more than half of the women had sex with their husband or partner for fear of what he might do to her if she refused
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 24 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Cabildo de Tenerife has presented this Tuesday the main results of the study on the situation of women over 65 who suffer gender-based violence in Tenerife, which the island corporation commissioned from the University of La Laguna (ULL), and among whose conclusions highlights that 32.5 percent of the women treated for sexist violence at the Insular Institute of Social and Socio-Sanitary Care of Tenerife (IASS) have lived more than 50 years in an environment of violence.
The third vice president and councilor of Social Action, Marián Franquet, assured at a press conference that “this study was necessary and fundamental”, since it reveals issues that were really known but that needed to be quantified “in order to act effectively and appropriately “.
In this sense, Franquet stressed that “a 20-year-old woman victim of gender violence cannot be treated the same as a 65-year-old woman, because they are very different realities and stories, which need to be addressed with specific tools.”
During her speech, she emphasized the commitment of the current insular government team “so that the situations of older women who are victims of gender-based violence are adequately treated and begin to design specific programs and actions and work to facilitate their access to specialized services in gender violence”.
For her part, the CEO of Equality and Prevention of Gender Violence, Priscila de León, pointed out that this study provides the basis for incorporating women over 65 years of age into the strategy designed by the Cabildo to combat gender violence. .
“Both through the Insular Network for Gender Equality Tenerife Violeta and the rest of the information services and resources, advice, training, care and support offered by this Corporation for victims of this type of violence,” he said.
She also highlighted that this study is the first step of the ‘Gaia’ project, a comprehensive initiative aimed at older women that includes workshops and activities related to self-esteem, participation, the digital divide and the empowerment of older women.
And all of this, he stated, “linked to the program ‘Conecta Mayores’, with which the Cabildo wants to improve the quality of life and well-being of the elderly.”
The professor at the University of La Laguna and coordinator of the study, Marta Jiménez, highlighted that this research addresses the different manifestations of sexist violence (physical, psychological, sexual and economic), and explained that the methodology included a survey of 40 elderly users of 65 years of the services specialized in Gender Violence of Tenerife and four interviews with women over 65 years of age in a situation of gender violence.
ONLY SOME MORE THAN HALF REPORTED THEIR SITUATION
The researcher recalled that it is a group that was socialized under Franco, a context that taught them to accept repression and oppression.
“In fact, 85 percent of the women surveyed recognized that the violence began to occur practically from the beginning of the relationship, and that this, in many cases, worsened over time,” he commented in a note sent by the Town Hall.
However, only 52.5 percent of the users surveyed reported their situation, he added.
The study also reveals that more than half of the women surveyed had sex with their husband or partner for fear of what he might do if they refused, and that 60 percent were excluded from making economic decisions.
“But it is that, in addition, more than a third of the couples or ex-partners appropriated their money, and almost 30 percent of their assets,” said the researcher.
This analysis also includes a series of proposals and guidelines, such as the need to improve the detection of situations of gender violence and mistreatment of women over 65 on the island, to facilitate their access to specialized services in gender violence and to strengthen interdisciplinary and interinstitutional coordination at the county level.
Jiménez also emphasized the importance of adapting care and support for older women in specialized gender-based violence services, of combating situations of material poverty, social and housing isolation that may result from breaking up with the aggressor, and to incorporate training, information, advice, care and support for adult sons and daughters who have been victims from the Gender Violence Network.
