The purpose of this paper is to critically interrogate the concepts of gender violence regime and violence regime, and how societal welfare state regimes and gender regimes translate, or do not translate, into gender violence regimes or violence regimes. Taking violence as the point of departure, this paper addresses violence as problem with many contested meanings and politics. Welfare state regime research (Esping-Andersen 1990, 1992), including that on gender welfare regimes (e.g. Lewis 1992; Sainsbury 1999), has generated different frames, for understanding the problem of violence. It is argued that some welfare regimes are more women-friendly than others. However, empirical bases for these conclusions often exclude violence; welfare state regime research has thereby overlooked one of the most substantial, deep-rooted causes and consequences of gendered inequalities. The question is, is assumptions of women-friendliness turned upside down when gender-based violence is taken into account?