Violence against women is on the rise in Argentina

Violence against women is on the rise in Argentina

Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:11AM GMT

Constanza Heller, Press TV, Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Social Development Ministry has a free line that, unfortunately, one thousand women dial every month. They are victims of psychological, physical, emotional, sexual or economic violence that the person they love and live with exercises against them and, in many cases, also against their children.

These victims have the possibility to get help at several assistance centers distributed across the city where professionals -doctors, physiologists, and lawyers- take their cases and offer them the chance of a new start. 

Head of Ministry, Carolina Stanley, analyzes why violence against women continues to be on the rise not only in Argentina's capital city but all across the country. 

Battling against this problem, however, is not an easy task. That is why Ms. Stanley considers developing active social policies and campaigns are vital and allow women to learn that no one has the right to hurt them. 

Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Argentina are among the worst ranked Latin American countries where femicide -defined as the misogynous killing of women by men-, claims the lives of thousands of victims every year. 

In 2009, 231 women died as a result of gender violence in this country. Last year, numbers tragically rose to 260 and 161cases have been registered only during the first six months of 2011. 

Statistics show violence against women has become an alarming social scourge in Argentina that strikes victims from all kinds of backgrounds. Efforts and campaigns are currently being coordinated by local and national authorities to prevent the abuse of women's rights and promote social awareness.