Intersection of gender, age, and law Interdisciplinary approach to addressing violence against older women in the family setting
Older adult women face situations of violence simply by virtue of aging in an ageist society that recognizes their value only in terms of caring for others. This is a phenomenon that has been largely rendered invisible, and its roots lie in gender inequality as a result of a patriarchal system deeply embedded in the social imaginary. This article addresses the intersection of gender, age, and law with the aim of analyzing how regulatory frameworks and public policies require interdisciplinary strategies to strengthen the prevention of and response to this problem. It highlights the need for a more effective and comprehensive response, based on the articulation of knowledge from different disciplines, in order to transform practices that perpetuate violence.
The convergence of gender, age, and law guided the selection of a qualitative methodology with an ethnographic approach, including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and case studies, with the purpose of analyzing violence against older adult women in relation to perceptions of family structure, as well as its patterns, values, and beliefs.
Regarding gender-based violence, Law 1257 of 2008 established the interinstitutional co-responsibility of all entities—both public and private—responsible for assisting victims of gender-based violence. It emphasized the importance of interaction among these institutions to ensure coordinated work and an effective response in addressing this problem. However, the law did not incorporate an explicit differential approach with respect to older adult women, failing to recognize their particular conditions of vulnerability and the need for specific measures of protection, care, and support appropriate to their age and circumstances.
As a result of the research, the study seeks the collective development of a proposal for a socially oriented educational intervention in partnership with the Family Commissions of Bucaramanga, so that the findings may contribute to the creation of spaces for social transformation.
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