Protecting Women from Domestic Violence

“Domestic violence is the most ubiquitous constant in women’s lives around the world. There is virtually no place where it is not a significant problem, and women of no race, class, or age are exempt from its reach” -Joni Seager

Abstract: Domestic violence against women is a social problem that occurs in nearly every corner of the world. Recently, some states have begun to recognize that women must be protected from abuse by family members and intimates. While policies and practices designed to protect women have emerged in a number of countries, many lag behind on the issue. This paper will examine the causal factors behind the variation in protection for women. The literature on women and politics suggests that women’s representation may increase the level of protection against domestic violence because female legislators are more likely to put women’s issues on the agenda and make policy choices that benefit their sex. Alternatively, the culture of a state may determine whether the society supports rights for women, including protection from domestic violence. A variety of statistics indicating women’s representation and culture were gathered for analysis. Using bi variate correlation and multiple regression, the theories were tested against each other in an attempt to determine the cause of variation in levels of protection. The findings suggest that both women’s representation and culture are significantly correlated to level of protection. Because the number of women in elected office influences protection to a greater extent than culture, improving women’s representation appears to be an important factor in fighting the domestic violence problem.

THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM

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[3] For data source, see UN. The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000.

[4] For data source, see World Development Indicators, 2003

[5] For data source, see UN, The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000.

[6] For data sources, see Kamerman, Neuman, Waldfogel and Brooks-Gunn. “Social Policies, Family Types and Child Outcomes in Selected OECD Countries.” OECD, 2003.

Luxembourg Income Study, 1997; expert opinion

[7] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003.

[8] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003.

[9] For data source, see The World Bank Statistics, 2001

[10] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003.