Gender violence soars in region

In the past 10 years, women in Latin America have seen major progress in the laws that recognize their rights and condemn violence against them. But in practice, the authorities - including judges - do not enforce these laws and many violent abusers go unpunished in most countries of South America, Central America and the Caribbean. This trend has become women's worst nightmare. That's the conclusion of a 2009 report prepared by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (CEPAL).

The reality coexists with another extraordinary factor in Latin America. So far nine women have become presidents, with three currently serving in Argentina, Brazil and Costa Rica. The director of the United Nations Gender Equality unit is former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of lawmakers serving in the region's parliaments.

Moreover, 55 percent of Latin American women between the ages of 20 and 24 have completed secondary education compared to only 49 percent of men in that same age group. Even in rural areas, where the extent of secondary education is much more reduced, the average number of women who have reached this educational level significantly exceeds that of men (31 percent compared to 26 percent).

However, Latin America remains the region with the most inequality between men and women. It is one of the world's most dangerous areas for women, beginning with murders and serious cases of abuse. Women also suffer from sexual abuse within the family environment, as well as high maternal mortality due to the large number of illegal abortions. Four million illegal terminations and 4,000 deaths each year haven't been enough to twist the arms of the powerful Catholic and Evangelical churches.

Between 39 percent and 42 percent of Peruvian women have acknowledged that they have been victims of physical violence by a partner or husband, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Information. "The complaints reported by the victims include that they were pushed, hit, kicked, attacked or threatened with knives or other weapons, and have also been forced to have sex without their consent, as well as suffering other forms of physical and psychological violence," says the survey of 24,000 women.

"The last time Tamaca Keiko, 14, saw her lover, William Chiroque, 18, was when he pointed a 9mm pistol at her, drunk and jealous after seeing her talk to another boy," reads one story in a local newspaper. The teenager was one of the two or three children under 18 who are killed every month in Peru. "They repeat patterns of behavior they see at home," explained psychologist Tesania Velázquez.

Sometimes this abuse is carried abroad. In Barcelona, a 16-year-old Russian girl continued to receive beatings from members of the Mara Salvatrucha Central American gang she hung out with. Laura (not her real name) is now seeking help with the support of her family. She was severely abused by the gang.

"I have been beaten so much that I no longer feel any pain," the girl told EL PAÍS in a recent interview.

Although there are no reliable statistics for the entire Latin American region, data provided by specialized agencies in different countries is startling. In Mexico, 35 percent suffer some physical violence. In Colombia, 39 percent are said to be victims. In Bolivia, the figure surpasses the 50-percent mark.

In Chile, it was estimated that in 2002 only 3.8 percent of reported cases ended in conviction. In Brazil, some studies indicate that 10 percent of women in urban centers and 14 percent in rural areas have suffered sexual violence. In Central America, two out of three female victims are killed by their male partner.

CEPAL says that one in 10 women suffer physical violence in Latin America, "from beatings to severe violence where death threats are made."

But the cultural contradictions in different countries still exist. Chile, which has had solid economic progress for the last several decades, was one of the last countries in the world to pass a law regulating divorce, in November 2004. Argentina, a nation with strong educational tradition and laws that support equality, has failed to legalize voluntary abortion.