A quali- quantitative study of female mortality due to external causes and its relationship with gender-based violence

Abstract

In recent years, has increased interest in the causes of gender violence against women in Argentina. OBJECTIVE: to get a picture of the situation added and updated on this issue, evaluate their weight and gravity and identify the health consequences it produces. METHOD: qualitative and quantitative, descriptive, exploratory study in 3 stages: 1) A national mapping of mortality from external causes women was built with national vital statistics and police statistics. Data on suicides, homicides and accidents were disaggregated, and outcomes compared between jurisdictions in order to establish regional heterogeneities in the mapping. 2) News on deaths from external causes related to situations of violence against women were analyzed in 4 major newspapers. 3) Search of records of violence against women in a public hospital in Buenos Aires city. RESULTS: the more frequent causes of suicide in women from the vital statistics are by hanging and use of firearms For the forensics, these causes are the less frequent ones. CONCLUSIONS: it can be suspected that some cases considered as suicides would actually be femicide cases. This hypothesis should be verified in future research.