Women are beaten, men violently silenced …

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Sexual, physical, psychological or economic violence …, violence against women can take different forms according to the UN definition. Each year, thousands of people around the world suffer abuse from their spouses. However, women are not the only victims of domestic violence. It is a phenomenon that is taking on alarming proportions, battered men and victims of domestic violence, it also exists and deserves the attention of the United Nations.

November 25; this is the date chosen by the United Nations to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

It is estimated that one in three women is the victim of physical or sexual violence in her life, most often from her partner. About 750 million children are married before the age of 18, and 200 million women are subjected to female genital mutilation. These alarming figures give an idea of ​​the atrocities that many women experience in their lifetime. Worse yet, according to a UN estimate, every day on average worldwide, 137 women are killed by a loved one, more than a third of whom (around 30,000 in total) by a spouse or ex-spouse.

Admittedly, women are generally the victims of sexual assault. Touching, forced sexual acts or sexual penetration. These acts create in them a feeling of weakness and unworthiness.

However, it should be noted that considerable progress has been made in recent years. 52 countries have strengthened their legislation to combat violence against women and girls, and more than 43 countries have increased their budget allocation for gender equality and the empowerment of women since 2014. Efforts remains to be done, but this progress is notable.

As for men who are victims of violence, few speak of it. The proportion of men affected by this form of violence is certainly low, but it does exist. These men are sometimes threatened, humiliated or even beaten by their wives. This form of violence is more taboo and poorly represented by statistics. The cause, men talk less about it.

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But unlike violence against women, it has been proven that domestic violence suffered by men is much more often physical than sexual. These men are therefore often young and graduates of higher education. Eager to preserve the stability of their couple and the image of the family, they remain silent. They therefore suffer psychological and verbal violence from their partners, but out of shame and to preserve their pride, they rarely speak out on this subject.

Violence against men can travel outside the home, in the public sphere. Indeed, in the public sphere, women seek to minimize the social ties of their spouse in order to completely isolate them, which feeds their suffering. This social isolation protects and maintains the relationship of violence in the couple.

In addition, in these cases, the role of father is extremely fragile. Man very often stays in the family universe because of children, for fear of losing them if he leaves. Most of the time, the woman tries to destroy the father-child relationship and cut the emotional ties. The male victims therefore feel helpless and cut off from their role as father.

This form of domestic violence therefore deserves a closer look and why not take measures to make it better known and defended.

Eric G

www.independantexpress.net