WUNRN
Women News Network - WNN
ARGENTINA - HIGH FEMICIDE
- CALL FOR OFFICIAL STATISTICS
Vanessa Rivera de La Fuente - WNN - 26 April 2012
(WNN)
A definition of femicide outlines: the killing of women, girls, babies and
those unborn who have been picked out for death only because of their female
gender. The average rate of femicide in
A valuable contribution of the research area of La Casa del Encuentro has been: to introduce the term “femicide linked” to include other crimes that involve others who were killed while trying to prevent the crime of femicide as protectors of women and girl children.
The Evolution of Cruel Statistics
A review of the data collected by La Casa del Encuentro and the society watch agency “Adriana Marisel Zambrano” shows: statistics during the first 6 months of 2011 now allow advocates to realize the seriousness of the situation.
Between the first of January to the 30th of June 2011, 151 women and girls were victims of the crime of femicide. Among the 151 victims of the first half of 2011, 58 were killed by their spouse, partner or boyfriend. 27 were killed by an ex-partner. Regarding the immediate family, parents or step-parents: they were responsible for 7 of the crimes out of the 58, while other family members were responsible in 13 cases. The document records 32 femicides in which the murderer had no apparent link to the victim, but showed a clear motive to kill based on the victim’s female gender.
The violence against women, girls, babies and the unborn, based on their gender alone, is overwhelming.
Let’s review the bloody math total in
Knowledge about Femicide is a Priority
“La Casa del Encuentro” is one of the few organizations currently working on
the issue and collecting information on each reported case inside
This important issue has been placed on the agenda of women’s movements worldwide, but the ‘political powers that be’ still don’t give this topic the priority it deserves. It’s my personal opinion that one of the factors that prevents society from taking violence against women seriously is the perception that these crimes belong to the ‘private sphere.’ A change in the way we understand this form of violence is fundamental in advancing the issue as increased support for the definition of femicide is broadened publicly to make the act of femicide a clear and criminal offense.
An interesting progress occurred in December 2011 here in Buenos Aires, in
the district courts of Lomas de Zamora in Buenos Aires Province Judge Gabriel
Vitale changed the claim in the femicide case of Fatima Catan from “Research on
the causes of death” to “Research on the causes of murder.”
Today
Agencies working today to bring attention to this plague do need our full support.