In the presence of state authorities, members of the Judiciary, the Public Defender's Office, the Brazilian Bar Association, the security forces, and members of civil society, the public hearing on the implementation of a Shelter for women victims of domestic violence in the city of Gurupi was held last Monday (29th) in the city of Gurupi, serving municipalities of the Southern Region of the State of Tocantins.
Dozens of participants debated, during four hours, topics related to domestic violence and the mechanisms to face this social conflict. Besides the city of Gurupi, the creation of shelter units in the Southeast, North and Far North regions of the State of Tocantins is planned. The hearing was attended by members of the Judiciary, the Government of the State of Tocantins, the Legislative Assembly, the Gurupi City Hall and City Council, the State Prosecution, the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) Tocantins sectional, the Military Police, the Public Defender's Office, entities representing women victims of domestic violence, municipal authorities from the cities in the Southern Region of the State, and the general population.
According to the Judge Cirlene Maria de Assis Santos Oliveira, state coordinator for Women in Situations of Domestic and Family Violence, the Shelter House is a tool of great importance to combat violence against women, because, besides the legal support and physical safety, the place will also offer psychological counseling and humanized care to all women who request shelter. "Our goal in the public hearing is to raise the awareness of organized civil society and public authorities of the need to implement this service. Domestic violence is inserted in a social context, and all spheres of power must have this commitment, which is to reduce and combat domestic violence. All Municipal and State authorities, both from the executive and legislative branches must support the Judiciary", she said.
According to Berenice Barbosa, Secretary of State for Women, the State Government works in an integrated manner between civil society and institutions in all spheres, aiming at the protection, safety and promotion of women. "We are promoting significant actions at the institutional level that integrate a network for the protection and promotion of safety, well-being, and quality of life for women in the State of Tocantins. Today there is an official task force of the State Governor, which is an integrated action between civil society and institutions in all spheres, aiming at the protection, safety, and promotion of women. We are promoting significant actions at the institutional level that integrate a network for the protection and promotion of the safety, well-being, and quality of life of the women of the State of Tocantins. The Secretariat for Women is part of the Network to Confront Violence against Women and it has been working in an integrated manner and in partnership with the Municipalities, the S System, the Public Defender's Office, the Court of Justice, the security forces, the State Secretariats and the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) to humanize and provide women with better conditions of access to services and public services available at the moment", she said.
For Josi Nunes, mayor of the city of Gurupi, the joint activities between the public authorities, security forces and the population in general aim to reduce rates of violence against women. The mayor highlighted that the installation of the Shelter House, which aims to protect women in situations of domestic and family violence in the city of Gurupi, is fundamental to guarantee the rights of the women and also to stop the abuses. "The Shelter House is important to receive these women, victims of violence, because many of them end up staying in this cycle of violence exactly because they have no option, nowhere to go, unfortunately," she said.
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The State Coordination of Women in Situations of Domestic and Family Violence (CEMSVID) has the task of promoting the internal and external articulation of the Judiciary with other governmental and non-governmental organs, in order to expedite actions to combat and prevent domestic and family violence against women. Shelter House are often the only alternative for victims to leave the violent domicile in which they live, and provide the necessary security for the victim to reorganize her new life project.
