Gender-Based Domestic Violence in Argentina

Women march in the “Ni Una Menos” protest in Buenos Aires. (Wikimedia)

As social isolation measures sweep through Argentina, rising concerns about domestic violence have been substantiated by increasing numbers of reports.

At least six women and girls were killed in the first nine days of national social isolation; calls to gender-based violence hotlines 144 and 137 skyrocketed, according to El Pais. Neighbors called the police after a young boy screamed for help as his mother was beaten, on March 24, Pagina/12 reported. Cristina Iglesias and her seven-year old daughter Ada were murdered by her boyfriend in Buenos Aires, according to El Pais. Across the country, calls for help have flooded emergency lines as victims of domestic abuse are forced into prolonged isolation with their aggressors. 

While social isolation measures are necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19, they place people who experience domestic violence at increased danger of physical and psychological aggression. Workplaces and schools, which sometimes serve as safe havens or support networks, have become inaccessible. Police stations are similarly difficult to reach.

The “Ni Una Menos” movement (Not One Less) demanded protection measures for women and children on March 31, according to El Pais. “Macho and patriarchal violence is also a pandemic,” movement organizers said in a statement.

Government agencies have also kicked into high gear to deal with the crisis. Clarin reported that a campaign against domestic violence encouraged people to stay connected and take measures to prevent acts of abuse.

The Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity posted on Twitter, “If you know anyone in a situation of gender-based violence, you can help a lot by offering to listen or keeping them company, and also sharing information about #Línea144 and its care channels. Even in times of physical distance, we need each other close.”

The Ministry assured that communication channels to Line 144 are being strengthened as it continues to offer 24/7 hour counseling, accommodation, and orientation to victims, Clarin reports.

Also according to Clarin, the Federal Council of Defenders and General Advisers of Argentina proposed different measures to respond to the situation, which include: extending the validity of the protection measures established in judicial files for gender-based, domestic, or intra-family violence; streamlining the judicial process by creating standardized forms for each police jurisdiction; implementing communication strategies into supermarkets and pharmacies; expanding communication options to include Whatsapp and other social media platforms.

“It should be kept in mind that compulsory confinement in homes, the stress caused by the viral pandemic, the fear of possibly becoming ill, and the economic ramifications of the situation, compounded in the context of gender-based vulnerability, are factors that can increase tension in couples living with violent relationships. This can mean the escalation of aggressions, with more frequent or more intense incidents, accelerating the escalation of violence,” the Council  warned the public.

Estela Díaz, minister of Women, Gender Policies, and Sexual Diversity in Buenos Aires agrees: “One of the characteristics of gender-based violence is the isolation of the victim. In this case, isolation is compulsory, which increases the [victim’s] vulnerability and possibilities of abuse by the aggressor, since he has greater control and a reinforced feeling of dominance and impunity.”

Fatalities are expected to increase.