Women are strong, brave, beautiful and powerful, yet despite hundreds of years of struggle for equal rights, many of us continue to be abused today. many of us continue to be devalued and attacked as nothing more and attacked for nothing more and nothing less than the fact that we are women.
There are those who think that because we have achieved the right to vote and can work we have achieved enough; there are also those who consider that sexual aggressions or beatings are the only types of gender violence. Well, we still have a long way to go for true gender equality and in order to achieve it, we all need to to learn about the different types of gender-based violence that exist..
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What is gender-based violence?
Let’s start by defining this concept. When we talk about gender violence or violence against women, we refer to all those behaviors, acts and omissions that affect the life, dignity, freedom, physical, psychological and relational integrity of a woman..
Violence against women originates from an unequal relationship in which men, in their desire to dominate and gain power, attack us directly or indirectly with the intention of physically mistreating or psychologically devaluing us, and may do so publicly or privately.
But it is not always about a man who beats and mistreats a woman; the types of gender-based violence to which we are most easily subjected are those that occur indirectly in which discriminatory behaviors, actions, omissions, criteria, provisions or practices put women at a disadvantage compared to men..
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The 9 types of gender-based violence
It is important that we all know the types of gender violence that there are, especially those indirect ones to which we are accustomed by the way our society works. The place we women will have in the future and finally a real equality depends on knowing them and stop accepting them.
Remember that violence against women can take many forms and although they are occasional episodes, they can also often occur on a continuous basis with aggressions that are not only related to the physical aspect.
1. Physical violence against women
This is one of the best known and most evident types of gender violence. It is all those acts and aggressions acts and aggressions of a man to women’s bodies in order to mistreat their with the purpose of mistreating their physical integrity, producing pain and damage. We are talking about blows, shoves, slaps, scratches, burns and any other type of attack to the body.
It is very important that you turn to help centers or family members if you are suffering this type of aggression. Many times fear paralyzes us, but there are people willing to help you out of this situation.
Sexual violence against women
Sexual violence against women refers to all behaviors that violate or restrict women’s freedom to decide about our sexuality. This is one of the types of gender violence that takes many forms and leaves great physical and emotional traces.
Keep in mind that it is not only about forced penetration as a result of rape, but that all types of aggression are included. all types of sexual aggression, such as inappropriate fondling such as inappropriate touching, touching you without your consent (either with fingers or other objects), gestures and words referring to your genitals, obscene looks, sexual harassment, messages with sexual content to which you have not given your consent, sexist insults, unwanted sexual advances and forced prostitution.
You should know that within the couple there can also be sexual violence when the man sexually accesses the woman without her consent, when she is forced to watch pornography or to agree to sexual positions with which she does not feel comfortable.
This section also includes all the aggressions that have to do with your reproductive freedom, being this your free decision toThis is your free decision to choose maternity or abortion and any act that violates your right to enjoy a satisfying and safe sexuality.
3. Psychological violence against women
One of the most painful types of gender-based violence and one that leaves many scars on women is that which comes from psychological aggressionthat is, those that cause emotional damage, affect your self-esteem, your value, the perception you have of yourself and your dignity.
These types of aggressions are sometimes very subtle but their impact is still enormous; they come in the form of insults, humiliations, blaming, dishonoring, threats, demands for obedience or submission, blackmail, rejection, abandonment, ridicule and the use of disqualifying words against you, whether in public or in private.
At the same time, jealousy and jealousy and constant surveillance are also forms of psychological and sexual aggression. psychological and sexual aggression.
4. Economic and patrimonial violence against women
This type of violence against women takes two forms. It can occur when you are unjustifiably and deliberately denied the economic means to meet your basic needs and those of your children. It also occurs when you are when you are deprived of your economic freedomIt also occurs when you are deprived of your economic freedom, that is, when you are forced to hand over your money to your partner so that you are entirely dependent on him.
Also aggressions to your assets, i.e., damaging, breaking your property in order to manipulate and control you, or when they devalue your ability to manage your money and that of the household.
5. Symbolic or social violence against women
This is one of the types of gender violence with which all women coexist the most. It is when our society repeats all those stereotyped patterns against women; it can be through messages, signs and values that promote inequality, discrimination and discrimination. inequality, discrimination and domination of women..
The consequences of this type of gender violence are harmful for women, because it makes our society see it as normal that the role of women is subordinate to that of men.
6. Domestic violence against women
Domestic violence is more than a type of violence, it is a modality of aggression against women. It occurs when a member of the household, whether it is the partner, a son or a sister, for example, decides to physically or emotionally assault one or more of the women living in the household.
Within this group we include aggressions caused by married couples, in common-law unions or during courtship.
7. Violence against women in the workplace
With the passage of time we have managed to educate ourselves professionally and enter the labor market. Sadly, we have to say that in this context there is another type of gender violence that we have to live with today.
It is all kinds of discrimination in the workplace for being a woman.. For example, not being able to access management positions, stable jobs with possibilities of growth, lower salaries compared to men working in the same position, or when prerequisites are placed for a type of work such as gender, marital status, maternity or physical presence.
In addition, in the workplace we can also experience other types of gender-based violence such as sexual harassment.
8. Media violence against women
This is a form of aggression against women that is very similar to social violence.. It consists of the dissemination of stereotypes in the mass media that discredit women, defame, humiliate, objectify, materialize, discriminate and dishonor our dignity. This type of aggression is commonly seen in advertising messages.
9. Obstetric violence against women
Consists of all those aggressive or abusive medical aggressive or abusive medical practices on women’s bodies. and their reproductive processes. For example, when medication is abused and dehumanizing treatment is given because natural processes are pathologized.
- Related article: “Obstetric violence: a reality for many mothers.”