Contributions to overcome the culture of violence against women in interior of Rio Grande do Sul: experience report

Abstract

The Center for Women’s Studies, Gender, and Public Policy, Department of Nursing / UFSM , develops programs in health care for women that go beyond the biological dimension insofar as we consider the inequalities of gender, race and ethnicity , among other Social Determinants of health, that are underlying factors to the violence production. With this guidance, we have been developed researches, extension activities, and social activism, which ahve been impacting the women, girls, families lives in a city of RS and region as well as in structures of political bodies. We listed some initiatives that are part of the set of activities developed since 2009, when the activities were comprehensive and coordinated among themselves in order to both valorize and highlight issues such as women’s rights, gender inequalities, gender violence, public policies for women, social control, empowerment as a contribution to cultural changes related violence . Among these , there is the contribution to the drafting of a new Law for the Municipal Council of Women’s Rights in Santa Maria, whose principles respect the representation, autonomy, secularism, and democracy; essential characteristics of social control agencies. One sees that in the political and social aspects , the Center has been contributed to culture of violence changes that impacts the individuals, families, and communities health.