Domestic violence is a gender-related offense in both traditional and modern society. In many countries women are victims of harmful and violent practices because of traditional or religious customs, and even in countries that have criminalized these practices, the law alone cannot change the situation. Violence against women in society and within the family is related to the problem of women's oppression in both developing and developed countries. Available information indicates that women in the developing countries are at a greater risk of various forms of victimization related both to traditional gender inequality and to changes in gender roles brought about by modernity. State intervention in this area should involve the enforcement of provisions that are not limited to penal sanctions but also include compensatory and civil solutions, victim support measures, education and information programs, and mass media awareness campaigns. Table, notes