past.
Especially in that part of society which is claimed to
be a place of harmony, protection and security, violence is distinctive. The own four walls, the “holy” family keep one of the greatest dangers concerning the
physical and psychological health of girls and women
inside. A report of safe houses states in that context:
“It can not be said that violence against women is
reduced to a certain kind or form of partnership, but
after all, marriage can be seen as the most dangerous
form of partnership for women.” A research programme done at the university of Bielefeld comes to the
conclusion that this violence is going very far: about
every 3rd murdered woman is killed by her own partner.
We can see very clear that this insitutionalized oppression of women is not at all reduced to the so called
“public”, but is everywhere. Patriarchal structures are
also dominating the “private” sector, partnerships, families – and these structures have to be broken up!
The 4th Women`s World Conference of Bejing in 1995
stated:
“The term „violence against women“ means any act
of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely
to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or
suffering to women, including threats of such acts,
coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether
occurring in public or private life.”
This includes:
Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse
of female children in the household, dowry-related
violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and
other traditional practices harmful to women, nonspousal violence and violence related to exploitation;
Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring
within the general community, including rape, sexual
abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in
educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in
women and forced prostitution; Physical, sexual and
RAPE IS NEVER AN EXPRESSION OF LUST, BUT A
DEMONSTRATION OF POWER
Rape is sexualized violence. No woman can be made
responsible in any way, if she gets raped. It is not the
“drive” of the rapist that leads to rape, but it is a form
7
of getting controll over and exerting power on women. The deeper sense in rape is therefore to humiliate and terrorize women. The aim is to “de-humanize”
the victim and reduce women to their sex.
In two thirds of all cases of rape, the rapist is of known
identity for the victim, which clearly disproves the
myth of the rapist ambushing behind trees in dark
parks. Rape inside married couples is not a rare thing
Only in rare occasions women get jugded by what
they are able to do. Generally, the opposite is the case:
it seems to be more important how they look like.
happening – according to a US-study, 55% of rapists
are the women`s own husbands/partners. According
to a United Nations – report done in 1995, one out of
four adult women gets raped.
society, in which exploitation of human beings does
not exist.
“No socialism without women`s liberation – no
women`s liberation without socialism!” (Alexandra
Kollontai)
As long as women are not economically independent,
they will also be oppressed in the physical sphere –
that means that the struggle for a society without violence against women has the be the struggle for a
STRUCTURAL DISCRIMINATION
Sexist jokes and remarks, sexual harassment, domestic violence, psychological terror, rape and murder
are facets of one and no other reality: Women are
discriminated in every part of daily life. The labour
market, where women still earn about one third fewer
wage than men; the unpaid work, the housework,
where women do two thirds of all the work. In Media
and advertisments, women get degraded to objects,
where their role is reduced to being pretty. Society
is drawing a picture of a “stereotype-woman” which
is dictating women, how to look like, to dress, how
much to weigh, what roles to take in life,...
8
ECONOMY HURTS
by Janna Besamusca, ECOSY Secretary General
The 25th of November we dedicate to the fight for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women. Most commonly, we speak about domestic violence, trafficking
in women and sometimes also about the damage
caused to women and men by gender stereotypes,
through mass media for example. These variations of
gender based violence show women as a relatively
homogenous group, affected in a similar manner across continents, age cohorts and class position.
are neither in legal paid employment nor registered
as jobseekers, women’s employment conditions are
characterised as follows (p.6):
Women … face constraints in terms of sectors of economic activity in which they would like to work and
working conditions to which they aspire. Women are
overrepresented in the agricultural sector, and if the
more industrialized regions are excluded, almost half
of female employment can be found in this sector
alone. Women are also often in a disadvantaged position in terms of the share of vulnerable employment
(i.e. unpaid family workers and own-account workers)
in total employment. These workers are most likely to
be characterized by insecure employment, low earnings and low productivity. Those women who are
able to secure the relative comfort of wage and salaried employment are often not receiving the same
remuneration as their male counterparts. Gender
wage differentials may be due to a variety of factors,
including crowding of women in low paying industries and differences in skills and work experience, but
may also be the result of discrimination.
