Abstract:
The objective of the study was to study the experiences of women who kill their intimate partner and the relation between patriarchy and the experiences of women who kill their intimate partner. The study uses feminist perspective and qualitative methodology. Case studies were done by in-depth interviews and data was collected from 9 female prisoners in the Women Correctional Institution, Bangkok. The results of the study are summarized below. Killing experiences can be divided into 2 patterns. First, women who have accepted they killed their intimate partner, and second women who have refused to accept they killed their intimate partner, but were accused. The women in the first group decided to kill their intimate partner because they were being oppressed and controlled by the partner for a long time. They were being victimized repeatedly, and had been suffering until they could not stand it. So they decided to kill their intimate partner to stop the problem. And women in the second group were being victimized by their intimate partner too, but they never thought about or intended to kill their intimate partner. Every women in the study has experienced being victimized, including violence against women, abusing, disparaging, neglecting, threatening, property controlling, being unfaithful by the intimate partner, and having the intimate partner attempt to kill them. Women who were being victimized had tried to manage the problem, which included enduring, combating, negotiating, living separately and divorce, but they still could not stop the problem. The results show that the patriarchal system has influenced every aspect of the womens lives. The patriarchal system has oppressed and controlled these womens lives, including action, ideology, and subjectivity, which also influenced the decision to kill their intimate partner. Deciding to kill their intimate partner was not derived from subjectivity, but they decide to act because of trying to stop the problem and they did not have choice and power. Recommendations from this study are to eliminate the oppression and control on women. Society should eliminate patriarchal ideology and create a new ideology to eliminate sexism. Also, the state should support and help women who are being victimized.