According to a survey carried out by Promundo in Morro dos Prazeres, with 152 men and 101 women, 41.6% of men admitted having committed some type of violence against their current partners. Of these, none were reported. 42.6% of men witnessed their mothers being attacked by their partners, of which 60% admitted having committed some type of violence against their current partners.
Given these data, Promundo, in partnership with Avon, started the Men to End Violence Against Women campaign in July this year in Morro dos Prazeres, which affects around 3,000 residents of the Santa Teresa community.
The Men Campaign to End Violence Against Women
Inspired by the Brazilian White Ribbon Campaign, the Men to End Violence Against Women campaign aims to raise awareness, involve and mobilize men to commit to ending violence against women. The central idea is to promote reflection on gender patterns that produce differences in decision-making power between women and men. Another objective is to shed light and discuss the factors that reproduce violence and behaviors, which end up naturalizing the use of force against women and children and distancing parents from the relationship of care and affection with their children.
The initiative takes place across three lines of action: a futsal championship called No violence, just pleasures!, which directly involves 100 men, weekly awareness workshops with the participation of 20 people and communication actions, with the production of (weekly) newspapers. , vignettes, posters and pamphlets (fortnightly) that provide coverage of the championship and address issues related to the prevention of violence against women and the promotion of gender equality.
The communication actions were created through the collaboration of participants in the awareness-raising workshops. The group diagnosed spaces, selected materials, identified communication strategies and opportunities for efficient dissemination of the campaign theme in the community.
Futsal Championship No violence, just pleasures!
Another axis of the campaign, the championship, was designed as a strategy to mobilize men to spread the prevention of violence against women. The championship, which brings together 10 teams of 10 players, started in October and will end on December 17th, with a big party and the awarding of trophies to the winners. The activity involves the involvement of residents during the games and the integration of families around the theme.
Survey data
The study carried out by Promundo in June 2011 indicates that psychological, physical and sexual violence against women are still harsh realities to be faced, despite the vast majority being aware of the Maria da Penha Law: 90% and 85% of men and of women, respectively.
The reproduction of the cycle of violence is a constant in this discussion: 42.6% of the men interviewed have witnessed their mothers suffering physical and psychological violence from their partners. Of those who witnessed domestic violence in childhood, 60% admitted having committed some type of violence against their current partners.
Other numbers collected show that the conditions of violence against women are alarming: 30.8% of those interviewed said they had already suffered some type of violence from their current partner; 36.1% of men committed some form of violence against one of their partners throughout their lives and 88.5% of them stated that their partners did not report them because of the aggression suffered.
In addition to being actors directly involved in violence, many of those interviewed have already witnessed violence against women: 65% of men and 47% of women have witnessed a relative, friend or acquaintance using violence against a woman, which confirms the need for intervention about the topic in the community.Furthermore, 85% of men and 91% of women have never participated in or heard of any campaign in the community on preventing Violence Against Women.
In December, at the end of the campaign, a new diagnosis will be carried out to assess the impact of the initiative on the community.
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