Special Issue of Violence against Women:

Gendered Violence, the State and the Individual. A Legal and Historical Approach

Guest editor: Sara Delmedico (University of Bologna)

“As most of the victims, Manuela was rendered invisible.” With these words, Judge Ricardo Pérez Manrique concluded his concurring opinion in the case Manuela et al. v. El Salvador, discussed before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and ended with the judgment of November 2, 2021. By providing a platform for interdisciplinary and international dialogue, this special issue aims to explore the various dimensions of gendered violence and the State’s role, thus illuminating the many invisibles, such as Manuela.
The notion of gender refers to a combination of characteristics fluctuating across time and cultures and revolving around identity and the image of one’s own self: it is “a complexity whose totality is permanently deferred” (Butler, 1990) and which varies across and within societies. Gendered violence may be experienced by anyone and is rooted in discrimination, inequality, and the idea of heteronormativity as the “natural” status quo. By uncovering gendered violence and the ambiguous societal and statal approaches that have led it to be considered a tolerable component of life until recent times, this special issue examines how and if violence, in its different forms and through its various means, is an expression of power and control over bodies and minds and affects health. In this context, the State has a critical role in combating, eradicating, and preventing, but also in perpetrating and perpetuating violence. This special issue encourages an evaluation, and reevaluation, of state obligations in protecting rights, preserving values, and achieving social justice through a gendered perspective, and aims to feature insights from diverse geographical areas, while also providing a comparative analysis of the State’s role in different cultural and political contexts.
Articles may address a wide range of topics related to gendered violence and the role of the State, including, but not limited to:

1. Gendered violence and legal frameworks
2. Law enforcement and judicial responses to gendered violence
3. Policies addressing gendered violence
4. Gendered violence and the impact of cultural and societal norms
5. Gendered violence and intersectionality
6. State, education, and awareness in preventing gendered violence
7. Gendered violence, the State, and the influence of technology and social
media
8. State and social support systems and services
9. International perspectives on and responses to gendered violence

Please send your proposed title and an abstract of your paper (100 words or less) together with a short bio by October 31, 2024, to sara.delmedico.2023@gmail.com.
Authors will be notified about the acceptance of their proposals on November 30, 2024. Invited authors must submit their manuscripts to Sara Delmedico by March 31, 2025. They will then be sent out for peer review.
Manuscripts should be in Times New Roman, 12-point font and double-spaced (2.0). They must follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition), and should not exceed 35 double-spaced pages (US Letter 8x11 inches), inclusive of all sections (i.e., abstract; main body; endnotes, if any; references; tables and figures, if any) .