FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 

Violence against women is an expression of gender inequality that manifests in multiple forms: physical, sexual, psychological, economic, and symbolic. According to the United Nations (UN) and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), this violence occurs in various contexts—familyl, public spaces, institutions, the state, and armed conflicts—and affects women facing multiple forms of discrimination most severely. Rather than isolated incidents, these aggressions are part of a system designed to maintain the subordination of women. Overcoming this reality requires awareness, collective action, and an ethical commitment to gender justice.

Violence against women is one of the most widespread forms of human rights violations worldwide. The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, adopted in 1993, defines this violence as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women” [1]. It is referred to as gender-based violence because it is inflicted on women simply because they are women, as a reflection of a long-standing structural inequality between men and women.

It is important to clarify that not all violent acts committed against women stem from gender-based violence, nor are all its victims women. Men can also experience gender-based violence—especially when they challenge traditional social norms of masculinity. In those cases, the aggression occurs not because of their biological condition, but because they deviate from the mandates imposed by the patriarchal system regarding  how a man “should” behave [2].

Gender-based violence manifests in many forms: domination, threats, restrictions on freedom, female genital mutilation, female infanticide, rape, forced prostitution, sexual harassment, and human trafficking, among others. These practices not only reflect but also reinforce unequal power relations between men and women, functioning as social mechanisms to keep women in a state of subordination [3].

In its 2006 report, the United Nations (UN) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) identified different manifestations of violence against women, depending on the context in which they occur [4]:

• Violence Within the Family

• Intimate-partner violence: Includes sexual, psychological, and physical coercion by a current or former partner, without the woman’s consent.
  
  
• Harmful traditional practices: Female infanticide, prenatal sex selection, early marriage, dowry-related violence, and female genital mutilation.
  
  
• Femicide: The killing of women because of their gender.
  
  

Violence in Public Spaces

• Sexual violence outside ofthe relationship: Perpetrated by relatives, acquaintances, neighbors, or strangers; includes forced sexual initiation and date rape.
  
  
• Harassment and violence at work, in education, or sports: Unwanted sexual behavior, exploitation, or harassment by coaches, teachers, colleagues, or authority figures.
  
  
• Trafficking of women: Involves criminal networks, immigration authorities, or even families; for purposes of sexual or labor exploitation.
  
  

Violence Committed or Tolerated by the State

• Violence in detention: Rape, sexual harassment, torture, and inadequate monitoring in intimate settings.
  
  
• Forced sterilization: Imposed to control the reproduction of women from specific social groups.
  
  

Violence in Armed Conflict Contexts

• Physical, sexual, and psychological violence perpetrated by State or Non-State actors: Includes killings, torture, rape, sexual slavery, forced abortions or pregnancies, and disappearances.
  
  

Factors of Multiple Discrimination

The impact of violence is intensified for women who face multiple forms of discrimination: due to race, class, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or immigration status. These intersections increase their vulnerability and further limit their access to justice, protection, and support.

Final reflection

In many societies, violence against women has been normalized to the point of invisibility. Its constant repetition and social tolerance generate a collective numbness that dulls outrage and astonishment. That’s why it is urgent to open our eyes—intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually—and work actively for a world where being a woman does not mean being at risk. Combating this violence is not only a legal or institutional task: it is an ethical and human obligation.

References

1. Naciones Unidas, Declaración sobre la Eliminación de la Violencia contra la Mujer, Resolución 48/104 de la Asamblea General, 1993.
2. Connell, R. W. Masculinities, University of California Press, 2005.
3. Naciones Unidas, Estudio a fondo sobre todas las formas de violencia contra la mujer. Informe del Secretario General (A/61/122 y Add.1), Nueva York, 2006.
4. CEPAL & Naciones Unidas, Estudio a fondo sobre todas las formas de violencia contra la mujer, 2006. https://www.acnur.org/fileadmin/Documentos/BDL/2016/10742.pdf