Violence Against Women and Machismo A research study of how Machismo justifies cases of violence against women and the psychological process that influence women to remain in abusive relationships in the city of Fortaleza

This research is a study on the phenomenon of violence against women that the city of Fortaleza is currently experiencing. Violence against women is an issue that is affecting women worldwide, however in the context of Fortaleza it has become extremely prominent. This study looks whether or not the socialization process of men and women influence rates of violence against women, if institutions are giving life to this violence, and how violence is manifesting in the lives of women in Fortaleza through the eyes of three professionals at Centro de Referencia, one professional at the Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher and lastly, three women currently experiencing violence. Another important component this research focuses on is the psychological process/violence women experience and how that influences them to remain in abusive relationships. The methods used in this study were formal and informal interviews and observations which concluded that the socialization process does indeed influence rates of violence against women and how different social factors often times forces women to remain in abusive relationships