Published Paper Details:

Domestic violence against women is understand as a situation supported and reinforced by gender norms and values that place women in a subordinate position in relation to men. In other words, it is widely acknowledged that violence against women is fundamentally a result of gender-based inequities, more than the product of any other individual or social factor. Therefore, one would expect violence against women to be more common in societies where gender roles are strictly defined and particularly among couples where men control the wealth and the decision-making process. At the same time, women's empowerment is understood as the process and the result of defying and changing such gender inequities and unequal distribution of power associated to them. Empowerment, by definition, should give women access and control over necessary resources and power so that they can make informed decision and gain control over their lives. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that empowered women should be in a better position than the less empowered women to avoid or reject violence. In fact, diverse women's empowerment dimension such as freedom of movement, decision making power, formal education, participation in collective struggle or income generation have been hypothesized as element which protect women from domestic violence. Conclusions: Efforts to help women empower themselves through vocational training, employment opportunities and social groups need to consider the potential unintended consequences for these women, such as an increased risk of domestic violence.