The testimony as polical strategy to make visible Violence Against Women

Abstract

This paper aims to conduct a review of how the women's movement used the testimony of victims as a strategy to make their demands for recognition and justice on the issue of violence against women heard. It is divided into three parts: A review of "the age of the witness" and how the accounts of victims are socially legitimized; the actions implemented by feminists representing NGOs in order to be heard by international human rights organisms; and the two perspectives from which the demand for justice is articulated: those of criminal punishment and healthcare, which are analyzed specifically respect to cases of sexual violence. Finally, some criticisms of this strategy and the perspectives presented are presented.