Frames of violence: a reading on the pressures for the inclusion of violence against women in Brazilian public policies

Abstract

This article aims to identify and analyze the frames mobilized by feminist movements to address violence against women and discuss their influences on public policies. The theoretical and methodological framework comprises frames (Snow & Benford, 1992). The research material consists of articles published in the newspapers Folha de S. Paulo and O Globo during periods related to three state actions that sought to combat violence against women: i) the creation of the women’s police stations in 1985, ii) the Special Criminal Courts in 1995, and iii) the approval of Law 11.340, of 2006 (Maria da Penha Law). The results indicate that throughout the analyzed periods, a master frame, "violence against women," resonated in public opinion, and this issue was recognized as a problem by the state that established measures to confront the problem.