Applying intersectionality to partnerships between women’s organizations and the criminal justice system in relation to domestic violence

Abstract

The challenges facing domestic violence (DV) survivors has become the subject of a growing body of intersectional analysis; this paper presents a new intersectional framework for analysing DV policy and practice. Examining a partnership between women’s sector organizations and the criminal justice system in London, using interviews with professionals from the bodies, the paper offers an intersectional analysis of the implications, positive and negative, for both policy and practice. The complex interplay between women’s sector organizations and the criminal justice system demonstrate how the intersections of gender, class, ‘race’ and immigration status affect the way DV survivors are able to access and benefit from support, concluding that, to operate more effectively, DV support must consider all forms of oppression and violence affecting the lives of all their users.