El femicidio y su incidencia en la interacción sociocultural de las mujeres de la ciudad de Machala, año 2021

Abstract

Femicide is a great social problem and has represented a great challenge for society, having different socio-cultural repercussions on women and families. It is the most extreme form of gender violence. In Ecuador, the population has witnessed different episodes of abuse against women, physical aggression, psychological and sexual violence, causing these factors to lead to violent and intentional deaths due to the fact of being women. This problem of great magnitude that has become a complex situation for the country and society. In 2007, Ecuador declared as a national priority the elimination of violence based on gender and created interministerial plans of various state agencies to put an end to this type of crime against women, girls and young people in the country. The present research work focuses on determining the incidence of femicide in the sociocultural interaction of women in the city of Machala, through an in-depth investigation, based on feminist theory that allowed us to understand the dynamics of the object of study and of the different factors that lead to the consequence of the investigated problem. In the city of Machala, 13 cases of femicide have been evidenced in the period 2014-2021, with the investigation carried out it was possible to analyze the perception of the female population and in general, how the sociocultural environment has been affected, what situations they manifest regarding to these cases of femicide. The research process was generated through an inductive empirical epistemological approach that allowed forming an idea as a product of knowledge, that is, primarily based on experiences supported through a qualitative study where all owed delve into the qualities of the phenomenon investigated and also compare opinions in a particular way, where interviews were applied to women, relatives of victims of femicide and professionals with this, the background and circumstances surrounding the death of these women are investigated, trying to diagnose the previous violence. The research was developed through documentary and field review that was applied in the study context to know and analyze different criteria about Femicide and the social behavior of women. The study carried out in the city of Machala reveals the following preliminary findings: The woman who lives in a situation of violence often does not adequately assess the severity of the violence and perceives it as something natural in the life of a couple, showing resistance to denouncing his assailant. Despite being familiar with the situation, the family and the community are often resistant to participating in actions in defense of the victim, particularly when family members are involved. Judicial support is insufficiently developed. Women, in most cases, are still unaware of their rights and do not know how to defend themselves when they are abused. Femicide is the result of a process of repetitive violence, which suggests that this crime can be prevented if accessible and effective protection procedures are developed.