REFLECTIONS ON THE OCCURRENCES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Abstract

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, violence against women emerged as a dark, invisible pandemic. The health crisis served as an experimental trial for analyzing the effectiveness of public policies to address this issue. Considering this context, this research aimed to evaluate the occurrences of domestic violence against women in Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ during the pandemic period. The research method used was documentary research, focusing on the period from 2019 to 2022, using the Women's Dossier from the Public Security Institute of Rio de Janeiro as the data source. A mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative) was used to analyze occurrences of intentional bodily harm, femicide, attempted femicide, the relationship between victim and aggressor, and the location of these crimes. Although there is a common belief that reported incidents increased significantly during the pandemic, the data from this research suggest otherwise. Reports of intentional bodily harm, attempted femicide, and femicide decreased during the most critical period of the pandemic. Intimate partners and ex-partners were highlighted as aggressors in the majority of cases, with violence remaining within the domestic and family sphere, demonstrating that the home is still not considered a safe place for victims. It is concluded that the issue was not merely quantitative, considering that underreporting was an obstacle, preventing the problem from being fully revealed. The new normal has unveiled old social and gender problems rooted in patriarchal structures, leaving women even more vulnerable.