Denúncia de violência doméstica por mulheres atendidas na Casa da Mulher Brasileira em Fortaleza - Ce

Abstract

Violence against women is a severe violation of human rights and a significant public health issue. This violence is deeply rooted in nearly all cultures around the world and reinforces gender inequalities through male domination. In Brazil, the data related to violence perpetrated against women are alarming and reflect the outcome of a complex problem that requires a broader understanding of this phenomenon from the cultural and historical perspective of the social construction of gender, which is a way to address and prevent these outcomes. This study starts with the question: “What made women reporting domestic violence realize they were being abused?” We will discuss the triggers that sparked this perception and the mechanisms they used to support their decision to report this violence, as well as the meanings they attach to the report. To achieve this objective, the methodology is based on the paradigms of Qualitative Health Research, particularly the hermeneutic and phenomenological traditions. Through in-depth interviews, the information obtained was analyzed according to Gadamer's hermeneutic circle. The research setting was the Casa da Mulher Brasileira (Brazilian Women's House), a social facility managed by the Secretariat for Social Protection, Justice, Citizenship, Women, and Human Rights, where women who made domestic violence reports in 2023 were interviewed. Among the results found, fear emerged as a predominant factor both for maintaining the violent situation and for making the report, especially when this fear is related to children, which shows that motherhood must also be considered a determining factor. I also highlight the feeling of guilt experienced by all the interviewed women, as well as the feeling of loneliness triggered by the lack of a support network, which can be seen as a consequence of the social organization based on patriarchy. The study aims to contribute to a critical reflection, culminating in the development of more effective and meaningful public policies, especially in the area of collective health, that offer real possibilities for overcoming the violence perpetrated against women and its extermination.