The 7 types of gender violence and their definition

Women are strong, brave, beautiful and powerful, however and despite the struggle of hundreds of years for the equality of our rights, even today many of us continue to be undervalued and attacked nothing more and nothing less than the fact of being women.

There are those who think that because we have achieved the right to vote and we can work, we have already achieved enough; There are also those who consider that sexual assaults or beatings are the only types of gender-based violence. Well, we still have a long way to go towards true gender equality and to achieve it, we all need learn about the different types of gender-based violence.

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What is gender violence?

Let's start by defining this concept. When we speak of gender violence or violence against women, we refer to all those behaviors, acts and omissions that affect life, dignity, freedom, physical, psychological and relational integrity of a woman.

Violence against women originates from an unequal relationship in which the man, in his desire to dominate and to power, assaults us directly or indirectly with the aim of physically mistreating or psychologically devaluing us, and can do so publicly or in private.

But it is not always about a man who beats and mistreats a woman; the types of gender-based violence to which we are most easily subjected are those that occur indirect way in which conducts, actions, omissions, criteria, provisions or practices discriminatory they put women at a disadvantage compared to men.

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The 9 types of gender violence

It is important that we all know the types of gender violence that exist, especially those indirect to which we are used to the way our society works. Whether we know them and stop accepting them depends on the place that women will have in the future and finally a real equality.

Remember that violence against women can take many forms and that although they are specific episodes, many times it can also occur continuously with aggressions that do not only have to do with physical appearance.

1. Physical violence towards women

It is one of the best known and most obvious types of gender violence. It's about all those acts and aggressions of a man to the body of women in order to mistreat his physical integrity, cause pain and damage. We are talking about hitting, shoving, slapping, scratching, burning and any other type of attack on the body.

It is very important that you turn to help centers or family members if you are suffering this type of aggression. Many times fear paralyzes us, but there are people willing to help you get out of that situation.

2. Sexual violence towards women

By sexual violence against women we refer to all behaviors that violate or restrict women's freedom to decide about our sexuality. This is one of the types of gender-based violence that takes many forms and leaves great physical and emotional marks.

Keep in mind that this is not only about forced penetration due to rape, but here it is encompass all types of sexual assault such as inappropriate caresses, touching you without your consent (either with your fingers or with other objects), gestures and words referring to your genitals, glances obscene, sexual harassment, messages with sexual content to which you have not consented, sexist insults, unwanted sexual proposals and prostitution forced.

You should know that within the couple there can also be sexual violence when the man accesses the woman sexually without her consent, when she is forced to view pornography or to access sexual positions with which she does not feel comfortable.

This section also includes all the aggressions that have to do with your reproductive freedom, this being your free decision to motherhood or abortion and to any act that violates your right to enjoy a satisfactory and risk-free sexuality.

3. Psychological violence towards women

One of the most painful and scarring types of gender-based violence for women is the one that comes from psychological aggressions, that is, those that cause emotional damage, affect your self-esteem, your value, the perception you have of yourself and your dignity.

These types of aggressions are sometimes very subtle but their impact is still enormous; They come in the form of insults, humiliation, blame, dishonor, threats, demands of obedience or submission, blackmail, rejection, abandonment, ridicule and the use of disparaging words against you, either in public or in private.

At the same time jealousy and constant vigilance are also forms of aggression psychological and sexual.

4. Economic and patrimonial violence against women

This type of violence against women has two forms. It can occur when you are unjustifiably and deliberately denied the financial means to meet your basic needs and those of your children. It also happens when you are stripped of your economic freedom, that is, when you are forced to give your money to your partner so that they depend entirely on him.

Also attacks on your assets, that is, damaging, breaking your assets in order to manipulate and control you, or when they devalue your abilities to manage your money and that of the home.

5. Symbolic or social violence against women

It is one of the types of gender violence with which all women live the most. It's about when our society repeats all those stereotypical patterns against women; it can be through messages, signals and values ​​that promote inequality, discrimination and domination of women.

The consequences of this type of gender violence is disastrous for women, since it makes our society is seen as something normal that the role of women is subordinate to mens.

6. Domestic violence against women

Domestic violence more than a type, it is a form of aggression towards women. It occurs when a member of the household, be it the partner, a son or a sister for example, decides to physically or emotionally attack one or more of the women who live in the home.

Within this group we include aggressions caused by married couples, in common-law union or during courtship.

7. Workplace violence against women

Over time we have managed to educate ourselves professionally and enter the job market. Sadly, we have to say that in this context there is another type of gender violence with which we most have to live today.

It is about all kinds of discrimination in the workplace for being a woman. For example, not being able to access managerial positions, stable jobs with growth possibilities, lower salaries compared to men who work in the same position, or when prerequisites are set for a type of job such as gender, marital status, maternity or presence physical.

In addition, in the workplace we can also experience other types of gender violence such as sexual harassment.

8. Media violence against women

It is a form of aggression against women very similar to social violence. It consists of the dissemination of stereotypes in the mass media that discredit women, defame, humiliate, objectify, materialize, discriminate and dishonor our dignity. This type of aggression is commonly seen in advertising messages.

9. Obstetric violence against women

It consists of all those aggressive or abusive medical practices on women's bodies and their reproductive processes. For example, when medication is abused and dehumanizing treatment is given because natural processes are pathologized.

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