Violence Against

Women in Chile

Policies and Programs Protecting and Supporting Women from

Gender-Based Violence
 Defining VAW

According to the United Nations:

● Any act or conduct, based on

gender, which causes death or
physical, sexual or psychological
harm or suffering to women,
whether in the public or the
private sphere.
Contributing Factors

● Household
○ Size, density, history of violence
● Community and Societal
○ Media, socioeconomic status, crime rate,
environmental conditions
● Individual
○ Gender, age, educational level, employment

*MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IS FAMILY HISTORY*

 History of VAW Policy in Chile
● 1989 - Civil Code of Chile changed to remove
ownership sanction
○ Plays large role in reasoning behind
machismo today
● 1994 - Law 19.325
● 2005 - Law 20.066
● 2006 to 2009
○ President Bachelet attempts reform
○ Lack of funding
● 2010 to 2013
○ President Piñera enacts narrow
legislation
● 2014 to the present
Trends

● Approx. 3 million women in Chile report experiencing

gender-based violence at some point in their lives
Trends

● Women murdered by gender violence are becoming

increasingly younger
● 20% of young women ages 15-29 in Chile
○ Reported experiencing psychological and/or
physical violence at some point in their
relationships
● 35-36 years old is average age of femicide victims
Underreporting

Main reasons that Chilean women choose not to report, based on

type of violence:

● Psychological
○ “Not something serious and I did not consider it
necessary".
● Physical violence
○ "Fear"
● Sexual violence
○ "The shame"
● Most common response
○ “Things improved”
 Potential Solutions

● UN Commission on the Status of Women

○ Sexual health and gender equality education
○ Public education
○ Community collaboration
○ Supportive policies for caregivers
○ Programs targeting men and boys
○ Supportive health care services
○ Adjustment of gender norms
● Acquiring assets
 National Plan of Action for Violence Against
Women

● Purpose:
○ Create a response that promotes
the right to a free violence network
for women
○ Coordinate the State, civil society
and international organizations to
advance in the eradication of
violence against women
Currently Available Programs and Services

● 103 Women’s Centers

○ Cover 288 communities
○ 6 new centers in 2015
● 36 Shelters
○ Must be 1 or 2 per region
○ 13 new shelters in 2015
● 1 National Shelter for Human Trafficking Victims
● 3 Centers for Women Victims of Sexual Assault
○ Regions: RM, V y VIII
● National Call Center
In Conclusion

● National Plan of Action has had slow, but steady

success
● To continue this progress, there is a serious need to
report and prosecute perpetrators of gender-based
violence
● With proper funding and program integration, Chile
will make progress towards a culture that does not
foster discrimination and violence against women.
Works Cited

Ceballo, Rosario. “Domestic Violence and Women's Mental Health in Chile.” Journals, SAGE, 1
Dec. 2004.

Jaworsky, Christine. “Avon Foundation Launches The Justice Institute on Gender-Based

Violence in Santiago, Chile.” Avon Foundation, Avon Foundation, 8 June 2017,
www.avonfoundation.org/avon-foundation-launches-justice-institute-gender-based-violence-santia
go-chile/.

Kim, Huiyun, et al. “The Association of Neighborhood Characteristics and Domestic Violence in
Santiago, Chile.” Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Springer
US, Feb. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3579306/.

United Nations, Larrain, Soledad. “Country Assessment on VAW Chile.” Country Assessment on
VAW Chile.

“Violencia Contra Las Mujeres.” Ministerio De La Mujer y La Equidad De Género, El Gobierno De

Chile, 2017, www.minmujeryeg.cl/sernameg/programas/violencia-contra-las-mujeres/.