The cross-national analysis of policies and services offers an innovative point of view to evaluate the role of the state, social movements, and supra-national bodies in fighting violence against women (VAW). By locating the starting point in time and grouping countries in temporal clusters, the article identifies the key actors of VAW policy-making in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. After discussing features of single countries, the article identifies common trends in VAW policies. In conclusion, the article raises more ambitious comparative questions: By looking at history, can we detect VAW ‘policy regimes’? Are there patently exceptional cases? And what is the actual role of the state in fighting VAW? The article argues that the state is a powerful instrument, on condition that it acts under pressure from or in combination with both independent social movements and supra-national bodies.