The President of Cape Verde this Saturday called for the mobilization of the country to combat gender-based violence, which he classifies as a “significant obstacle” to development, on the day of the start of two weeks of public action on the topic.
“Gender-based violence remains a stain on our society, an intolerable violation of human rights and a serious obstacle to the sustainable development of the country,” José Maria Neves said in a message related to this topic.
The head of state highlighted the motto adopted this year by the United Nations for a 16-day action on this topic: “Unite, invest in preventing violence against women and girls.”
“This motto is a call to action for all of us, regardless of age, gender or social status,” as “Cape Verde must always be committed to strengthening laws and public policies on this issue.”
Violence against women is also classified by José Maria Neves as a “wound in the soul” of Cape Verdean society that requires common participation for healing, “the empowerment of women, the education of men and the development of relationships based on mutual respect.”
The normalization of violence by aggressors who do not consider it a violation of human rights is one of the biggest challenges for organizations working on the issue, said Marisa Carvalho, president of the Cape Verde Institute for Gender Equality and Justice (ICIEG). in an interview with Lusa on Friday.
The Cape Verdean president also hints at this aspect, deeming it important to “challenge harmful social norms that perpetuate inequality” and “create an environment in which women can freely report cases of violence,” he concluded.
The number of new cases in Cape Verdean courts related to gender-based violence crimes increased by 5.7% in the last judicial year (2022-2023) compared to the previous year, amounting to 1,971, according to the government ministry.
Including those records and cases that remain unsolved, the number of pending cases increased 16.2% in the most recent judicial year, reaching 2,688.
Gender-based crimes typically include physical violence, domestic or dating violence, domestic, psychological, emotional or sexual violence, with women being the main victims.