Yet, as Dr. Yakin Erturk, the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Violence against Women, remarks in
an interview in the beginning of this year, “[while] we
know that even educated, employed women still find
themselves experiencing violence… research does
show that economic security increases the woman’s
options in terms of being able to leave an abusive environment”.
Economic security of women, however, is only very
poorly achieved. Women are more likely than men
to be without a job; they are more likely to work under precarious conditions, more likely to work in part
time employment and are more likely live in poverty. In the 2008 preliminary estimates of the ILO, adult
women’s employment-to-population ratio (basically
their labour market participation rate) for developed
economies was 50.4 as compared to 67.7 for men.
Their unemployment rates for 2008, however, showed much smaller differences 6.1% for women, 6% for
men (as compared to 13.1% for youth).
Those precarious working conditions under which
women work are likely to be aggravated by the current economic crisis. The effects of the economic crisis
on women’s employment have shown to be different
across countries, mainly due to dissimilar labour market segregation. In economies where women are still
overrepresented in the manufacturing sector, women
are already heavily affected by the crisis. In developed
economies, where such work has been predominantly outsourced, the employment effects of the crisis
place a larger burden on men than on women. As the
In the ILO report of March 2009 on Global Employment Trends for Women, taking into account the
43.5% of working age women around the world who
9
ILO report states (p. 20): “there was a reduction in the
gender gap in the unemployment rate in 2008, but
only because the situation of men in the labour market worsened more than the situation of women.” ILO
statistics show that women’s average employment
share in twenty-four developed countries in 2005 was
around 9% in construction, 25% in transport, 30% in
manufacturing and 35% in real estate, some of the
sectors most hit in the economic crisis.
Dr Yakin Ertuk, in the same interview quoted above,
calls our attention to a related phenomenon: the diminishing public support for an extensive welfare state. “In the neo-liberal era … We lost our welfare state,
which no longer took any interest in providing livelihoods or social security services and so forth.”
Many of those tasks, such as caring for young, elderly
or sick family members are either performed by women outside formal working hours, or outsourced by
wealthier women to others, often women from immigrant background (Filipino women are the most well
known example). Women working in this unlegislated sector of the labour market regularly work under lamentable conditions, having limited access to
health care, no unemployment protection or holiday
payments and are especially vulnerable to sexual abuse when they are accommodated in the households
of their employers.
Studies also show, however, that over hours have
steeply increased among those still in employment
and especially among women. Earlier studies in the
UK in the 1970s among households where the women had become the main breadwinner after the
husband became unemployed due to the relocation
of heavy industry, have additionally indicated that
unemployed men are unlikely to take up a larger
share of domestic tasks after being unemployed. The
increased unemployment among men in developed
economies cannot be assumed to empower women.
ECOSY – Young European Socialists has repeatedly
adopted the position that this kind of tasks should
be seen as an integral part of the welfare state and
be performed mainly in the public sector. Economic
violence against women should be a policy priority.
More efforts have to be put into increase women’s
labour market participation by providing the services that allow women to work, expanding employee
rights and protection to a-typical workers and economically dependent workers, and by actively fighting
undeclared work.
Secondly, anticipating larger effects on women’s
employment, the European Platform for Women Scientists, in a press release on the 5th of March 2009,
stated that “while the crisis is having a visible impact
on employment in some large male dominated industries, a severe impact on women, particularly in
economic activities related to these large industries
and in precarious contracts, is to be expected.”
A third reason to expect a larger effect of the crisis
on women are the announced cuts in the civil service and social services in many countries, as already
being executed for example in the Baltic states. Women are overrepresented in the public sector and are
likely to be most hit when governments’ exit strategies enter into force.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/csw-2009/womens-rights-in-economic-crisis
http://www.oegs.ac.at/cms/schwarzes_brett/european_women_scientists_analyse_financial_crisis_
and_suggest_remedies_press_release
10
JUVENTUD RADICAL ARGENTINA







25 de




Noviembre
Día Internacional de la
Eliminación de la
Violencia contra la
MUJER
La violencia hacia la mujer
es un fenómeno que deja
profundas heridas en los
cuerpos y en las mentes de
las víctimas. Se da en la
vida privada y en el ámbito
público y abarca distintas
formas: castigos físicos y
psíquicos, acoso sexual,
violaciones, torturas,
tráfico sexual, malos tratos
y abusos laborales.
