From Neutral to Integral: A Feminist Analysis of Domestic Violence as a World of Work Issue

Event Description

Domestic violence has long been regarded as a private matter, excluded from the purview of employment law. However, the last two decades have seen a shift toward recognizing it as a workplace issue, as reflected in the adoption of domestic violence leave laws in Argentina and Canada. Despite this progress, crucial questions remain about how employment laws conceptualize domestic violence as a workplace issue and what underlying assumptions shape this understanding. I argue that emerging legal approaches are based on a partial perception of the intersections between domestic violence and work. 

Through a feminist lens, I propose broadening this understanding by integrating the dimension of gender inequality. Specifically, I examine how domestic violence prevents women’s equal participation in employment and how workplaces perpetuate gender inequality, thereby fostering conditions conducive to domestic violence. This broader perspective calls for rethinking the role of workplaces, recognizing that they are not just part of the solution but also part of the problem of domestic violence.

Abstract

Speaker

Sofia Cornejo is a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia, Peter A. Allard School of Law (UBC). Her research focuses on domestic violence leave and other employment law mechanisms addressing domestic violence as a world of work issue. Through a comparative analysis, Sofia critically examines how laws conceptualize domestic violence as a workplace issue and the implications for diverse groups of women. 

In addition to her doctoral research, Sofia serves as the graduate representative on the Centre for Feminist Legal Studies Steering Committee.