Spain makes progress on gender violence, as fear persists among women amid ingrained machismo

Nov. 7th march in Madrid against gender violence. Photo: El País
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• Survey finds 91% of women fail to report violence, fearing repercussions

• Despite advances, gender- and domestic-violence on the rise, say experts

Spain has come a long way in the 10 years since courts specific to gender-violence were introduced. But experts say that machismo is still deeply ingrained in Spanish society and that violence against women persists amid a climate of continued fear among women that keeps many from reporting instances of sexual abuse or domestic violence.

A report by the Adecco Foundation released on November 25 showed the results of a survey of 300 abused women, finding that 91 percent failed to report violence out of fear that either they or their partners would lose their job.

To date in 2015, 48 women were killed and 42 children were orphaned as a result of male-against-female gender violence in Spain. Only nine of the 48 women had previously filed a complaint against the partner who killed them.

During 2014, the number of overall complaints of gender violence grow for the first time in six years, reaching 126,742and representing a 1.5 percent year-on-year increase in complaints from 2013.

Read the Full Story at El País in English >>

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