La violencia de género en el centro del debate socialla dimensión masculina

Abstract

Gender-based violence is a serious social and health issue of major international importance, which continues to spread with alarming figures and devastating consequences, not only for the women who suffer it, but also for their children. A phenomenon that affects society in general and is still treated with impunity, despite the efforts made in terms of regulations, resources and actions directed primarily at women victims of these situations. The main purpose of this thesis is to make visible the masculine dimension of this social problem, highlighting the resources, initiatives or proposals addressed to the main protagonists of gender violence: men who exercise, have exercised or could exercise it. We want to know the reality of the actions carried out with this target population, its limitations or obstacles and thus promotemore adapted and inclusive alternatives in the comprehensive approach to gender violence, coming from professional analysis and social debate. After a wide bibliographical or documentary review, the opinions, arguments and/or demands of a population sample have been collected through a previously designed research process. Professionals from different fields of social, health, judicial or penitentiary intervention have been consulted, as well as representatives of associations or social entities together with the men involved in these processes who comply with measures derived from convictions for these crimes, whether in prison or not. It can be concluded that the intervention with men in relation to gender violence is a scarce, ignored, uncoordinated, questioned and unstable reality in the global attention to this problem. This widespread ignorance and the fact that resources are limited to the legal or penitentiary area are evident. There is also a lack of training and professional abilities in the different areas of intervention, together with a clear presence of myths, stereotypes and sexist attitudes that produce an important bias that will guide the different actions addressed to this group. At the same time, there is an increasing interest in working with men in gender-based violence and incorporating this group into the general attention that must be devoted to this problem. It is necessary to redirect existing resources, to influence preventive and community measures, increasing coordination between services involved and ensuring adequate collaboration with existing associations or social entities. The movement for Men for Equality, which has a long history in our country, is an opportunity to work towards less harmful masculine models or new male referents in this fight against inequalities between men and women that would help to end the social blemish of gender violence.