Violence Against Women Overview

Principles

Definition

Violence against women is a critical, interdisciplinary field of academic inquiry dedicated to understanding the multifaceted nature of violence perpetrated against individuals on the basis of their gender, specifically targeting women and girls. It systematically investigates the historical, social, cultural, economic, and political determinants, manifestations, impacts, and prevention of such violence, highlighting its systemic character and profound implications for human rights, public health, and social equality.

Ontological type

Forms and Manifestations

Theoretical Frameworks

Prevention and Intervention

Key developments

Key Figures

Institutionalizing Gendered Violence era

Kimberlé W. Crenshaw [1] is a leading scholar whose work during this era is associated with the University of California, Los Angeles [3] and Cornell University [4]. Her key contribution was articulating intersectionality as a framework to understand violence against women of color, crystallized in Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color [7], which reframed how law, culture, and power shape experiences and policy in this era. Richard J. Gelles [2] is a central figure whose work in this era is linked with Harvard University [5] and Northwestern University [6]. His foundational empirical work, including Behind Closed Doors: Violence in the American Family [8], Intimate Violence in Families [9], and The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research [10], helped establish the scale and patterns of family violence and provided the empirical basis for institutional and service responses.

Ecological and Control Paradigm era

Lori Heise [1], associated with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine [3], helped anchor the ecological–coercive framing of violence against women within the Ecological and Control Paradigm era (1997-2009). Her key contributions include establishing cross-national prevalence insights from the WHO multi-country study in Prevalence of intimate partner violence: findings from the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence [5], shaping the field through Violence Against Women [6], and defining Interviewer Training in the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence [7], which together advanced measurement, ethical standards, and methodological rigor central to the era. Rachel Jewkes [2], affiliated with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine [3] and the University of London [4], helped propel the ecologically informed examination of gendered violence during this era. Her key contributions span Intimate partner violence: causes and prevention [8], Gender-based violence, relationship power, and risk of HIV infection in women attending antenatal clinics in South Africa [9], and Ethical and methodological issues in conducting research on gender-based violence in Southern Africa [10], which collectively advanced causal understanding, risk assessment, and ethical guidance for cross-national research.

Global Measurement and Prevention era

Karen Devries [1], a prominent researcher on violence against women, is associated with University College London [3] and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine [4] during the Global Measurement and Prevention era (2010-2023). Her key contributions include the 2013 Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence [7], The Global Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women [8], and the evidence that violence against women is strongly associated with suicide attempts [9], which established standardized prevalence estimates, health-risk linkages, and cross-country comparability that guided prevention priorities across health systems and legal reform. Naeemah Abrahams [2], affiliated with Stellenbosch University [5] and the University of the Western Cape [6], has contributed to violence against women research within the Global Measurement and Prevention era. Her work on the foundational 2013 papers Global and regional estimates of violence against women [7] and The Global Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women [8] helped establish standardized measurement and cross-country comparability that underpins monitoring, program evaluation, and prevention strategies across diverse populations in this era.