Declarado por Resolución de la
Asamblea General de la Organización de
las Naciones Unidas el 17 de diciembre
de 1999.
Fecha elegida en honor a las hermanas
Patria, Minerva y María Teresa Mirabal,
conocidas como “Las Mariposas”, militantes
políticas opositoras a la dictadura que
ejerció durante más de 30 años Rafael
Leónidas Trujillo en República Dominicana,
por cuya actividad fueron perseguidas,
encarceladas y finalmente asesinadas el 25
de noviembre de 1960.
.... NO LO SILENCIES...
NOS PERJUDICA A TODOS
11
SJÖ AUSTRIA
STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN!
THE VIOLENCE PROTECTION LAW IN AUSTRIA
by Sandra Breiteneder, Ecosy Feminist Network Coordinator
Every fifth woman in Austria is a victim of violence.
Up to 50% of female employees in the European Union are victims of sexual harassment at their working
place. In Austria in 2003, 1335 women and 1285 children fled from their violent husbands or partners into
women shelters. All over the world, NGO’s, women’s
organisations and left progressive parties are fighting
against this gender- based violence.
matter who called the police; no matter if the flat/
house belongs to the victim or the violator; no matter
if the victim confirms the out carried violence or not).
The span of time during which the violator is not allowed to enter the house/flat is usually 10 days, but can
be up to 3 months.
Anyhow, this progressive legislation does not suffice
to eliminate the structural violence against women in
our society – this massive form of oppression is strongly bound to the economical discrimination that women have to experience.
The reasons of this violence lays deeper in the system.
As long as women are unequal and dependent in economical terms, there will also be oppression and the
danger of violence against women. We have to fight
all forms of oppression and dependence and have to
create equality.
But we also have to fight for better living conditions
for women in a patriarchal and capitalist word. We
should secure that it’s possible that every women can
live her life free from violence and sexism. A first step
in this direction is the violence protection law in Austria.
The Austrian violence protection law is known as one
of the best legislations against violence on women
worldwide.
Due to this law, the alarmed police forces are obliged
to send the violator away from home for 10 days (no
12
JUSOS GERMANY
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN –
A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON
by Bettina Schulze, JUSOS Germany
Violence against women is existing in every area and
form of society. Domestic violence, trafficking in women for sexual exploitation or systematic rape in wars
are only a few examples. Worldwide, women suffer
from violence. Violence which is often not punished,
may it be because there is no legal possibility to do
so, may it be that out of fear there is no legal action
taken or because there are simply no laws to protect
women from violence.
lence. But they only treat the effect and not the cause
of gender specific violence. The cause is immanent to
the system and has it‘s roots in the patriarchal society
system. To fight those roots of patriarchal violence we
have to:
ensure a free and self- determined life to all women
and girls
and finally implement gender equality between women and men world wide.
According to a study by the ministry for family, elderly and youth done 2004, about 40% of all women
suffer from physical and/or sexual violence in Germany. Despite those alarming figures and numerous
awareness-raising campaigns, since the beginning
of the 90ies, Germany‘s safe houses and emergencyhotlines haven‘t been sufficiently financed to help all
women in need.
To end violence against women means to fight any
discrimination of women and men and show international solidarity with those who are standing up for
equality between men and women.
And despite those institutions and campaigns, violence against women didn‘t really decrease. Safe houses can protect women who experience domestic vio-
13
JUSOS GERMANY
LET´S NOT LEAVE MIGRANT WOMEN
ALONE WITH VIOLENCE
by Sylvia Kunze, Ecosy Bureau member for Jusos Germany
40% of the women in Germany have been at least
once in her adult live been a victim of sexual or non
sexual violence. The Quote even rises if we are talking
about women with a migration background. This
autumn in Germany two cases in the Region near
Frankfurt am Main focus the interest on that topic. In
October a 37 year old woman of Turkish origin, who
was coming 17 years old to Germany to get married
with a Turkish men already living in Germany, gets
killed, heavily suspected her husband after an argument both had. In the other case in November a 26
year old student gets knifed in the middle of her university by her boyfriend, who acknowledged the act
in between. Both students were of Turkish origin as
well. It shall not be said with this, that women with
no migrant background have no risk to became a
victim of violence in our society, as the numbers in
the beginning show. But still violence against women
is a big tragedy. And it is used to prevent woman from
fighting for her personal rights. As socialist and feminist we can not accept that there is a different level of
freedom for women in our society to live on, depending on their nationality, social or family background.
