Violence against women in Latin America and the Caribbean

Gender violence is the leading cause of death of women in Latin America and the Caribbean between the ages of 15 and 44, whose structural causes are: inequality, patriarchy, machismo and the subordination of women. It has its origin in the historically unequal relations between men and women, in power relations, in the deep gender gaps; and, it must be understood as a systematic violence that has various forms and is present in each of the social spheres.It constitutes a serious violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms and a long-standing structural problem, the most extreme manifestation of which is femicide. Different international, governmental and non-governmental organizations have emerged in many countries of the world to put an end to male violence and offer support to the victims; organizations that remind us of how much remains to be done to protect women and girls from violence.