Gender violence: "The day I reacted was when I freed myself," Silvina's story on Aconcagua Radio

“The term 'crime of passion' is still used. There are still people who say, 'I don't get involved, it's a couple's thing,'” says Silvina González, her voice firm but with the burden of someone who has lived through the horror. Ten years after the first collective cry of " Not one less ," her story resonates as a testimony and a call to action.

Silvina is the founder of the organization Mujeres al Frente , but before that, she was one of the many women trapped in a cycle of violence. “I suffered a bit of almost everything: physical, psychological, sexual. But the one that impacted me the most was the economic violence, because it didn't allow me to stabilize or break out of that cycle,” she says. Hers is a story marked by fear, dependency, isolation, and manipulation. “When you're in a situation like this, the abuser isolates you to control you, your thoughts, your decisions,” she explains.

Silvina explains that her story began at a very young age, following a pattern learned at home. “I came from a home where there wasn't physical violence, but there was psychological violence. And you, wanting to escape that, hop on the first bus that passes by thinking you'll be better,” she recalls. Six months after meeting her partner, she moved in with him. Three months later, she was already pregnant. And from there, hell began.

“At first, it was psychological violence. They work on your head, they submerge you so much that you can't react when the physical violence comes,” she says. Like so many other women, she was blamed by those around her. “The neighbors said, 'He loves being hit.' My family asked me why I came back. But I was completely manipulated. He threatened to kill me, to take my children away, and I didn't have a home, a job, or even the chance to study.”

In that context, finding a job became the first step toward freedom. “That was one of the first building blocks. Even if I was beaten, I would go to work, to sell whatever I could. I knew that would help me get out,” she recalls.

The "click" moment, that breaking point many women talk about, came when her ten-year-old son tried to defend her and the attacker invited him to fight. "That's when my head clicked. I couldn't let him hit my son. It was the glorious day of my release. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was ironing, I threw the iron at him, and I ran for help. For the first time, I went to the police station and reported him. And I never went back."

Silvina emphasizes that violence doesn't just affect women, but also their children: "We don't suffer violence alone. Our children also suffer it with us. I couldn't allow my daughters to grow up believing this was normal."

From Mujeres al Frente , she works every day to help other women take that first step. She accompanies, listens, trains, and articulates support networks. But it's not easy. "Many things still haven't changed. We keep hearing that 'it's a private matter,' that 'it was just a couple's thing.' And that's dangerous. Because it makes violence invisible and normalizes it."

González reflects on the cultural roots of the problem: “It's something that's been going on for generations. Women were trained only to iron, take care of their husbands, give birth, and raise children. It was normal for your husband to yell at you or hit you. You got married, he's your husband, you can't leave because of 'what people will say.'”

In this context, she values ​​the emergence of the "Not One Less" movement, which was sparked after the femicide of Chiara Páez in 2015. "That's when we said enough was enough. But it was only the beginning of a very long struggle. And if we can't change it, we have to at least try to improve it. Unfortunately, we haven't seen any significant improvements in recent years," she says.

Today, Silvina puts her experience at the service of other women. “Girls who want to contact me can do so via WhatsApp at 2616136557. That's my personal number; you can write to me under any circumstances,” she says. You can also find her on Facebook under the name Maida González.

The group avoids having too many social media accounts for safety reasons. "We're very protective because we work with women in high-risk situations," she explains.

Before saying goodbye, Silvina leaves a message for those going through situations similar to hers: “We have to learn to defend ourselves. Know that we are not alone. And understand that getting out is possible. The fear is immense, but there is life after fear. I was able to do it, and many more can too.”

Contact:

WhatsApp: 2616136557

Facebook: Maida González

Organization:

Women at the Front – Support and support networks for women experiencing violence.

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