Do you suspect a woman is suffering from gender violence?
If a friend or relative is going or has gone through of these experiences, you are facing a gender violence situation:
EARLY WARNING SIGNS:
- When you are with her, her partner uses any story to ridicule her.
- When, once you're alone with her, you ask her how her relationship is going and she changes the subject.
- When you note she doesn’t want to meet up so often and when you arrange something she doesn't turn up for it or she has to leave soon after.
- When every time she receives a WhatsApp from her partner she has to reply immediately, telling him where she is and who she is with.
- When she is always adapting herself to her partner’s tastes and it looks like she is changing her own.
- When you see she is always trying to please her partner.
STRONGER WARNING SIGNALS:
- When he has broken things that are of value to her.
- When you hear him threatening her or she tells you herself how he threatens her.
- When you see her sad, with an unhappy face, or her character has changed.
- When you notice that she gets scared when she believes something might annoy him.
WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE CAN HELP?
- Listening to what she tells you and don’t doubt it. It’s important you respect her time and let her speak her own words and thank her for her trust.
- Controlling the anger you may feel when you find out about her situation.
- Let her know she doesn’t deserve what’s happening to her and that you’re ready to help.
- Respecting the decisions she takes.
- Offering to meet up a little bit more.
- Asking advice from specialist staff.
- Encouraging her to talk about it with someone she trusts in her family.
- Persevering and staying in contact with and talking to her, not giving up but understanding that it's a long process of ups and downs.
- Never forcing her to report her partner to the police or separate from him. She might not be ready for that.