The feeling that murders of women have increased in recent years is a common denominator in Brazil.
Three out of 10 women in Brazil were threatened with death by their romantic partners or ex-partners, which corresponds to 25.7 million Brazilians, a figure equal to the total population of Australia, according to a study released Tuesday.
Of that total, one in six women in Brazil suffered an attempted femicide and although the majority took action on the matter, only a third reported the events to the authorities.
The figures correspond to an investigation carried out jointly by the Locomotiva and Patricia Galvao institutes, with the support of the Canada Fund, which measured Brazilians’ perception of femicide.
For the study, 1,503 people (1,001 women and 502 men), over 18 years of age, were interviewed between September 22 and October 6, 2021 throughout the country, with a margin of error of 2.5%.
The data indicates that 57% of the women who were threatened ended the relationship with their partners, 37% reported the events to the Police and 12% did nothing.
And although the majority of those interviewed said that women victims of sexist violence should break up with their partners, 44% indicated that the highest risk of death for them occurs when they end the relationship.
Perceptions about femicide
The investigation also revealed that 65% of Brazilians believe that the guilt for femicide is usually the man. However, 30% blame both men and women and 3% stated that they believe that it is only the woman who is to blame.
“If we consider that 33% of the sample blame the woman for the murder itself, we can project that there are more than 52 million Brazilians who blame the victims, a notion that tolerates and justifies violence against women, attributing the blame to the victim who does not agree to submit to the partner’s orders and wishes or who decides to break off the relationship”, Assured Efe Jacira Melo, director of the Patricia Galvao Institute.
“This sexist and patriarchal gaze reverses the responsibility for the violent act, which is always the aggressor and never the victim,” he added.
The feeling that the murders of women have increased in recent years is a common denominator in the country and although this perception is stronger for Brazilians, both men and women agree that these types of crimes are becoming more cruel and violent. in the country.
Likewise, they believe that the men who commit this type of aggression know that this is a crime, but they continue to do so because they are not reported to the authorities.
Last year the number of femicides in the South American power broke a record. Of the 50,033 violent deaths that occurred in 2020, more than 3,900 were women, and of this total, 1,350 were notified as victims of femicide, according to data from the Brazilian Public Security Forum.
Violence against women and girls is a serious violation of human rights and the right of women to live without violence is enshrined in international agreements. Worldwide, only 40% of women seek help after suffering violence, forcing institutions to promote prevention and aid policies. (I)
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