Gender violence and residential exclusion: oversights and gaps in the comprehensive care of victims

Abstract

Introduction and objectives. Despite the large deployment of resources in the attention to gender violence, there are women who do not access or remain in specialized resources, often receiving violence in the institutional response. This article is based on the study carried out between 2022 and 2023, which explores how male violence and residential exclusion overlap from a gender and intersectional approach in the context of the Balearic Islands. Methods. Based on 41 interviews with professionals working in the field of residential exclusion and/or violence against women, and 19 interviews with women in a situation of residential exclusion, the reality and experiences are analyzed through their own narratives, which allows a deeper and more authentic understanding of the complexities surrounding female residential exclusion and how to address it from the intervention. Results. It is identified that the greater the normalization of people, the higher the quality of the resource that serves them and, therefore, the greater the probability of recovery and social integration, in violation of the obligations regarding protection and care for all women victims of gender-based violence and gender-based violence, as set out in regional, state and international legislation. Contributions. Therefore, institutional responses designed from an intersectional perspective are necessary in order to avoid making the reality of these women invisible and to be able to attend to them regardless of the axes of oppression that affect them.