Gender-based violence is one of the most widespread and generalized human rights violations: according to the United Nations, almost one in three women worldwide have been victims of physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lives.
This year the campaign focuses on digital violence. For example, in Tapauá, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, a relatively small community where the Augustinian Recollects have been carrying out missionary work since 1965, there has been a general state of anxiety in recent weeks due to the dissemination of intimate videos of women blackmailed by their abusers.
This International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women marks the beginning of the UN’s UNiTE Campaign, which runs from November 25 to December 10, International Human Rights Day. In 2025, the theme is “Unite to end digital violence against women and girls.”
Also in Brazil, in Fortaleza, capital of the State of Ceará, the psychologist Luiza Aparecida Dias (Três Fronteiras, São Paulo, Brazil) has been dedicated since 2010 to caring for girls and adolescents taken in at the Saint Monica Home of the Augustinian Recollects, sent by the competent authorities after having suffered or being at serious risk of suffering any type of violence, abuse, neglect or violation of their rights.
What patterns of violence do you address at Saint Monica Home and what lasting effects do they have?
The most common form of violence is sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation, but it is often accompanied by other forms of abuse such as neglect of healthcare, lack of education, insufficient nutrition, and psychological, moral, and physical violence. This emotional suffering often manifests as low self-esteem, shame, and guilt; human relationships suffer because all adults are distrusted, and aggression is not uncommon.
Suffering this violence for years causes irreversible damage if one does not receive attention and a listening ear. Human beings, regardless of age, exhibit dysfunctional behaviors in response to this violence, which worsen with continued exposure: lack of concentration, decline in academic performance, sleep difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. In more extreme situations, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts may occur.
Our work is to guide them in reversing and reframing these traumas that lead to feelings of worthlessness: they feel they have no value, their self-esteem is at a minimum or nonexistent. In the case of girls and adolescents, at the beginning of the support process they have difficulty trusting adults: the people who should have protected them committed the violence. This only changes after they perceive that in the Home they truly live with safety, food, leisure, education, health, respect, and good treatment…
All violence leaves scars. In my work, I’ve noticed that psychological violence is very subtle; it doesn’t leave physical marks, but it does leave deep emotional scars on crucial aspects like trust, security, acceptance, and self-esteem.
But, in my experience, the abuse and/or commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents of both sexes causes wounds to both body and soul. It robs the victim of what they need most: their innocence, their childhood, their dignity, their body; it interferes with their most intimate self. And it is always accompanied by other forms of violence, both physical and psychological, by the wall of silence imposed by the abuser.
The consequences are horrific, with physical injuries, sexual, psychological and psychiatric disorders, fear, insecurity, suicidal tendencies, social isolation… When a person at that age does not feel loved, respected, welcomed, listened to and valued, their traumas will take on proportions that are humanly impossible to overcome in their adult life.
What are the biggest challenges in the recovery and resilience process?
It is of utmost importance to create a welcoming environment that fosters in the victim the certainty that they are valued, that they can speak out, and that they will not be judged. This unconditional acceptance is the only possible starting point for successful support.
When violence occurs within the victim’s immediate circle, it invariably generates feelings of guilt, a sense that they are responsible for what happened. Overcoming this feeling is essential from a mental health perspective and requires addressing issues such as social isolation, aversion to the opposite sex, early sexualization, and fear of reliving the experience.
We aim to help victims to rediscover their lost childhood so they can begin to believe in their potential, find meaning in their lives, and strive for happiness again. For adolescent girls, this also includes the pursuit of autonomy through vocational training and integration into the workforce.
At the Home, the children in care must go from being victims of a system that has failed them and an environment that has attacked them, to being protagonists of their own destiny, with the hope of having a future different from the one they lived in the past.
Is awareness of the problem of violence against women evolving and improving?
Yes, I perceive that both in Brazilian society and in the Western world in general, awareness of violence against women has evolved significantly, although there are still attitudes and behaviors that remain normalized.
Today there is much more public debate, constant educational campaigns, and more rigorous laws (Law Maria da Penha, 2006 & Law on Femicide, 2024), the number of police reports has increased, and women are losing their fear of speaking out and seeking help. The efforts of schools, the media, and numerous public, private, and religious institutions that promote gender equality and mutual respect are also evident.
But resistance remains strong. Many victims are treated with neglect, and certain forms of aggression, especially psychological and symbolic ones, are still minimized or culturally justified. Deep-rooted sexism persists, placing women in a position of inferiority or blaming the victim.
There is real progress, but the road ahead will still be long and will only be traveled with continuous education, empathy and collective commitment to transform mindsets and ensure that respect for women is a non-negotiable value in all societies.
