Colonial Divestment and Gender-Based Violence in Puerto Rico: The Erosion of Public Institutions and Women's Safety

This study examines the relationship between colonial divestment (school closures, municipal funding cuts) and gender-based violence (GBV) in Puerto Rico. Analyzing administrative data across 13 judicial regions from 2017 to 2022, spatial analysis reveals regional GBV disparities. OLS regression models, accounting for spatial dependence, assess the impact of divestment on domestic violence crime rates and protective order requests/approvals, controlling for socioeconomic factors. Findings show divestment associated with increased rates of domestic violence crimes and protective order requests. Framed within decolonial theory, this research suggests that divestment in the form of school closures and funding cuts is associated with heightened GBV.