Applying a Gender Perspective to Defenses of Battered Women in Intimate Partner Homicides: Special Focus on Chile, Argentina, and Mexico

This research explores challenges in defending battered women who have killed abusive partners in Latin America, focusing on Chile, Argentina, and Mexico. Key issues include cases in which courts failed to consider these women’s experiences and perspectives, reliance on "Battered Woman Syndrome," and ambiguity between justification and excuse defenses. To address these challenges, this study advocates for integrating a gender perspective in defense assessments and suggests incorporating U.S. standards compatible with this approach, creating a framework that acknowledges the unique experiences of abused women and aligns with Latin American judges’ obligations to uphold the rights to equality and non-discrimination.