Their for it is necessary to work on strategies how we
can protect women right of an undamaged body and
human rights, even in cases if there is a conflict with
their own families. One thing has not to be forgotten,
behind every case of a murdered woman who could
not be secured from her society, there is a number of
women who are deciding if they can or can not afford to fight for her individual rights fearing that they
could be a violence victim if they do so.
14
JS PORTUGAL
A SUMMARY OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
FIGHTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN
PORTUGAL
by Mafalda Serrasqueiro, JS Portugal
The past year saw a dramatic increase in the public
awareness of several sources of violence against women, following a considerable invest from the Socialist Government and other public authorities in
implementing mechanisms to prevent violence and
to spread information among members of society at
large.
intense media campaign on radio, television, newspapers and the internet). The Socialist Youth associated
itself to the campaign, promoting its own materials
and events on the topic.
Finally, another recent and significant change is represented by the entry into force of Law nr. 112/2009,
published on the 16th of September. The new law
drastically changes the existing perspectives on domestic violence, signaling a series of key principles in
preventing and repressing violence (respect and acknowledgment of victim’s rights, increased protection
of victims in need of support, reinforced information
duties, facilitated access to health care), establishing
a detailed legal status for the victims, setting up an
institutional network of government and civil society agencies (with special focus on shelters for direct
victims and minors) and focusing on education for
citizenship as the first element of prevention.
Since 2007, a specific action plan on the eradication
of female genital mutilation is in place, focusing the
concerns of several Portuguese institutions, from law
enforcement, to the judiciary and to NGOs. The need
to adopt a new and more dynamic course of action
clearly resulted from the fact that the problem was
circumvented to particular segments of the population and that public awareness of the same was not
widespread. Working together with local communities and with the network of schools in the areas most
likely to have to face this reality, the action plan is allowing public institutions to better diagnose the problem and to provide effective answers to it – part of
them having been implemented already in the recent
revision of the Criminal Code in 2007.
Now that a series of major changes have been made
both in terms of the attitude towards violence, and to
the legal framework that assists repressing and preventing it, the next years will be decisive in reducing
the number of victims and eradicating it completely
from our society.
Another particular front in the fight against violence
was the country-wide campaign which was launched by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender
Equality to eradicate violence in young relationships.
Acknowledging that the problem may have roots on
very early stages in life, the Commission focused on
bringing the subject to the classrooms and to events
attended by young persons (as well as having a very
15
DEMOCRATIC YOUTH SERBIA
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION
OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
by Anja Zlatarov, International Secretary Democratic Youth
Women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence and the scale
and true nature of the issue is often hidden. In Serbia
women often suffer violence for ten to fifteen years
before they say anything about it and ask for help.
Victims are exposed to different kinds of violence:
physical, psychological, economic and sexual. Abusers also perform violence on children or in front of
them so we can consider that the number of victims is
bigger than we can even imagine. It is violation of all
on ending impunity for those who commit such violence and on changing laws for the better protection
of women.
The Proposed law on the equality of sexes anticipates
measures and solutions which will contribute the promotion of equality in the fields of employment, social and health protection and family affairs. A Special
law is in preparation for the elimination of violence
against women.
human rights: citizen rights, cultural, economic, political and social rights of women.
The Democratic Youth in Serbia in association with
The Women Youth Network for three years have been
trying to raise awareness about violence against women. We have organizing different kinds of actions,
street actions, flyers and lectures. We are also very active in campaigns against any kind of violence. Our
initiatives are well accepted by citizens and we wish
to educate the young population to be strong and to
be confident that the State will protect them from becoming victims of any form of violence at any stage
of their lives.
According to a study, carried out last year by several
NGOs every third women in Serbia suffers domestic
violence and every forth is in constant fear of it. In
more than 92 percent of cases committers are partners or husbands. Furthermore a frightening part of
those studies shows the fact that every second woman is suffers from some kind of psychological violence. Taking in to account the frequency of violence,
after domestic violence comes sexual violence and
trafficking. This statistic is not precise because women mostly refuse to participate in these kinds of
studies and do not report violence. There are several
“Safe houses” in Serbia that can offer shelter to those
in need but the number of such places is not enough.
