IN/EQUALITIES BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN PORTUGAL: OLD QUESTIONS, NEW CONTRADICTIONS?

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to explore the relationship between the levels of inequality between
women and men and the levels of domestic violence (DV) in Portugal. The seven Portuguese regions
(NUTS2 level) are comparatively analysed in order to verify whether the regional differences in terms
of inequality can be predictive of the perpetration of DV or help to explain the oscillations in the
number of occurrences recorded by the police authorities. The Female Disadvantage Index (FemDI)
results are used to measure inequality levels – FemDI is a composite indicator that aggregates data
from more than 30 simple indicators created to facilitate the monitoring of gender inequality in
European Union regions. The levels of DV in each Portuguese region, determined by own
calculations, are based on the number of crimes of 'domestic violence against spouses or similar
related individuals' recorded by police forces in 2017. Although no pattern was found that applies to
the seven Portuguese regions, the study shows that, in 2017, the two regions with lower levels of
inequality between women and men recorded less participation of DV against spouses or similar
related individuals for every thousand inhabitants (Centre and Alentejo regions). The paper also
draws attention to the need to look critically at the composition of FemDI and to explore in detail the
individual contribution of its seven dimensions to the final results of the index. By comparing the
scores of each dimension of FemDI with the levels of DV, it is possible to identify some contradictions
and disturbing paradoxes that, in general, draw attention to the need of developing, in the future, new
studies about hypothetical (inter)relationships between DV, inequality in the labour market and
inequality in education/knowledge.