The Civic Origins of Progressive Policy Change: Combating Violence against Women in Global Perspective, 1975–2005

Abstract

O ver the past four decades, violence against women (VAW) has come to be seen as a violation of human rights and an important concern for social policy. Yet government action remains uneven. Some countries have adopted comprehensive policies to combat VAW, whereas others have been slow to address the problem. Using an original dataset of social movements and VAW policies in 70 countries over four decades, we show that feminist mobilization in civil society-not intra-legislative political phenomena such as leftist parties or women in government or economic factors like national wealth-accounts for variation in policy development. In addition, we demonstrate that autonomous movements produce an enduring impact on VAW policy through the institutionalization of feminist ideas in international norms. This study brings national and global civil society into large-n explanations of social policy, arguing that analysis of civil society in general-and of social movements in particular-is critical to understanding progressive social policy change.V iolence against women is a global problem. Research from North America, Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia has found astonishingly high rates of sexual assault, stalking, trafficking, violence in intimate relationships, and other violations of women's bodies and psyches. These assaults violate human rights, undermine democratic transitions, harm children, and are tremendously costly. 1 Today, violence against women (VAW)

Analyzing Domestic Violence Behaviors in Their Contexts: Violence as a Continuation of Social Strategies by other Means

“…Putting these two forms of contextual analyses together is where the structures of social, cultural and political contexts meet the individual behaviors (Htun & Weldon, 2012). Even for socalled "intimate" and private behaviors within relationships between partners, such as common knowledge that secrets can and should be kept within relationships, the behaviors cannot maintain functionally without a wider societal acceptance and modeling.…”

“…Thus, we need to include these in our behavioral or contextual analysis of the behaviors of individuals, as pre-existing contexts (societal structures) utilized by the men-or pre-existing contingency structures if you will. This is reflected in a recent review by Htun and Weldon (2012) of global policy changes to reduce violence against women. They wrote:…”

Transnational Governance, Local Politics, and Gender Violence Law in Nicaragua

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“…In countries where new legislation to advance women's rights did pass, cross-national research has shown that the decisive factor was not the intervention of multilateral institutions but rather the work of vibrant grassroots feminist movements (Htun and Weldon 2012). Such movements are critical, not only because they place pressure on states, but also because they can 'translate' global human rights norms in culturally relevant ways, thereby countering accusations of 'imperialistic intervention,' and building local support for legal change (Figueroa and Barbeyto 2014;Merry 2006 (Sarmiento et al 2014).…”

Spatial imaginaries and collective identity in women’s human rights struggles in Honduras

“…This is a profound crisis in our way to do politics. This statement about feminists' spaces after the coup reveals the challenges the new political context in Honduras imposed because feminist organisations have generally proven to be fundamental to achieve equal rights and integrate women's rights into policy-making (Htun & Weldon, 2012). Their resources were constrained because to both react to the political crisis and continue with feminist politics proved demanding.…”