University Counseling and Guidance for the Prevention of GenderViolence

Abstract

Gender-based violence in Mexico is a national crisis, and the government has implemented measures to prevent,
penalize, and eradicate this issue. The General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free from Violence and
requests for Gender Violence Alerts have allowed state governments to develop action plans. In this context,
the Gender Studies Collective at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has proposed a
university counseling and guidance program for the prevention of gender-based violence. The objective of this
program is to raise awareness, train, and develop skills within the university community to provide support to
victims of gender-based violence. The training consists of both theoretical and practical elements and spans an
estimated 20 hours of training. This research employed a quantitative methodology, in a quasi-experimental,
cross-sectional, and prospective design, involving a captive university population of 53 professors with preand post-intervention evaluations. Results: When comparing the pre- and post-intervention evaluation results,
an improvement in gender knowledge and practical competencies of the participants was observed. The training
in university counseling and guidance for the prevention of gender-based violence had a positive impact on
skill development and knowledge, reflected in an increase in the percentages of excellent competency and a
decrease in the percentages of regular and deficient competency in the various evaluated areas.