Experts in social studies think that the reasons for
this situation in Serbia are patriarchal societal relationships, a difficult economic situation in the country
and the number of refugees as a result of the wars in
former Yugoslavia.
Democratic Youth will continue to fight against violence.
Chauvinistic and sexist attitudes show us the level
of awareness of our society about women and their
problems. The work of our Government should focus
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SSF SWEDEN
DON´T BE SILENT!
by Camilla Persson, Board member of Social Democratic Students 2009/2010
When Chris Brown hit Rihanna the world was in shock
that this sweet church boy with right values could do
such a thing. Rihanna went back to him after the charges but realized what her actions could do to young
women in violent relationships so she left. She has
now talked about what happened and Chris Brown´s
comment on that was: “It should had stayed between
us.”
But that´s wrong. Women in violent relationships
have been quiet to long! It is time to speak up! And if
there is one thing the Chris Brown/Rihanna story have
taught us it is that violent is in every relationship no
matter how cute and sweet the man or woman looks
like. Violence is a invisible disease which you can´t
see with your own eyes. But what you can see is the
behavior of the woman and trusts your feelings. The
law enforcement in Sweden have a campaign where
they ask if you are one of them who feel dumb, ugly,
worthless etc etc because if you do you should come
to them and they will help you. Because whoever
you are, you are smart, beautiful and valuable. Even
though Sweden have it´s fair half of this invisible disease we will never accept it and we will fight it!!
17
JUVENTUD SOCIALISTA URUGUAY
HIV / AIDS + VIOLENCE
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND feminization of HIV / AIDS IN URUGUAY
by Viviana Piñeiro, IUSY Vice President, Uruguay
„Two sides of one reality: Violence against women and
feminization of HIV / AIDS in Mercosur“ is a project
being developed since 2008 in four Mercosur countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, with support from UNIFEM. Its central aims the light the magnitude of the intersections between violence against
women and HIV / AIDS and promote public policies
that address providing comprehensive care and prevention of both pandemics.
• There is no government programs to articulate strategies for mitigating violence and HIV-AIDS in women.
• Do not have a national protocol to standardize the
care of victims of sexual violence to specify comprehensive care (emotional and psychological, biomedical, social, legal) and ensuring the provision of
emergency contraception and sexual postexposure
prophylaxis.
In 2008 the project collected secondary information
on the reality of violence against women and HIV /
AIDS in the countries of the region and carried out
research in each country. This was a multicenter
quantitative and qualitative study exploratory and
descriptive, to investigate the existence of situations
of violence in women living with HIV / AIDS and links
between both realities.
• There are no official data on HIV-infected women in
situations of product sexual and domestic violence.
• Since 2007, there is a Guide to Procedures for the
Health Sector on the approach to situations of domestic violence issued by the Ministry Public Health.
SOME PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF QUANTITATIVE
STUDY IN URUGUAY
• 62% of those surveyed suffered some form of violence before HIV diagnosis:
- 56% suffered physical violence
- 72% psychological violence
- 38% sexual violence
- 34% suffered abuse in childhood.
In Uruguay, a survey of 100 women living with HIV
/ AIDS, over 18 receiving care at the Institute of Hygiene in Montevideo. Some of them also carried out
in-depth interview Fieldwork took place between October and December 2008.
MOST RELEVANT DATA OF URUGUAY
• With regard to HIV, in the first quarter of 2009 there
were 1.4 men for every infected woman, being the
major route of heterosexual sex.
• The highest frequency of abuse both emotional and
physical abuse occurred in the youth of the respondents, while the higher frequency of sexual violence
was observed equally in adolescence and youth.
• During 2009, rapidly increased reports of women
from situations of domestic and sexual violence, according to the Observatory of Crime and Violence in
the Home Office.
• Situations of violence were recorded in women of all
socioeconomic sectors.
18
• 56% of respondents witnessed during his childhood,
situations of violence toward her mother by her husband, partner or boyfriend.
