Gender equality remains elusive in a society that claims otherwise. Learned helplessness and financial dependence are both linked to traditional gender roles and norms for behavior. Domestic abuse has long been considered a "private" issue: one that rarely surfaces until the problem escalates into ancillary issues including alcohol and drug abuse that demand help seeking (Macy et al. nd). Because of the stigma surrounding victims of domestic violence and because of the lack of sufficient social censuring of domestic violence, women who seek counseling for a substance abuse problems are unlikely to bring up their domestic violence issues. In extreme cases, battered women syndrome leads to what should be a preventable murder. Ratifying initiatives like CEDAW sends a clear message: no maltreatment of women is tolerable under any circumstances. Public funding for a nationwide support...

Instead of waiting for battered woman syndrome, women should be able to avail themselves of legal and social services, regardless of their financial or immigration status.