by ANDREINA CHAVEZ
Venezuelan women are being murdered at a frightening pace, and yet the country still lacks a clear path of action to understand, report, prevent and eradicate this extreme form of gender-related violence.
Last year alone, the country registered 236 femicides, which means a woman was killed every 37 hours, according to the Utopix Femicide Monitor, a platform that gathers femicide data by scanning digital outlets since 2019. These numbers are even more alarming considering this is an unofficial count; the true scale of femicide is likely much higher.
Not to mention that 2022 also saw 119 frustrated femicides, referring to women who survived the attacks, while 68 Venezuelan migrant women were killed abroad, mostly in other South American countries.
If we look at recent years, femicides in Venezuela are growing exponentially. The Femicide Monitor tracked 167 cases in 2019 and 256 the next year, a 53 percent increase, as victims of machista violence were forced into lockdown with their aggressors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Then in 2021, 239 women were killed, almost on par with 2022.
Everything indicates that this worrisome trend will continue, but aside from feminist organizations, nobody seems to be sounding the alarms and there is no sign of a comprehensive government plan to assist women at risk.
A few months ago, I participated in a night vigil (nothing religious) to demand justice for all femicide victims. It was a small gathering and as we crossed two main avenues in central Caracas, activists received insults for writing “Ni Una Menos” [Not one woman less] at the foot of a statue. It made me realize how much work we have ahead to transform a society that worries more about “graffiti” than women’s lives.
Venezuela Analysis for more