En 2008 se recopiló información secundaria sobre la
realidad de la violencia contra las mujeres y el VIH–
Sida en los países de la región y se llevó a cabo una investigación en cada país. Se trató de un estudio cuanti-cualitativo multicéntrico exploratorio y descriptivo,
para indagar la existencia de situaciones de violencia
en mujeres que viven con VIH-Sida y las vinculaciones
entre ambas realidades.
• 39% of cases of sexual violence were inflicted by persons with whom the respondents maintained a relationship, 25% by relatives, 16% by relatives and 20%
by strangers.
• 29% had injuries from violent situations between
one and two times in their lifetime, 11.5% three to five
times and 60% more than five times.
En Uruguay, se realizó una encuesta a 100 mujeres viviendo con VIH-Sida, mayores de 18 años que reciben
asistencia en el Instituto de Higiene en la ciudad de
Montevideo. A algunas de ellas se les realizó además
una entrevista en profundidad El trabajo de campo se
desarrolló entre los meses de octubre y diciembre de
2008.
Extracted from http://doscarasdeunamismarealidad.
blogspot.com
DATOS MÁS RELEVANTES DE URUGUAY
• Respecto al VIH, en el primer trimestre de 2009 se
registraron 1,4 hombres por cada mujer infectada,
siendo la principal vía las relaciones sexuales heterosexuales.
VIH/SIDA + VIOLENCIA
VIOLENCIA HACIA LAS MUJERES Y FEMINIZACIÓN DEL VIH/SIDA EN URUGUAY
Por Viviana Piñeiro, Vicepresidenta de IUSY, Uruguay
• Durante el 2009, se incrementaron notablemente
las denuncias de mujeres por situaciones de violencia
doméstica y sexual, según el Observatorio
de Criminalidad y Violencia del Ministerio del Interior.
“Dos caras de una misma realidad: violencia contra las
mujeres y feminización del VIH-Sida en el MERCOSUR”
es un proyecto que se desarrolla desde 2008 en cuatro países del MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brasil, Chile y
Uruguay, con el apoyo de UNIFEM. Tiene como objetivos centrales visibilizar la magnitud de las intersecciones entre la violencia hacia las mujeres y el VIH-Sida
así como promover políticas públicas que enfrenten
de manera integral la atención y la prevención de ambas pandemias.
• No hay programas gubernamentales que articulen
las estrategias para mitigar la violencia y el VIHSida en
las mujeres.
• No se dispone de un protocolo nacional que unifique la atención de las víctimas de violencia sexual
que especifique la atención integral (aspectos emoci-
19
onales y psicológicos, biomédicos, sociales, jurídicos)
y asegure la provisión de anticoncepción de emergencia y la profilaxis post exposición sexual.
• 39 % de los casos de violencia sexual fueron infringidos por personas con las cuales las
encuestadas mantenían una relación de pareja, el
25% por familiares, el 16 % por allegados y el 20% por
desconocidos.
• No existen datos oficiales de mujeres infectadas con
VIH producto de situaciones de violencia sexual y doméstica.
• 29 % tuvo lesiones producto de situaciones de violencia entre una y dos veces a lo largo de su vida,
11,5% entre tres y cinco veces y 60% más de cinco
veces.
http://doscarasdeunamismarealidad.
• Desde el 2007, existe una Guía de Procedimientos
para el Sector Salud sobre el abordaje de situaciones
de violencia doméstica emitido por el Ministerio
de Salud Pública.
Extraído de
blogspot.com
ALGUNOS RESULTADOS PRELIMINARES DEL ESTUDIO CUANTITATIVO EN URUGUAY
• 62% de las encuestadas padecieron alguna forma de
violencia antes del diagnóstico de VIH:
- 56% sufrió violencia física
- 72% violencia psicológica
- 38% violencia sexual
- 34% sufrió abuso en la niñez.
• La mayor frecuencia tanto de maltrato emocional
como de maltrato físico ocurrió en la juventud de las
encuestadas, mientras que la mayor frecuencia de violencia sexual se observó por igual en la adolescencia
y la juventud.
• Las situaciones de violencia se registraron en mujeres de todos los sectores socioeconómicos.
• 56% de las encuestadas presenció durante su niñez,
situaciones de violencia hacia su madre por parte de
su marido, pareja o novio.
20
http://doscarasdeunamismarealidad.