Spain struggles to tackle domestic violence. Juan Luis Rodriguez Zapatero appointed equal numbers of males and females to his cabinet. Spain also made drastic changes in there laws in December 2004 to make it easier for women to keep their abusers away. The current government has also relaxed laws on divorce, abortion and gay marriage. These topics go far deeper than government. These ideas our deeply embedded in the Catholic religion which dominates the county of Spain. This leads to patriarchy, machismo ideology firmly anchored in this society. Many ultraconservative judges themselves do not see the seriousness of domestic violence. One of the biggest problems with domestic violence is that it hides in the private sphere. It has been addressed in the public sphere such as work, school and church, but what is traditional and practiced in the home is very hard to overcome. Many women from this culture understand that they have to stay with their abuser, and the Church teaches you cannot leave your spouse over abuse. The Church teaches you may be separated but not divorced. This concept is worldwide and leads to male dominance and an increase in the problem of domestic violence. Domestic violence is on the increase up almost 25% in a year and most case are not reported. The government at this time is at a loss to an answer in how to decrease this domestic violence. The research does not shoe a decrease in violence of those who attend their 6 months program.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/world/europe/24iht-spain.html?pagewanted=
1 comment:
I think that when a issue is more cultural than anything it becomes harder for people to overcome it. Hopefully in Spain when the women get the courage to overcome the abuse and stand up against the norm they will be able to breed a new generation of women.
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