The I AM…ME, conference, an initiative of the Department of Public and Sexual Health of AEFML and the Student Support Office of FMUL, took place in virtual format, on 7 April. Its main objective was to discuss and reflect on the topics of identity, equality and gender violence.
With a panel composed of various associations, personalities, and movements promoting gender equality, namely, the HeforShe movement and the #nãoénormal movement, among others, the event, consisting of two lectures, was intended to help participants to 1. Understand the dimension of the problem of gender inequalities and violence, 2. Demonstrate how we can all be an active part of the solution.
Nowadays, few people feel free to denounce or simply give their personal testimonial. Often, shame and prejudice go hand in hand, making awareness actions more difficult. It is not the case of Marta Croca or Marta Godinho who, aware of the seriousness of the acceptance and silence inherent in these cases, decided to give voice to a delicate but very necessary subject.
“As a student at FMUL, I do not remember these issues being addressed during my training. Probably because the degree is more focused on diseases, and not so much on health promotion, with the exception of a few subjects.
Later, as an intern in the common year and after the Psychiatry specialty at HSM, I became interested in the area of Sexology. I found myself confronted in daily clinical practice with the repercussions of gender inequality and violence, mainly in the Emergency Service of HSM. The reaction of doctors when confronted with victims of gender-based violence, in its various forms, is of some discomfort. I think there are several reasons for this to happen: 1) precisely because we do not hear about these topics in our training, they seem to be distant from our obvious field of action, perhaps closer to the social sciences (Medicine is, let us not forget, perhaps the natural science closest to the social sciences, and we always want it to be as human and empathic as possible); 2) the fact that we are not familiar with these topics in the medical community means that we do not know exactly which protocol to follow (or if there is even a protocol) and 3) the very nature of these issues generates discomfort, in some way we feel that we are invading the “intimacy” of the couple/family.
Often, the victim asks us so not to report the situation (and in a hospital environment, it is usually the Social Service that has the signalling form to the Adult Violence Prevention Team - EPVA), but then it is necessary to understand the reasons, and help people out of situations with many potential risks.
Paying attention to gender, an essential determinant of health and disease, contributes from the outset to equity and equality in health. By systematically considering gender as irrelevant, we are ignoring aspects that are inherently associated with it. It is therefore urgent to clarify, in medical training, which gender-related themes should be included in the syllabus, and in which domains. Some are multidisciplinary and more difficult to integrate, which is why the inclusion of psychosocial themes in clinical cases, together with biomedicals, the dissemination of literature and educational material and the training of staff, are efforts towards having a syllabus that is sensitive to this topic.
Gender equality, as we know from history, is not a spontaneous process. We have to defend it actively, and we have to defend it in the medical community.
Including gender in the education of future doctors is thus a highly justifiable qualitative investment.”
Marta Croca
Doctor at the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service of HSM since 2017 and Guest Assistant Lecturer at FML
“If I am asked why I, as a woman, made the decision to participate in this conference, the answer becomes obvious. Since I was young I hear that I have to be careful with the way I dress and behave, avoiding becoming the target of gender violence. However, despite the efforts we make, most women have experienced some form of harassment in their lifetime - it is a personal and intimate topic for many of us and so it is obvious that we have this interest. However, it is important to realize that gender violence is not a “women's issue”, it is a problem in our society - not least because, as we know, it is not only women who are victims of gender violence.
Today we know that much of this violence is a product of abuse of power. So, regardless of who the victim is, we can understand that it is irrelevant to educate young people how to defend themselves from this type of violence, if we do not learn about consent and respect values.
Thus, more and more lectures such as those of “I AM… ME” become crucial in the society in which we live. Having the opportunity to deepen our knowledge on topics as complex as identity and gender violence is a privilege and a duty, as it gives us more capacity to share this essential information. Difficult topics like this one have to become open and honest conversations, and everyone has to be included.”
Marta Godinho
Year 4 student of the IMDM, FMUL
Isabel Varela
Editorial Team
