Venezuela: Ending domestic violence – Facts and figures

Venezuela: Ending domestic violence – Facts and figures

In 2005, 36,777 women reported abuse by partners or former partners to NGOs – an average of one woman every 15 minutes. (Violencia contra las Mujeres 2005, Noviembre del 2006, AVESA / Centro de Estudios de la Mujer de la UCV / FUNDAMUJER.)

Local organizations estimate that only 1 in 9 women report violence to the authorities.

In the first six months of 2007, 490 investigations were opened into reports of violence against women. (Division of Research and Protection in the field of Child, Youth, Women and the Family of the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Unit)

Between January and December 2007 the majority of cases of violence against women were perpetrated by their current husband or partner (31.95% and 36.57%, respectively) and to a lesser extent by their ex-partners or other family members.” (INAMUJER)

In 1999 INAMUJER set up a national confidential emergency hotline – 0800Mujeres – which gives free advice to women experiencing gender-based violence. Between 1999 and December 2007 the hotline received 29,168 calls throughout the country, 4, 484 of those were received in 2007 alone.  

Venezuela – a country of over 27 million inhabitants – has only two shelters for women victims of violence.