Violence against women on borders: The twin Cities of Corumbá (Porto Quijaro) and Ponta Porã (Pedro Juan Caballero)

Abstract

The present paper deals with two specific state policies interfaces to contemplate the border and violence against women, due to field research held in the year 2014 in the twin cities located in the Brazilian border line. The scope chosen on the research was to ascertain whether there is integration of these policies, if they contemplate the reality of the border population, and if they adequately serve this population. It was applied a qualitative exploratory study, in which we used literature and data collection in official agencies, interviews with professionals in the treatment of women network in Brazil and neighboring countries, as well as visits to the respective government agencies on both sides of the Brazilian border. For the effectiveness of preventive and repressive actions against women violence, it is essential the service network articulation, which is something that becomes a little more complex in dry border regions because this articulation must necessarily contemplate the neighboring country. The research shows that international cooperation is one of the paths needed to ensure the effectiveness of public policies of women protection in the border region, because violence against women has no borders or nationality.