The status of the term violencia de género in the modern Spanish language

Abstract

The problem of gender-based violence is one of the key in the most modern societies including Spain. In the country where the tradition of patriarchal relations is rooted feminist organisations, nongovernment and state organisations are constantly fighting with the gender asymmetry. In addition, the topic of gender-based violence receives special attention in the Spanish media. There are even sections in leading newspapers named “Gender-based Violence” or “Domestic Violence”. The phenomenon of gender-based violence in the context of gender language policy is actively discussed. Spain is one of the leading countries in adopting progressive gender laws aimed to combat gender-based violence. This very active attitude towards the problem of gender-based violence contrasts with the language policy in this area. Analysis of the actual linguistic material, extralinguistic situation in the country, study of the data of official statistics allowed the author to come to the conclusion that in the modern Spanish reality there is an imbalance between extralinguistic factors (active struggle against gender-based violence, presence of progressive laws) and the same language, in which the term violencia de género has not yet been codified in the dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish language (while in other dictionaries and glossaries the concept is interpreted). The combination violencia de género is widely used in the Spanish speech, in the scientific papers and in the Spanish media space, that is confirmed by the Spanish language database. Free interpretations of this term because of its absence in the main dictionaries do not help the society to understand the problem properly and eradicate it.