African American Women and Violence in the United States

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action highlight violence against women as a critical area of concern. Since 1995, feminist sociologists have made strides in researching subgroups of women and their differential risk for violence, as well as noting the types of violence that they experience, be it at the hands of intimate partners, their families, strangers, or the state, and the lack of an effective response by legislators, legal institutions, and service providers. This presentation will cover my research on violence experienced by African American women in the United States in an effort to inform research and policy in the MENA region.