Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Gender Studies and Sexuality, 2024
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Gender and repression: “honour and virginity” pardons in Portugal during the Early Modern Period
Cláudia Sofia Bastos Carvalho Novais
ABSTRACT:
The presence of women in judicial institutions is considered reduced and was only highlighted in the role of victim or in the attribution of typical feminine crimes. In this sense, it seems pertinent to analyse the notarial pardons, in particular those designated as “honour and virginity” pardons. These consisted in the act in which the woman forgave the man for having “taken” her virginity, the main priority being to safeguard the woman’s honour. This analysis allows problematizing the concepts of gender, honour, violence, justice, crime, power, authority, control and female legal capacity. And in the same way, to understand the level of their performance, and whether they were passive or active agents in the process.
keywords: control; gender; justice; honor; women