Legislation on violence against women: overview of key components

This study aimed to determine if legislation on violence against women (VAW) worldwide contains key components recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the United Nations (UN) to help strengthen VAW prevention and provide better integrated victim protection, support, and care. A systematic search for VAW legislation using international legal databases and other electronic sources plus data from previous research identified 124 countries/territories with some type of VAW legislation. Full legal texts were found for legislation from 104 countries/territories. Those available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish were downloaded and compiled and the selection criteria applied (use of any of the common terms related to VAW, including intimate partner violence (IPV), and reference to at least two of six sectors (education, health, judicial system, mass media, police, and social services) with regard to VAW interventions (protection, support, and care). A final sample from 80 countries/territories was selected and analyzed for the presence of key components recommended by PAHO and the UN (reference to the term "violence against women" in the title; definitions of different types of VAW; identification of women as beneficiaries; and promotion of (reference to) the participation of multiple sectors in VAW interventions). Few countries/territories specifically identified women as the beneficiaries of their VAW legislation, including those that labeled their legislation "domestic violence" law ( n = 51), of which only two explicitly mentioned women as complainants/survivors. Only 28 countries/territories defined the main forms of VAW (economic, physical, psychological, and sexual) in their VAW legislation. Most highlighted the role of the judicial system, followed by that of social services and the police. Only 28 mentioned the health sector. Despite considerable efforts worldwide to strengthen VAW legislation, most VAW laws do not incorporate the key recommended components. Significant limitations were found in the legislative content, its application, and the extent to which it provided women with integrated protection, support, and care. In developing new VAW legislation, policymakers should consider the vital role of health services.

Impacto y consecuencias sociales contemporáneas de las políticas de tutela estatal en las reservas indígenas canadienses

Este artículo tiene como objetivo examinar el impacto y las consecuencias sociales contemporáneas del mantenimiento del sistema de organización social denominado «reserva indígena» en Canadá. Mediante un estudio de caso, se explora cómo la política organizacional y la estructura institucional contemporánea en las reservas indígenas canadienses están alimentando problemas psicosociales y de salud mental como, por ejemplo, abuso de sustancias psicoactivas, depresión, negligencia parental o violencia doméstica. Tres características estructurales se identifican como problemas inherentes en la estructura organizacional de las reservas contemporáneas: el desempleo estructural, la dependencia de programas de asistencia social y el faccionalismo comunitario.

Perfil sociodemográfico del feminicidio en España y su relación con las denuncias por violencia de pareja

Objetivo: Analizar las características asociadas al riesgo de feminicidio en España entre mujeres expuestas a la violencia de pareja o análogo y su posible asociación con las denuncias a los agresores. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles para el periodo 2010-2011. Los casos, 135 mujeres mayores de edad, asesinadas por su pareja o análogo durante dicho periodo, se identificaron a través de la página web de la Federación de Asociaciones de Mujeres Separadas y Divorciadas, y de los informes del Consejo General del Poder Judicial. Los controles, 185 mujeres expuestas a la violencia de pareja el último año, proceden de la Macroencuesta de Violencia de Género 2011. La asociación entre la denuncia y el riesgo de feminicidio se estimó mediante modelos de regresión logística multivariada. Resultados: No se encontró asociación entre denunciar al agresor y el riesgo de ser asesinada (odds ratio [OR]: 1,38; intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC95%]: 0,68-2,79). Las mujeres inmigrantes expuestas a la violencia de pareja registraron una mayor probabilidad de ser asesinadas (ref.: mujeres españolas; OR: 5,38; IC95%: 2,41-11,99). Esta asociación también se observó en las mujeres que vivían en zonas rurales (ref: zonas urbanas; OR: 2,94; IC95%: 1,36-6,38). Conclusiones: La denuncia judicial al agresor no parece modificar el riesgo de asesinato entre las mujeres expuestas a la violencia de pareja. Las medidas de protección a las mujeres deberían extremarse en las mujeres inmigrantes y las que viven en el medio rural.

Social and immigration factors in intimate partner violence among Ecuadorians, Moroccans and Romanians living in Spain

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women occurs in all countries, all cultures and at every level of society; however, some populations may be at greater risk than others. The aim of this study was to explore IPV prevalence among Ecuadorian, Moroccan and Romanian immigrant women living in Spain and its possible association with their personal, family, social support and immigration status characteristics. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 1607 adult immigrant women residing in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia (2011). Prevalence rates and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were calculated, with current IPV being the outcome. Different women’s personal (demographic), family, social support and immigration status characteristics were considered as explicative and control variables. All analyses were separated by women’s country of origin. Results: Current IPV prevalence was 15.57% in Ecuadorians, 10.91% in Moroccans and 8.58% in Romanians. Some common IPV factors were found, such as being separated and/or divorced. In Romanians, IPV was also associated with lack of social support [AOR 5.96 (1.39–25.62)] and low religious involvement [AOR 2.17 (1.06–4.43)]. The likelihood of current IPV was lower among women without children or other dependants in this subgroup [AOR 0.29 (0.093–0.92)]. Conclusion: The IPV prevalence rates obtained for Moroccan, Romanian and Ecuadorian women residing in Spain were similar. Whereas the likelihood of IPV appeared to be relatively evenly distributed among Moroccan and Ecuadorian women, it was higher among Romanian women in socially vulnerable situations related to family responsibilities and the lack of support networks. The importance of intervention in the process of separation and divorce was common to all women.

Carbon-supported ionic liquids as innovative adsorbents for CO2 separation from synthetic flue-gas

Fixed-bed thermodynamic CO2 adsorption tests were performed in model flue-gas onto Filtrasorb 400 and Nuchar RGC30 activated carbons (AC) functionalized with [Hmim][BF4] and [Emim][Gly] ionic liquids (IL). A comparative analysis of the CO2 capture results and N2 porosity characterization data evidenced that the use of [Hmim][BF4], a physical solvent for carbon dioxide, ended up into a worsening of the parent AC capture performance, due to a dominating pore blocking effect at all the operating temperatures. Conversely, the less sterically-hindered and amino acid-based [Emim][Gly] IL was effective in increasing the AC capture capacity at 353 K under milder impregnation conditions, the beneficial effect being attributed to both its chemical affinity towards CO2 and low pore volume reduction. The findings derived in this work outline interesting perspectives for the application of amino acid-based IL supported onto activated carbons for CO2 separation under post-combustion conditions, and future research efforts should be focused on the search for AC characterized by optimal pore size distribution and surface properties for IL functionalization.