Breathe
By Leticia Bonifaz
We are not doing something right that violence against women does not stop. It has been decades since a specific day of the year was instituted to raise awareness on the subject. Orange ribbons are placed on lapels, dozens of events are organized and the stubborn reality continues its course with data that do not show a downward trend.
The records increase, the pain in the families grows and the black figures are still there, dark. They only warn us that the problem is bigger than we can see.
They are betting on the strength of the law, on typifying crimes and increasing penalties, when the levels of impunity continue to show that this is not the way. Or it is not the only way. Complaints are made to those who have not changed the chip and continue blaming the victims for what happens to them: why did she dress like that? why did she go out at night? why did she go out alone? why did she accept the invitation to have a drink? etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And it is not only one person, the patriarchal pact makes many blame equally and issue summary sentences on women before turning to see the aggressor, his behavior, his guilt, the confidence he has in the "nothing will happen to me" and if it happens to me, it will be fixed.
Before putting all hope in the power of the law, we must continue to change the mentalities of legal operators, and this is no easy task.
Educational efforts are slow, progress has been made in the family and in schools, but not enough. The media continue to reproduce images of women as objects, women who are desirable, available and usable.
When courses are organized to prevent violence against women, they are attended almost exclusively by women. This has helped them to name it, to identify it, to stop it as far as possible, to know that they are not alone, and to weave support networks, mostly among women. Violence has been seen as a women's issue, but it is not.
The names and faces of the victims continue to add up. There is violence at home, at work, in transportation, in public spaces, in social networks, etc., of different types and magnitudes, but violence nonetheless.
On March 8 we will continue to festively shout in chorus that the patriarchy is going to fall, that we will tear it down with our actions, but unfortunately, so far, we have only given it a few dents, we have not weakened its root and with its frond it covers violence and other nonsense that perpetuates inequality.
More and more women are clear about where the struggle is going without necessarily knowing conceptually the postulates of feminism, but it is clear. We have lived under a scheme of domination that has generated inequalities and has restricted, for most women, their right to make decisions regarding their life projects, their autonomy, their individual completeness.
Violence truncates lives, distorts dreams, stops plans and prevents people from living in peace. It would seem unnecessary to convince some that an egalitarian society is a more just society and that it brings benefits to all members of a community. We continue to ask ourselves: Why so much fear, so much resistance, so much aggression to the mere proposal of the desire for full equality?
The patriarchal model excludes, belittles and violates half of humanity. Are there other ways of social organization? Undoubtedly. We are in this process of construction and we need more people to join us on a daily basis. We need more actions to prevent violence and not just continue counting and lamenting what could not be prevented. My bet is more on social and economic issues with clear commitments from the political power. Fewer isolated actions and more solutions added together. Attempts to hide reality lead to nothing. We need courage, patience and strength to continue facing the monster.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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