Of justice and family: the social impact of new legislation against gender violence among battered women in Mexico

Abstract

In Mexico, the newly adopted law against gender violence has had a symbolic impact on victims of intimate partner violence that stems from the power of the law to bring to light an experience of injustice that has been naturalized and normalized by tradition. Through a qualitative study, it was observed that the perceptions of what is fair or deserved (based on a notion of justice anchored in tradition) contrasts with the concept of law. This article analyses the symbolic effects of the new law, as well as the different meanings attributed to it in the testimonies of battered women in Mexico City. We believe this symbolic strength stems mostly from the influence of important cultural, demographic, and social changes in the nature of the family, in addition to the legitimacy it has achieved through the language of human rights.