On December 3, the Avon Institute launched the survey Violence against women in the university environment, which reveals the perception and behavior of students on the subject. The survey was launched at the 3rd Talk Without Fear Forum, held with the institutional support of the Patrícia Galvão Institute, the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office, the São Paulo Public Defender's Office and the Ministry of Women, Racial Equality and Human Rights.

 

Carried out by Data Popular, the survey was conducted with 1,823 students (women and men) from all regions of the country, with more than half of those interviewed (51%) being between 16 and 25 years old, 53% being from the middle class and 76% studying at private colleges.

 

"The survey was very important in breaking down a great myth that violence against women is strongly linked to the education or socio-economic level of those who commit it. The walls of universities are not impervious to the machismo that happens in the rest of Brazilian society," Renato Meirelles, president of Data Popular, told Agência Brasil de Comunicação.

 

According to Meirelles, 2.9 million women have suffered some kind of physical violence at universities. "That's more than the population of 90% of Brazilian cities," he said. Cases of rape were reported by 14% of students, and 11% said they had already suffered attempted sexual abuse because they were under the influence of alcohol. With regard to sexual harassment, 73% said they knew of cases; 56% said they were victims and 26% confessed to having committed some kind of harassment. There are cases of teachers having offered "gifts in exchange for an easier exam".

 

One student reported that "a girl was raped at the party while she was sleeping. At another party, I heard that another girl was given drugs without her knowing, and she was also raped". One of the students said that "there are women who don't respect themselves, who wear clothes to offer themselves".

 

Of all the students consulted, 42% said they had already felt afraid of suffering violence in the university environment and 36% said they had stopped doing something because of this fear. In their reports, according to Data Popular, they explained that they "have the perception that not only external criminals, but also colleagues, teachers and everyday partners can be the protagonists of violence, ranging from intellectual disqualification to moral and sexual harassment, and even rape".

 

"If we don't denaturalize prejudice and violence against women, it will continue to nourish the next generations," said the president of the Avon Institute, Alessandra Ginante, at the 3rd edition of the Speak Without Fear Forum, where the 3rd call for proposals for the Speak Without Fear Fund was also launched.

 

 

The new call for proposals from the Fale Sem Medo Fund will also support student groups and one of its objectives is to strengthen youth participation in the fight against violence against women.

 

Com o 3º edital do Fundo Fale Sem Medo, o Fundo ELAS e o Instituto Avon