The Coordination Unit against Violence against Women of the Government Delegation in Navarre held today in Civican the eighth day on Violence against Women that is part of the commemorative events of the 25N, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. A day that, under the title “Giving voice to the victims”, has addressed some of the barriers faced by women who suffer male violence.

The opening was carried out by the government delegate in Navarre. Alicia Echeverría has stressed the need to put the little on the victims from an active listening attitude. “We are aware that often the victims themselves are opposed to denouncing their aggressor for various reasons that can include fear, guilt, shame, lack of support networks or even economic dependence; this resistance can cause frustration and incomprehension in the environment, and that is why we all have to be particularly sensitive and reach out whenever possible, without judgment, without pressure, with the sole will to understand and help,” he said.

Echeverría stressed that it is important for victims to be aware of the resources available to them, ranging from service 016 to social resources, shelters, legal and free advice, health services or child protection services. Services that, he said, “must offer certainties and a safe and reliable space to victims of gender violence.”

Giving a voice to the victims

The first presentation of the day was in charge of Teresa Muñoz, Doctor of Law and Legal Officer in the Information and Advisory Service for Women, Family and CEAS of the County Council of Burgos. She has referred to the complaint and has demanded empathy with the victims, not to dissuade them from reporting but to help them to do so in an orderly manner, since there is a high percentage of women who do not report. “The moment they denounce, they become executioners,” Muñoz said. She has also criticized the “banalization” of gender violence, which arises when it does not get to the bottom of cases or delve into education.

For her part, the psychologist and psychotherapist Victoria Compañ He talked about psychological care without a gender perspective. He has pointed out that it is often difficult to identify violence because it is naturalized. “The only thing that victims of gender-based violence have in common is that they are women,” she said, “if we have a stereotype, we only identify the cases that match that stereotype.” “If we do not know that we are facing a victim of gender-based violence, we can feel rejection of their testimony and end up blaming them,” said Compañ. Regarding the abuser, he has assured that “a man who mistreats always feels a victim and never feels responsible for his actions and, if we do not know how to identify violence in therapy, it awakens pain and compassion.”

The day continued with a reflection on the difficulties faced by women survivors of trafficking and prostitution who have been in charge of Alicia Giménez, Joy Ogbeide and Lydia Osifo, representatives of Action Against Trafficking. They have highlighted the need to focus on prevention and on the putars and pimps, who produce damages that are very difficult to repair. “The restoration processes are not from one day to the next, they are painful and long,” said Jiménez. And they have recalled some of the difficulties they encounter, such as access to housing or documentation.

For her part, the clinical psychologist specializing in trauma and violence Vanessa Koppmann and the coordinator in Navarre of the association AMILIPS (Integrative women to achieve psychosocial equality) Magdalena Hernández They talked about the role of migrant community promoters in the face of male violence. They have recalled that if there is a traumatic event, it is in the relationship with other people that the healing process begins, “at the moment of passing from silence to the word”. And they have pointed out that the promoters have the opportunity that their own story can help other people. “We walk toward communities that not only recognize violence, but create the conditions to get out of it,” they concluded.

The day ended with the presentation of Emma Larreta, gender and disability trainer, who has told of her own experience as a survivor of gender violence.