Gendered policy and policy on gender: the case of 'domestic violence'

The notion of policy can easily appear as gender-neutral, yet processes of policy formation and implementation are informed by presumptions about gender. In this article an analytical framework to identify and critique presumptions about gender and policy is developed, through a focus on the policy problem of 'domestic violence'. Three gendered processes in policy construction are considered: gendering the naming and defining of violence; the absent presence of men's practices; and gendering the locations and contexts of violence. We propose gender analysis and gendering of analysis that include critical engagement with men's practices, as a basis for informing the development of policies per se.