Women as Victims or Perpetrators of Violence: An International Perspective

This workshop aims to gain a better understanding of how women experience or shape the nature of violence and victims in different cultural, social and economic contexts. Researchers and practitioners from both the Global South and the Global North will examine the intersections of gender, culture and violence; agency, context and legal issues; and aspects of resistance, resilience, coping and recovery.

Globally, women are often presented primarily as victims of gender-based violence, whether in the home, the workplace or institutions, or in the context of conflicts, wars, and banditry/terrorism, among others. Scholars and international organisations have revealed much about women as victims, while scant attention is paid to the flip side − women as perpetrators of violence. Considering both dimensions enables us to take into account the social context of perpetrating violence and becoming a victim of violence. Data shows that violence against women mostly occurs in intimate partnerships, in conflict settings, during rape, and in institutions (World Health Organisation 2025)¹ . One other neglected area in scholarship is how experiences of violence, either as victims or perpetrators, vary across different contexts around the globe. 
This workshop aims to gain a better understanding of how women experience or shape the nature of violence and victims in different cultural, social and economic contexts, with presentation from both the Global South and the Global North. Presentations will examine and illuminate the following issues and topics: 

• the intersections of gender, culture and violence; 
• the complex experiences of women as victims on the one hand, and perpetrators on the other hand;
• agency, context and legal issues in the handling and treatment of women as victims and perpetrators of violence;
• resistance, resilience, coping and recovery issues including the many manifestations of violence.
   _{¹ World Health Organization (2025). Violence against women prevalence estimates, 2023: global, regional and national prevalence estimates for intimate partner violence against women and non-partner sexual violence against women. World Health Organization. iris.who.int/handle/10665/383559. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO}

The programme will be available soon.

Further information (Link)