The number of femicides and different forms of violence against women are worrisome.

According to numbers by the Observatory on Gender Violence Against Women and Access to Justice, in Costa Rica on average two women are killed per month in femicides. Last year for instance this number raised to 26 femicides.  So far this year there’s been 8 confirmed femicides. While in average the 911 service receives on average 268 reports of domestic violence on a daily basis.

For this reason, Patricia Mora, Minister of the Condition of Women, and President Carlos Alvarado will declare violence against women as a national emergency, with the purpose  of not just raising awareness regarding this phenomenon, but also to be able to execute immediate actions in areas with higher incidence of violence.

In an interview with Channel 7 ‘Telenoticias’, Mora stated “From the moment it is declared a National Emergency, we will have a period of time during which we can focus the efforts, not just of the National Women’s Institute (INAMU), but of all Costa Rican institutions, we will work intensively and we will follow up on these work during the next four years , trying to stop violence against women”.

Mora also emphasized the importance of educating children since their early childhood and offering them adequate tools specially when they come from violent homes. “We have to work on strengthening new concepts of masculinity”, commented Mora.

Some of the areas of bigger concern are the coastal communities, which register higher rates of violence against women.