Protest, Policy, and the Problem of Violence against Women: A Cross-National Comparison

by S. Laurel Weldon

Overview

Violence against women is one of the most insidious social ills facing the world today. Yet governmental response is inconsistent, ranging from dismissal to aggressive implementation of policies and programs to combat the problem. In her comparative study of thirty-six democratic governments, Laurel Weldon examines the root causes and consequences of the differences in public policy from Northern Europe to Latin America.

She reveals that factors that often influence the development of social policies do not determine policies on violence against women. Neither economic level, religion, region, nor the number of women in government determine governmental responsiveness to this problem. Weldon demonstrates, for example, that Nordic governments take no more action to combat violence against women than Latin American governments, even though the Swedish welfare state is often considered a leader in social policy, particularly with regard to women’s issues.

Instead, the presence of independently organized, active women’s movements plays a greater role in placing violence against women on the public agenda. The breadth and scope of governmental response is greatly enhanced by the presence of an office dedicated to promoting women’s status.

Weldon closes with practical lessons and insights to improve government action on violence against women and other important issues of social justice and democracy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780822957744
Publisher:	University of Pittsburgh Press
Publication date:	02/07/2002
Edition description:	1
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.12(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

S. Laurel Weldon is an assistant professor of political science at Purdue University.

Table of Contents

	List of Tables and Figures	ix
	Preface	xi
1.	Introduction: From Protest to Policy	1
2.	Culture, Development, Parties, and Policies on Violence Against Women	29
3.	Social Movements and Policies to Address Violence Against Women	61
4.	The Effect of Women in Government on Policies on Violence Against Women	87
5.	Sexing the State: The Impact of Political Institutions on Policies on Violence Against Women	105
6.	Social Movements, Political Institutions, and Public Policies on Violence Against Women	138
7.	Social Structures and Public Policy	165
8.	Responding to Violence Against Women: Practical Lessons for Democrats, Feminists, and Policymakers	194
Appendix A	Compilation of Studies and Reports of Violence Against Women in Stable Democracies	211
Appendix B	Notes on Method and Measurement	218
Appendix C	List of Sources by Country	227
	Notes	235
	References	243
	Index	279

Editorial Reviews

In recent decades, women’s movements have mobilized in a range of contexts in order to press for international and national governmental responses to violence against women. Despite the scope of such activity in the public realm, there has been relatively little scholarly analysis of cross-national variations in governmental responses to the problem of violence against women. Laurel Weldon’s study is an important response to this scholarly gap in both the fields of policy studies and of women and politics. . . . will be use to a wide range of scholars, policymakers and activists interested in a broad comparative perspective on the problem of violence against women.”
—Journal of the APSA

From the Publisher

Comparing government responsiveness to violence against women in 36 countries, Weldon (political science, Purdue U.) finds that the form and strength of social movements and political institutions determine that responsiveness. From that she generalizes to examine the impact of social structures on the policy process. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews