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Men and Gender Violence Against Women

Prevention of violence that men exert h acia women requires a major cultural shift in which violence no longer accepted as an element of relationships.
Francisco Aguayo F. Director of EME - Masculinity and Gender Equity

Gender-based violence against women is a particular form of violence. Is that exercised by men against them by gender, because they are women, based on gender bias. Jealousy, control, expectations about the role of women, inability to negotiate, irr spit by the desire of women, among other , are some NAS the reasons and justifications to use violence.

In the Chilean case study IMAGES * an international investigation of masculinities, surveyed 1192 men in Santiago, Valparaiso and Concepcion. It was a household sample, representative of the population of Hombo res 18 to 59 years of these 3 cities.

We made specific questions about physical violence, for example if you a couple: 1. had beaten her with a fist or something that could hurt, 2. had been kicked, dragged along the ground, beaten up, choked or burned; 3. were used (against them) or threatened with using a firearm, knife or other weapon; 4. had slapped or thrown something that could hurt 5. had pushed.

are reviewing preliminary data that 21.1% of men 18 to 24 years reported ever having been any physical violence against a partner m usher. This percentage increased to 31.3% when we ask men 25 to 59 years.

The study IMAGES did the same questions to a sample of women (426 of Santiago), this time referring to physical gender violence ever received. The 25.8 % of women aged 18 to 24 reported having s ufrido ever physical violence of a male partner. At ages 25 to 59 years the percentage rose to 38.2%

The figures are extremely worrying. We see that domestic violence occurs early, is very serious in the segment 18-24 years, and even more freq ource at older ages. We also reported that women suffer more violence than men report. Men do declare the exercise of violence in a study of this type, although it would underreporting.

In IMAGES study also asked the men for exposure to violenc ia at home. We found that a 46.1% of men of the 3 major cities in Chile was once beaten or physically punished by their parents or adults in the household, 57% saw or heard that his mother was beaten by her husband / partner. ie, men during their biographies have been heavily exposed to domestic violence either as victims or as witnesses. Sabem you the exposure is a risk factor for the exercise of violence in the future.

violence outside the home is another very important area. Men are more exposed, as perpetrators and as victims - violence in the street. In this study 19.6% of respondents said being threatened with a weapon and 14.9% has been beaten in the last 3 months (outside the home).

Another point to consider is related to mental health of men. In the study IMAGES found that 30% of men reported being violent ever since fter drinking. 58.1% of men have felt stressed or depressed about not having enough income. 36.7% felt (often or sometimes) stressed and depressed by 18.4% in the last month. Preliminary analysis suggests that greater economic stress (not enough job or income) increased rie sgo from violence towards the couple.

As we see, gender-based violence is a complex phenomenon. Violence is related to other social relations that cross in our society and other social problems.

The prevention of violence against omen m looking for more strategies to address the related phenomena such as exposure to violence at home, suffering children, adolescents, men and women, the use of weapons , exposure to violence on the streets, drinking alcohol, mental health, men and women, the conditions good quality social ad of life and good treatment.

The prevention n of violence than men to exercise women requires a major cultural change. in which violence no longer accepted as an element of the relationship, is reported, and victims are pro tected . Social institutions are still slow and inefficient in protecting women victims of such violence. And men have not been sufficiently involved.

civil society has been the main driver in this field. Need for greater political will of the state to promote a cultural change that is proposed to end the violence and achieve gender relations between men and women truly equal. The silence that we have men deal with this social problem must end.



IMAGES * Study: The International Men and Gender Equality Survey. Chilean case.
CulturaSalud / EME. Geographically stratified sample, cluster and multistage. n = 1192 men, em 2.8%, Santiago, Valparaiso and Concepcion, 426 women; em 5%, Santiago. Country: July and August 2009.