Violence against women (VAW) remains one of the most persistent and systemic manifestations of gender inequality, posing significant challenges to human rights, public health, and democratic governance. Despite international commitments and national efforts to combat it, progress remains uneven and fragmented. While substantial legislative advancements have been made, institutional and political barriers continue to hinder effective action. Women's movements have played a central role in placing this issue on political agendas, advocating for legal and policy reforms, raising public awareness, and holding governments accountable. However, translating advocacy into institutionalized policy remains a contested and complex process. Therefore, understanding how it becomes a policy is essential to addressing these barriers. Examining how this issue emerges as a policy priority requires examining both external advocacy efforts and internal legislative dynamics. While existing research has examined the importance of feminist mobilization and partisan competition in advancing gender policies, much of the literature has focused on broad institutional trends rather than the micro-level mechanisms through which advocacy, discourse, and political competition interact. Moreover, limited attention has been given to how related legislation evolves from consensus-building efforts to sites of political contestation, particularly in contexts where gender equality policies are increasingly polarized. Addressing these gaps requires examining the interactions between advocacy efforts and legislative processes that influence policymaking. This doctoral thesis investigates the political and institutional processes that shape VAW policymaking, focusing on the interactions between women's movements and legislators, both key actors in placing gender violence on the political agenda and shaping legislation. It develops a comprehensive framework that integrates theories of social movements, public policy, and gender studies. The analysis centers on how women's movements navigate institutional constraints, mobilize resources, and engage with policymakers to advance related legislation. Additionally, it explores how political competition and ideological divisions shape legislative debates and influence the institutionalization of policies against such violence. By highlighting both advocacy strategies and legislative dynamics, this thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of how feminist claims can be translated into public policy. The investigation is structured across three articles, each contributing a distinct perspective on the relationship between feminist mobilization, legislative debates, and policy outcomes. The first article examines the internal dynamics of women's movements, focusing on leadership structures and organizational conditions that enable or constrain their effectiveness. The second article explores how women's movements strategically leverage evidence to influence policymaking by analyzing how advocacy groups construct arguments, gain access to policymaking spaces, and shape public discourse. The third article investigates how party competition and ideological conflict shape VAW policymaking, highlighting how parliamentary debates and electoral incentives contribute to either consensus-building or policy fragmentation. Empirically, this thesis draws on cases from Mexico and Spain to offer complementary perspectives on how different political and institutional contexts influence the trajectory of such policies.
From Advocacy to Legislation: Feminist Mobilization, Political Contestation, and the Making of Violence Against Women Policy
Gutiérrez Zárate, L. (Author). 23 Sept 2025
Student thesis: Doctoral thesis
Student thesis: Doctoral thesis