Violence against women (VAW) has become an issue for public action and a subject of controversy and debate in the public arena. The occurrences of VAW are – at least in part – reported by public authorities and public policies are designed to combat it, by means of prevention campaigns, setting up of shelters or counselling services. All these measures bring together a range of institutional and non-institutional actors. VAW is furthermore the focus of specific laws, but we know little about the emergence of the regulation of VAW in Switzerland.