Ecuador Initiates Campaign to Prevent Violence against Women

Under the motto “Learn, Speak and Act,” Ecuador has announced a major campaign to prevent domestic violence and reduce instances of femicide nationwide.

Further cooperation agreements between six governmental ministries, the National Assembly and the emergency 911 service were signed on Monday to further institutionalize the state's response to gender violence.

“In Ecuador, there are still alarming statistics about violence against women. 6 of every 10 women in Ecuador have suffered from of psychological or physical abuse. 1 of every 4 women have been raped, have been part of these networks of sexual exploitation or human trafficking,” said President of the National Assembly, Gabriela Rivadeneira at a press conference announcing the campaign.

“These are the facts and the reason why state institutions this month came together to educate and raise awareness. To change these sociocultural ideas that have normalized this violence,” Rivadeneira continued. 

The efforts by the Ecuadorean government are part of a worldwide campaign, developed by the United Nations Women organization for 16 days of activism to raise awareness and end violence against women, beginning on November 24 and ending December 10.

Ecuador is working to educate the population about the gravity of the problem as well as the services available for victims and their families.

“We are trying to transmit messages. The message of this campaign is to act. We shouldn't have to explain to people as to why violence is a problem. Violence is a problem, it is penalized in our country under the law,” advisor to the Ministry of Justice on violence and coordinator of the campaign, Sonia Garcia Alvarado told teleSUR English.

“It is time to act, and the government is acting. Public institutions are acting. So in the “Learn, Speak and Act” campaign, we are giving messages through the radio, television, billboards, buses, so that people become informed and look for help,” said Garcia.

In 2013 alone, 300 cases of femicide were registered nationally. Ecuador has been working to reduce violence against women since 1994, when it signed the “Inter-American Convention to Prevent, Sanction and erradicate Violence Against Women,” known as the Belem do Para convention.

Beginning in 2011, the Panamerican Organization of Health has been gathering data about gender violence. The organization found that 1 in 6 women has been victim of physical, sexual or psychological violence, which translates into more than 3 million Ecuadoreans.

The surveys have found that 38 percent of women have been physically abused, 26 percent sexually abused, and 17 percent have been victims of patrimonial violence, which involves the destruction of material goods.

Since President Rafael Correa came to power in 2007, ministries have been coordinated under the National Plan to Erradicate Gender Violence to implement, making addressing violence a state priority.

By providing preventive education for citizens and integrating the response of state institutions, Ecuador is working to make access to the justice system easier for victims of domestic violence, a crucial step in definitively breaking the cycle of abuse.