Violência conjugal sob o olhar de gênero

Abstract

In the Nursing practice, as a teacher and regarding women´s health, we may evidence violences predicated against the woman in a disguised way, openly, often ignored. Amongst them, the way which instigated us into this research was marital violence, for its affective peculiarity, potential health damage or even due to a silenced, even subtle context. The way it is experienced, its consequences to health, the forms of struggle and acceptation, were our questions au début. Assuming that the gender condition influence how the women experience domestic violence, I defend the thesis that the woman submitted to this phenomenon acts according to the socially built principles and which partially guides her life, hardening or avoiding its comprehension, the expression of suffering produced by the experience. In order to approach this reality we aim to reach an understanding of the gender basis present in everyday life of women living in a marital violence situation. Using the concepts of Gadamer´s Hermeneutics, while philosophical attitude, since the women – the researcher as well the other participants of this study – have an historical consciousness, undergo the questions of an époque and have their limits imposed by the social reality. The described study, a qualitative approach, carried out with eleven women maintained in institutions attached to João Pessoa/PB City Hall, through Women´s Policies Special Department, attended in health care services or Non Governmental Organizations. Empirical data were provided by art therapy workshops, searching the comprehension of the violence experience through the speech of those women. For data interpretation and the categories composition we have used the hermeneutical rule of circularity. The results have shown that marital violence stands for fear and imprisonment to the women. About the position women have within the relationship, coping was the predominant attitude, marking the onset of “a new position” to women. They reported the health services omission, pointing to the transversality of gender in public policies and health actions as a positive strategy when it comes to coping with the problem. The many sorts of violence suffered such as pushes, slaps, forced intake of substances, fractures and nudity, resulted in temporary handicap in limb function, in health, at work, in personal and familiar welfare. Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, insomnia, dependence increase and decrease of the responses to cope with violence were associated with psychological abuse practiced in isolation imposing and controlling forms. Marital rape was the kind of sexual violence used by the aggressor as an instrument to punish and to control feminine sexuality. From these results we may testify that the ways of meaning, experience and react to violence keeps straight relations with the questions of gender presented within our social and cultural environment. As we approach the reality of the woman victim of marital violence and living under State custody, we begin to understand the universe of pain, discouragement, despair, fear, humiliation and so many others hard feelings and replies experienced by each one of them. In the acquaintance and sharing of their pains and sorrows, we have also discovered the warrior – survivor – resistant – dreamer - hard-working - sensitive - strong…, who laughs, cries, hopes, sings and dreams, maybe another “impossible dream”