In Switzerland, at least fourteen women have already been identified this year. These crimes, often committed by relatives, are deeply rooted in cultural and media representations. Christelle Taraud, historian, explores how these representations contribute to trivializing violence against women.
The feminicides, defined as murders of women because of their gender, persist in Switzerland, with at least fourteen cases identified this year.
These acts are mainly perpetrated by partners or ex-spouses, but also by other members of the family entourage. According to Christelle Taraud, historian and coordinator of the work published in 2022 “female, a world history”, cultural productions have a decisive influence in the normalization of these violence.
“Feminicides are not isolated acts, but the expression of a cultural system that systematically devalues the lives of women. From ancient tales to modern series, our culture normalizes this violence,” says Christelle Taraud.
Degrading messages conveyed by cultural works
In her book, the historian deciphers how various cultural works, from cinema to literature, including cartoons, transmit degrading messages to women. It evokes in particular “the thousand and one nights”, where the threat of the feminicide constitutes the starting point of the story, as well as contemporary productions like “Game of Thrones”, which perpetuate the notion that female existence is less important.
-This trivialization via cultural supports is worrying, according to the historian, because it creates a context conducive to assaults to women. Serial killers, for example, frequently target marginalized women – whether racialized women or sex workers – whose life is considered to be less value.
Christelle Taraud insists on the importance of identifying feminicide as a mechanism of systematic oppression of the feminine. It pleads for a collective awareness of the influence of symbolic representations on the real daily life of women.
In Switzerland, Gian Belli, co -director of the Federal Equality Office, identifies several aggravating factors such as marital rupture, previous episodes of domestic violence and accessibility to firearms, while stressing that this phenomenon crosses all social classes and all cultural environments.
So how to fight against this structural violence? Tracks and solutions in this new Zoom Info series.
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Magali Philip
