‘Entre duas mulheres isso não acontece’ – Um estudo exploratório sobre violência conjugal lésbica

Abstract

Studies of domestic violence usually assume a heterosexual orientation, and as such effectively reinforce the invisibility of violence between members of the same sex in the context of an intimate relationship. In the case of lesbian conjugal violence, there are also discriminatory factors present. Hence, it is imperative to recognise and study this phenomenon in order to permit more appropriate political and social intervention. The aims of this article are threefold. Firstly, it reviews the main theoretical contributions to the subject of conjugal violence between women on the international level. This is followed by a thematic analysis based on an exploratory empirical study carried out in the Portuguese context, designed to identify the experiences, representations and needs of the lesbian community with regard to the subject of domestic violence. Finally, suggestions are made for theoretical, institutional and political intervention, based on the points raised in the preceding sections.

Keywords

• conjugal violence between women
• crimes against women
• domestic violence
• homosexuality
• lesbian victims
• social representations