COVID-19 Quarantine Unleashes Gender Violence in Colombia

Colombian activist and former Senator Piedad Cordoba Monday denounced that gender violence increased amidst COVID-19's quarantine measures.

RELATED:

Coronavirus Can Set Back 50 Years of Gender Equality Progress

According to Cordoba, the fact that women must spend more time in the same house with aggressive men has triggered a femicide upsurge. Official legal medicine records show that from January to May, 355 women have been violently murdered.

"Likewise, there are 16,473 domestic violence cases, and 6,400 reported sexual crimes," Cordoba said. "Although these are the official figures, many cases may remain outside of official records and ephemeral press headlines."

In 2015, a law that defines femicide as an autonomous crime was passed. Despite having legal elements to defend women's rights, Colombia is one of the countries with the most cases of gender-based violence.

According to this legislation, any gender-based violence and discrimination against women must be investigated and punished to guarantee women's access to a violence-free life, following the principles of equality and non-discrimination.

Nevertheless, Cordoba pleaded that gender exists due to the patriarchal system permissiveness.

"Truth is that the aforementioned law is useless if the authorities are unable to act effectively and forcefully if education continues to encourage inequality between boys and girls if gender discrimination continues to be taught subtly, but constant," she stressed.

"If the educational system founded on patriarchal misogyny is reformed, processes of change will begin to be generated,  which will manifest themselves in daily practices, in the family, social, and work environment."