I survived, I can tell: narratives of Piauí women survivors of femicide

Abstract

In this article, we aim to present some reflections on the narratives of four women who survived extreme situations of gender violence in Piauí. In 2021, we began a study on attempts at femicide in the state, using Daniel Bertaux's Narrativas de Vida method as a procedure and the concepts of gender, patriarchy, gender violence and femicide as a guideline. The results showed that Piauí is still immersed in a macho and patriarchal culture, which grants unrestricted power to men to act on the behavior, body and life of women. Attempts at feminicide, investigated in the study, resulted from patriarchal relations of oppression and hierarchy that naturalize the behavior of domination/exploitation of women by men and that allow attacks on their physical and mental integrity. In the analyzed cases, the diverse and continuous violence perpetrated by the former intimate partners, resulted in assassination attempts, which took place both in private and public spaces. We hope that the publication of the narratives can contribute to a more realistic understanding of femicide in the state and to the debate around more effective public policies for prevention and reparation.