The Municipality of Calvia has developed a pioneering plan in Spain to detect violence against women over the age of 65.
It's a tool that will be available to professionals in various fields who work with older women, according to the UIB Professor Carmen Orte
The protocol uses a common language and unified criteria to detect the severity of risk in each situation and the necessary follow up action, if there is suspicion that a woman is in a violent situation.
Calvia Town Hall presented the study, ‘Gender-based violence in women over 65 years of age. Detection protocol’, which was written by Professor Orte and Lydia Sánchez, PhD in Education.
Two focus groups were created with Professionals from Social Services, HealthCare, Psychology, Home Care Services, Primary Care, Libraries and the Police.
A series of summary conclusions were reached from the data provided by these groups:
Women over 65 don’t report violence or request direct help.
The most important means of detection is via professionals or services they visit often and where the professional link is more trustworthy.
It is necessary to view awareness campaigns in a different way and direct them towards raising awareness amongst family, neighbours, friends, social circles and the community.