A Groping Versus ‘Real Violence’ in Colombia

Striving for Gender Equality: Representations of Gender in “Progressive” Domestic Violence Policy

“…The literature also debates the appropriateness of the notion of a domestic violence “victim.” Some challenge the term “victim” for passively positioning women as being bereft of agency (Dunn, 2005; Tolton, 2009). In response to such arguments, there has been a rise in the use of the term “survivor.” “Survivor” aims to cast women as active agents in their own lives, and empower them to overcome the trauma of violence (Dunn, 2005).…”

“…However, depicting women as either victims or survivors is questioned for the inherent simplification of women’s experiences that these binaries represent (Dunn, 2005). With this limitation in mind, we use the term “victim” as, from our perspective, it implies that an act of harm has been done to a woman, and therefore there is a perpetrator responsible (Tolton, 2009). While we acknowledge that the term “survivor” emphasizes the strength and achievements of the woman, Tolton (2009) reminds us that domestic violence is all too often a life-threatening issue and not all victims survive.…”

“…With this limitation in mind, we use the term “victim” as, from our perspective, it implies that an act of harm has been done to a woman, and therefore there is a perpetrator responsible (Tolton, 2009). While we acknowledge that the term “survivor” emphasizes the strength and achievements of the woman, Tolton (2009) reminds us that domestic violence is all too often a life-threatening issue and not all victims survive. To use the term “survivor,” then, is to overlook these women, as well as the men who killed them.…”