Women violente network of protection: Advances and challenges

Abstract

In Brazil, violence in marital relations has been the object of an increase in police charges, as well as in the judiciary system and public institutions of social welfare, education and health. Domestic violence causes large psychosocial, economic and political repercussions in the individual and family sphere as well as in the woman’s social sphere. Given the complexity of the problem, surrounded by the prejudice and different types of discrimination, women who are victims of domestic violence suffer diverse changes, often drastic, in the environment they live and with whom they live as time passes by. This results in a complete process of fragilization in their belonging networks. The present article presents data based on two researches: “The Support Network for Women in Domestic Violence Situations: Limits and Possibilities”, and “From tears to Hope: The Process of Empowerment of Women in Domestic Violence Situation”, carried out in the Research Group on Violence – NEPEVI, Faculty of Social Work, Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil. Our purpose was to provide theoretical and practical bases to contribute with the services and empowerment of women in domestic violence situations. This research consisted in the identification of the limits and possibilities of the network support for women in domestic violence situation in the municipalities of Porto Alegre, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo, State of Rio Grande do Sul. Women who were service users of this network of support and professionals connected to this network, among them, social workers, psychologists, delegates, and others were interviewed.