Gender-Based Violence – A Terrible Disease (Updated)

On November 29, I wrote a post about Gender-Based Violence, drawing inspiration from Fiona Hill’s book, “There is Nothing for You Here”. Today, I provide an update as I closely monitor developments in Puerto Rico.

As I emphasized last year, Gender-based Violence remains a significant problem in Puerto Rico and across the globe. Violence against women persists, revealing horrifying statistics. The World Health Organization estimates that one in three women globally experiences physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. By 2023, over 640 million women and girls were married before turning 181. In the United States, approximately 29% of women have faced rape, physical violence, or stalking by a partner, negatively impacting their daily lives2. Latin America witnesses a woman being killed every two hours due to gender violence3.

In Puerto Rico, where I grew up, femicides are escalating, with victims often falling prey to partners, former partners, or stalkers in public places – sometimes in front of their children4. The year 2023 concluded with 72 femicides5 and 10,875 protective orders issued6, and 12 reported cases so far this year7, suggesting a potential surpassing of last year’s grim numbers. One recent case involved a 65-year-old school teacher trapped in a toxic relationship for 30 years, known to family, friends, and co-workers who tragically did nothing to intervene8.

The European Commission defines gender-based violence as “violence directed against a person because of that person’s gender or violence that affects persons of a particular gender disproportionately.”9 The commission further emphasizes that violence against women is a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination, encompassing physical, sexual, psychological harm, or suffering.

In the U.S., the president has established a national plan to end gender-based violence, addressing prevention, support, healing, safety, well-being, economic security, housing stability, online safety, legal and justice systems, emergency preparedness, crisis response, research, and data10. However, the effectiveness of these plans relies on men taking decisive action.

Machismo as a Root Cause:

In Puerto Rico, machismo is identified as a primary cause of gender-based violence. This societal expectation imposes rigid roles, where “men are expected to work outside the home, manage finances, and make decisions, while women are relegated to subordinate roles and homemaking. Boys are taught to adhere to the machismo code, while girls follow the marianismo code,”11 perpetuating traditional gender norms. Marianismo is, “a Hispanic term that describes an ideal of true femininity with characteristics derived from the devotional cult of St. Mary of Guadalupe, a central figure of Roman Catholicism in Mexico. It defines standards for the female gender role in Hispanic American folk cultures, and is strictly intertwined with machismo and Roman Catholicism.”12  

The culture of machismo in Puerto Rico needs to change and the governor of Puerto Rico stated that fact when he said, “The solution has different aspects; it is a question of culture. There is a change in culture so that there is not so much machismo”.13

The perpetuation of gender-based violence stems from men feeling threatened by women and resorting to violence to establish dominance. It is essential to redefine masculinity, moving away from the flawed machismo model. In my post on January 19, I discussed the topic of leadership and provided some definitions. Towards the end of that post, I stated the following, “We either lead or co-lead our family, striving to influence and inspire them to be successful in life and to make positive contributions to a better society.” Men must understand that basing their masculinity on outdated principles is a failure in leadership.

Teaching respect for women and promoting equality must start early with our sons. Governments should invest more resources in public education to complement young men’s training in this area. Failure to address the root cause contributes to societal decay.

The eradication of gender-based violence requires a collective effort. Men must reject harmful societal norms, redefine masculinity, and actively work towards a more inclusive and respectful future. By addressing the root cause, we can contribute to building a society free from the scourge of gender-based violence.

  1. https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/nov-25-2023-commemorating-international-day-elimination-violence-against-women
     ↩︎
  2. https://www.louisgoodman.com/domestic-violence-statistics-by-state/ ↩︎
  3. https://www.elvocero.com/actualidad/una-mujer-es-asesinada-cada-dos-horas-en-am-rica-latina-en-incidentes-de-violencia/article_c2b32056-8bfb-11ee-b571-c73015a60bda.html ↩︎
  4. https://www.elnuevodia.com/english/news/story/femicides-in-2023-intimate-cases-on-the-rise-three-years-after-state-of-emergency-declaration/ ↩︎
  5. https://observatoriopr.org/download/informe-completo-feminicidios-desapariciones-dic2023/# ↩︎
  6. https://www.fortaleza.pr.gov/comunicados/gobernador-reune-a-jefatura-de-policia-y-de-fiscalia-de-la-region-de-bayamon-sobre-planes-de-seguridad-y-atencion-de-casos-violentos-incluyendo-violencia-de-genero ↩︎
  7. https://observatoriopr.org/download/2024-trimestre-i-feminicidios-desapariciones-y-violencia-de-genero-2024-31-enero-2024/# ↩︎
  8. https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/policia-tribunales/notas/causa-para-arresto-contra-esposo-de-maestra-asesinada-en-juncos/ ↩︎
  9. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/gender-equality/gender-based-violence/what-gender-based-violence_en# ↩︎
  10. https://www.whitehouse.gov/gpc/briefing-room/2023/05/25/release-of-the-national-plan-to-end-gender-based-violence-strategies-for-action/ ↩︎
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machismo#Machismo_in_Puerto_Rico ↩︎
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianismo ↩︎
  13. https://www.sanjuandailystar.com/post/governor-to-extend-state-of-emergency-to-fight-gender-violence ↩︎

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER: If you are interested in the book and want to purchase, the book title is linked to Amazon using the Associate Program.

24 thoughts on “Gender-Based Violence – A Terrible Disease (Updated)”

  1. Australia is facing a similar uptick in violence against women, which I had put down at least partly to a no-one_tells_me_what_to_do reaction against Covid lockdowns. Road trauma and deaths have climbed too for the first time in many years. Is this change also related to an uptick in machismo? Is that part of the problem here?
    I shall observe and think about that.
    Thanks for provoking such thoughts Edward.
    DD
    PS I did not realise that perceptions of femininity derived from the devotional cult of St. Mary of Guadalupe.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. I personally know a couple of men who completely lost their temper due to the pressure they felt during and immediately after the pandemic. The additional rules implemented, combined with job losses, pushed them over the top. No excuse for such behavior of course, we need to control ourselves; can’t be losing control that easily.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        1. I think men have some trouble identifying that their behaviour is being influenced by emotions that they are not picking up on. My older boy was a Professional Boxer and sure can control flight/paralysis/ fight impulses but as to articulating emotions, not so good. Like father. .
          Your posts are another way we can try to evolve.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

    2. It’s probably part of an uptick in machismo. I think men in general react negatively about these things and in some cases women are the recipients of that frustration. Yeah, that cult like devotion is pretty strong in Latin America. Thank you for reading and your comments.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. Thanks for sharing that passage, Edward. The problem of people blaming the victims of abuse and bullying is absurdly widespread. So many do that, but would never admit that they do. From mere acquaintances who ask questions, to grandmothers who, appalled, ask “What did you do to make him choke you?” The blamers are the secret majority. The only ones who are worse are those who, after insisting on being told the story, act as though they have been defiled by hearing it. The abused are treated as if they are dirty.
    Sorry… I’m stepping down from my “Julia Sugarbaker soapbox” now. Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. As she said, women generally don’t talk about the attacks whether they are physical or mental. It’s unfortunate that our society does not have a method of retribution for those harmed that prevents the retaliatory actions of a protector.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply to Mike Bunch Cancel reply