Every year it is commemorated the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) states that in the region of the Americas nearly 500 people die every day as a result of some cause of violence. This region has the highest homicide rate in the world, three times higher than the world average.
For the Ombudsman’s Office:
This commemoration, is an urgent call to take action against the scourge that thousands of women face daily due to violence, and which continues to be one of the most systematic violations of their fundamental rights.
According to the Ombudsman, Angie Cruickshank, this date is an opportunity to examine how, despite advances in human rights, gender violence persists and, in many cases, worsens.
Violence is linked to underdevelopment
‘Violence perpetuates poverty, undermines social and economic development, and generates a cycle of suffering that impacts entire families and communities. We cannot allow this violence to continue to perpetuate itself without taking decisive action. Every time a woman suffers violence, we not only take away her freedom and dignity, but we weaken the social fabric that binds us all together as a society. Violence is a fracture that does not distinguish social classes, ages or races, and we must confront it with a comprehensive strategy that addresses its causes and consequences at all levels.
It is important to reiterate that violence against women is not only a problem that affects women; it is a problem of society as a whole. Data from the Observatory of gender violence against women and access to justice of the Judiciary in 2024, 21 women have been victims of femicide; 142 requests for protection measures are filed every day and two femicides per month in Costa Rica.
Authorities warn about 11265 victims of violence in Costa Rica
11265 women have been victims of violence during the first 10 months of 2024, according to data from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), as of October 2024. The age group from 10 to 19 years old occupies the first place, with a rate of 758 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (0.758%).
This group is followed by girls under 10 years of age with a rate of 438 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (0.438%) and the third place is occupied by women 65 years of age and older, with a rate of 410 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (0.410%).
Gabriela Artavia Monge, Administrative Manager of the CCSS, asked to advance towards a society that supports this fight in an integral way in favor of the protection of the human rights of women of all ages, in the framework of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women:
Providing comprehensive care to all those victims of violence is a duty that emanates from our work as guarantors of social security and from the commitments that the CCSS has acquired in the framework of the defense of human rights.
According to institutional statistics, the most frequent types of violence include the following:
physical abuse: 5665 cases
sexual abuse: 4158 cases
psychological abuse: 3891 cases.
According to the United Nations (UN), violence against women and girls continues to be one of the most widespread and generalized human rights violations in the world. It is estimated that, globally, almost one in three women have been victims of physical or sexual violence at least once in their lives.
