ABSTRACT
Specialist police stations (also known as women's police stations) to respond to violence against women first emerged in South America in the 1980s. In the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, these stations were established as part of state efforts to restore police legitimacy, show adherence to international decrees and in response to calls for action by feminist groups. Continued legislative efforts to strengthen the state response to gender violence and other legislative changes led to the growth of women in policing along with the stations. This chapter presents the results of a world first study of the unique way Argentina's stations respond to and prevent gender violence. Undertaking research at ten stations, we found that they offer an integrated client-centric response from a multidisciplinary team of police, social workers, counsellors and lawyers. They undertake secondary prevention work in partnership with local bodies and primary prevention work to build trust and disrupt norms supporting gender violence. Evidence from Brazil shows death reduction rates and promotion of men's attitudes condemning violence in areas where there are specialist stations. Critically, specialist stations offer a structural solution to a structural problem of the masculine culture of police work, enabling access to justice and services.
