“Why violence? Well, the truth is, I believe that among women in general, we as activists don’t really face violence. I mean in the way that we perceive violence ... I don’t know... Maybe it is because my idea of violence is associated with the typical view; you know what I mean... beatings and things like that...well, if it is that then, not at all. But I don’t know, I haven’t really got down to thinking if I am “actually” facing any violence. But now that you ask me…well seriously speaking…Oh! I really don’t know what to tell you…I would rather not think about this now, if I do then I will get depressed and I really ‘cannot indulge in the luxury’ of being depressed at this point of time….”15 The word violence conjures up multiple images that are largely disturbing: blows, insults, murder…. Perhaps it makes us think of structural violence, economic violence, or the violence exercised by the State against those who, by their practices or their very existence, question or challenge its norms or regulations. If we live in a country that has experienced the terrible reality of a dictatorship or war, the word may evoke images of total violence or state-inflicted terror, the type of violence that seeks to silence and completely obliterate any expression of resistance. If we live in a large urban environment, maybe the word evokes images of daily violence on the street and the stress of being assaulted or harassed while using public transport or even at home. Maybe some of us would think of specific situations of rape or sexual harassment that we have experienced, while others may think of less explicit situations they face on a daily basis in their family or organization. All these forms of violence are evoked16 because they are a part of our experience, because we have lived them or are facing them at this very point in our lives, even though we may find them difficult to acknowledge.
SEE “There are things about which I don’t talk with other activists. I think it’s the first time that I have sat down to think whether I am being subjected to violence of any type. I’ve never thought about it before; it’s just now that you forced me to …”17 It is said that “we are only able to see what we can put a name to” and this may explain why at times we are not able to see certain forms of violence. It may be because in our social context or life we never learned to identify these as acts of violence and name them as such. It may also be that we find the terms for violence too strong, far removed, or harsh when applied to ourselves. So when a person tries to acknowledge that she herself has faced a certain type of violence, the situation gets complicated. 15. Interview by Marina Bernal, September 2005 16. These images came up in various interviews conducted by Marina Bernal between September and December 2005, with activists of different ages from different parts of the Latin American region. Likewise, these types of associations with the word violence also came up at different points during the workshops held as part of the self-care and self-defense project for young women activists, promoted by ELIGE, between 2001 and 2003. 17. Interview by Marina Bernal, October 2005
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