Examining the prevalent issue of domestic violence, this book breaks down the reasons behind the ineffectiveness of existing human rights instruments and the gaps in current legal systems failing those in need. Through a variety of key case studies, it reveals significant gaps in the legal conceptualisation of domestic violence between human rights standards on the one hand and the national legal systems examined—those of Ireland and Lithuania—on the other. The book reveals that, contrary to gender-based universal human rights approaches and despite recent legislative reforms, the legal concept of domestic violence is gender-blind. It fails to capture gender-based empirical realities on the ground, rendering national legal systems devoid of an empirically informed theoretical basis for addressing the problem. Despite the differences in the contextual backgrounds of the two case study countries, the legislation on domestic violence is underpinned by patriarchal beliefs in both. This book employs a gender-based examination of the issue that will be of key interest to scholars, legal practitioners, civil society actors, and students of feminist legal theory, gender equality, gender in international law, gender and human rights and conceptual democracy.

Rebecca J. Cook and the contributors to this volume seek to analyze how international human rights law applies specifically to women in various cultures worldwide, and to develop strategies to promote equitable application of human rights law at the international, regional, and domestic levels. Their essays present a compelling mixture of reports and case studies from various regions in the world, combined with scholarly assessments of international law as these rights specifically apply to women.

Provides a comprehensive, critical, and case-focused introduction to family law. Hayes & Williams' Family Law helps students to gain a firm understanding of family law principles, the developing law, and key reform debates.

Claude E. Welch, Jr.

Rev. ed. of: Family law principles, policy, and practice. 2nd ed. c1999.

​​​​Social workers, in whatever capacity they work, can expect to come into contact with women who have experienced/are experiencing violence and with women who are experiencing depression. Therefore, a range of social work supports and interventions are required in order to meet the needs of diverse women and assist them in their recovery. One of these methods is group work where women can share their experiences, learn from each other, reflect on their learnings and identify and achieve changes in their circumstances. This book is based on original research by the author that sought to understand depression in women from a feminist and gender-informed perspective, develop a feminist-based group work response, and highlight the activities of consciousness-raising and resistance as methods for women to achieve change in their lives and in their selves. An innovative and creative group work program, the Women’s Journaling Group Program, was developed from this research and provides a new method of working with women who have experienced/are experiencing violence and mild-moderate depression. The Women’s Journaling Group Program is research-informed, theoretically-grounded, practice-based and feminist and gender-focused. This book, and the program model within it, is an important contribution to the field of critical feminist social work practice.​

This book offers a critical examination of the ethical and moral challenges in conducting research about domestic abuse or sexual violence from the perspectives of studentpractitioners and novice researchers within various professional disciplines, offering rich insights based on the experiences of each author. Including the research expertise of academics in this field and importantly, the experiences of student-practitioners in conducting their research, the book explores practice-informed research and research-informed practice, in relation to the examination of a range of issues and themes related to DA and SV. All contributors consider the challenges and reflect on the salient issues related to their ethical research, and with some of the research conducted during the global pandemic of COVID-19, they also reflect on these additional challenges and how they sought to address them. The reader is invited to consider the different national and international, gendered, cultural, and social contexts of DA and SV from early childhood to old age. With a constant thread of critical reflection, they are encouraged to think about their own positionality to the unfolding discussions within each chapter, and how these may relate to their professional practice, their research, and their professional values. Overall, the book sets out to (1) articulate the dominant theoretical frameworks that have sought to offer explanations about domestic abuse and sexual violence within the research problems presented by the student-practitioners, (2) evaluate the significance of the legislation and policy provision within the UK in service provision and interventions for victims and perpetrators, (3) showcase best practice examples of research studies on domestic abuse and sexual violence based on the experiences of studentpractitioners, (4) promote a critical appraisal of the self and the positionality of the practitioner as researcher, through reflection on their personal and professional development, and (5) reflect on the impact of the shadow pandemic on the experiences of vulnerable individuals and the challenges of conducting research ethically and safely. This is essential reading for students either currently engaged in or with aspirations to work in professional practice in the DA and SV sectors. It is also useful for students on related graduate MA professional courses, practitioners in social work, health care, criminal justice, counselling, and particularly in the multi-faceted ‘women’s sector’. It will also appeal to final-year students undertaking primary research in social work, health care, women’s studies, and criminology.

This book aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to the subject of domestic violence and its interaction with the criminal justice system- including agencies such as the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the probation service and Children's Services, the courts and the prison service, as well as voluntary agencies such as Women's Aid. The book also looks at how these various agencies work together at a local level and the coordinating role of the Home Office and the direction provided at a central level. Domestic Violence and Criminal Justice examines the phenomenon of domestic violence, the various forms it takes and the theories that have been put forward to explain it. It takes an historical approach to examine policy and legislative developments over the last forty years and how those developments make themselves manifest today. The authors provide an authoritative and critical account of the different agencies and the work they carry out both independently and jointly; they also consider the limits of a crime centred response to domestic violence. The book provides a conceptual framework in which domestic violence and criminal justice might be better understood. It covers all the current issues in this field and it will be a 'source book' in directing readers to further reading. It will be essential reading for both students and practitioners in the field.

Legal empowerment is a powerful tool for reducing poverty. It gives people the knowledge, skills, and confidence to participate in development projects. It promotes inclusive growth, which reduces poverty by building people's capacity to improve their lives. Inclusive growth is a goal of Strategy 2020, which guides the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its mission to promote gender equality, empower women, and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The publication presents the findings of a project funded by ADB, carried out by The Asia Foundation, and conducted in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pakistan. The project aimed to identify and test legal empowerment strategies that increase access to basic social services, productive resources, and opportunities by women and other disadvantaged groups and to incorporate legal empowerment initiatives into mainstream development projects.

Offers the first-ever comprehensive treatment under international law of the foundational human right to life.