In the office I heard many stories.
Some told with trembling voices, others in whispers, others with their gaze lost somewhere, far away. Stories about fear, control, humiliation, about freedoms lost step by step. And, sometimes, about lives ended too soon.
As a psychologist, I know that femicide does not appear out of nowhere. It starts with a small gesture, with a forced surrender, with a violated boundary. It grows slowly, fed by silence and the lack of a firm response from those who should have protected.
That is why I believe we need a law that calls this phenomenon by its name.
A law that clearly says:
We no longer look away.
We no longer accept silence.
Just as the protective order changed lives, a femicide law would save lives. Not just through punishment, but through recognition, prevention, and early intervention.
I believe that we, psychologists, must be at the forefront of supporting this law.
- Because we see from the inside how the cycle of violence is formed.
- Because we know how control and fear erode a person’s identity.
- Because we can validate the experiences of those who have been disbelieved for too long.
- And because we have an ethical duty – to protect human life and dignity.
I also believe that the law is not enough without community.
Women need to support each other, to speak up, to hear each other, and to believe each other. Support can save lives.
And I also think it’s a huge step that, after decades of communism and systematic abuse, we can talk openly about these wounds.
Silence has cost us too many lives.
And no life should be the price of shame or indifference.