This article deals with violence against women, while it focuses on the condition of gender as a central category of analysis for understanding the dynamics of this phenomenon. Initially, it locates the historical precedence of the construction of this field of study and research within the social sciences, particularly sociology, from a feminist viewpoint. In the sequel, it highlights the institutional places where this social phenomenon is received, as Specialized Police Stations for Women (Deam's), which started in the 1980s, and health areas, that from the 1990s onwards have intensified. Finally, it underlines the legal framework of Maria da Penha Law (n.º11.340, of August 7, 2006), its advancements and its effective application.
violence against women; gender violence; institutional violence; Maria da Penha Law