Abstract:

This paper aims to reflect and examine the relationship between the progress in the domain of ‘knowledge/education’ – both in terms of female empowerment and gender equality – and the levels of intimate partner violence (or domestic violence against spouses or the like) in Portugal. To achieve the purpose of the study, an essentially quantitative approach was used, based on a longitudinal analysis (from 2017 to 2019). The research, anchored on the ecological theory and empirically focusing on regional-level data, seeks to comparatively assess the seven Portuguese regions (NUTSII level).

Accordingly, several statistical indicators were mobilized for analysis, after discussing their potential to represent:
a) the level of gender inequality and the level of women's empowerment in the ‘knowledge/education’ domain and
b) the incidence of intimate partner violence in each one of the Portuguese regions under study.

Thus, starting from the analysis of statistics made available by official entities, this paper attempts to answer the following question: does the increase in women's empowerment and gender equality in the ‘knowledge/education’ domain at regional level leads to a reduction in the number of crimes of domestic violence reported to the police authorities?

Keywords:

Empowerment, Gender Equality, Intimate Partner Violence, Knowledge.