When I read the notice inside the elevator, several thoughts occurred to me. I wondered if the people connected with victims wouldn't report an incident unless it were made "law". But then, I also thought, it would of course be difficult for a victim herself to go to the police. But that wouldn’t be the victim’s fault, I thought.
“Domestic violence” is the term for violence in the home.
The Brazilian Forum on Public Safety commissioned Datafolha (a polling institute) to conduct a survey on domestic violence. According to the data published on June 7, 2021, one in four Brazilian women and girls aged 16 years or more have been subjected to physical, psychological, or sexual violence. That is 17 million women and girls (24.4%). In the survey from the previous year, the perpetrators were mostly husbands or lovers, with neighbors the second most common, but in this new survey, the second most common perpetrators were not neighbors, but ex-husbands and ex-lovers, then fathers, mothers, siblings, stepfathers, and stepmothers. The common perception of domestic violence is violence at the hands of a husband or lover, but any violence occurring within families is a cause for alarm. According to the survey, 35% of victims were separated or divorced, 28% were black, and most were in the age range from 16 to 24.
Experts think these results are due to people staying at home with other family members, because of the pandemic. The percentage of reports by victims was down in this survey, which is thought to be due to the difficulty for victims to report to the police, given that perpetrators and victims have been spending more time together.
Actually, the Conselho Nacional de Justiça (National Justice Council, CNJ) and the Associação dos Magistrados Brasileiros (Association of Brazilian Magistrates, AMB) have already launched a campaign called “Red Signal” Against Domestic Violence, in June 2020. The victim, the woman, just has to draw an “X” in red lipstick or pen on her palm or a piece of paper and show it to an employee at a bank, chemist, city government office, or the like. Any person who is shown that mark must immediately call the police and take steps to protect the victim. Cosmetics companies, beauty salons, and so on are also participating in the campaign. The flyers and posters feature a photo of a woman showing a red “X” drawn on her palm, and the message, "You are not alone.”
There are various reasons why women cannot immediately escape or ask the police for help even though they are the victim of some form of violence, for example, they might meet with a more dreadful fate if they escape; they are not financially independent; there is lingering affection; they don’t know their rights, or they don’t know where to look for help. I pray that the message on the poster, "You are not alone," reaches as many victims as possible. And I also hope that the police protect victims.
