Domestic violence is a major cause of social exclusion and human rights violations affecting millions of human beings around the world, making them victims of murder, physical, sexual and psychological violence, subjected to humiliation and various types of abuse.The vast majority of these acts of violence are committed against women in intimate relationships. In recent decades, the reflection produced by multiple studies has challenged and encouraged international organizations and governments to develop measures to prevent and combat the phenomenon. However, despite some important steps taken and innovative legal frameworks, there is still a large gap between the law and practice. This chapter presents a critical analysis of the phenomenon considering three dimensions: the contribution of theoretical approaches to its social and political unveiling and to the development of new conceptual paradigms; the evolution of the international political and legal agenda; and, based on the experiences of two countries, Portugal and East Timor, the challenges to public policies and the role of the courts in preventing and combating domestic violence against women.