Violence Against Women in Spain: Notes for Erradication

Abstract

Gender-based violence is a controversial issue, a grabber of media covers and a social problem on a global scale. Its in-depth study to try to provide guidelines that lead Spain to eliminate this violence, is what this work aims to do. From the conceptualization and differentiation between sex and gender, we will unravel the causes of this endemic problem and we will study its historical origin carefully. We will offer a detailed perspective of the Spanish case, as well as an intercountry comparison to illustrate the phenomenon more representatively. We will specifically attend to a series of practices, due to their importance and gravity as a paradigm of violence against women: female genital mutilation, prostitution and human trafficking. The strengths and weaknesses of the Spanish case on the matter will be explained through the legal analysis of Law 1/2004 and the Istanbul Convention. Finally, by way of pro positional conclusions, we urge the public powers to carry out a series of measures that we consider essential to stop sexist violence, from taking into account and complying with the agenda proposed by the feminist movement to the constitutional protection of women, forcing them to fight against gender-based violence.