Gender-Based Violence

This paper is an attempt to investigate role of socio-economic and cultural variables in physical violence (ever physically hurt by somebody other than husband) among 15-49 age groups women (ever married & unmarried) in India. The analysis uses NFHS-3 (National Family Health Survey-3) data of India. The result depicts a fair picture of association between physical violence and socio-economic & cultural variables. The binary logistic regression model shows that there is a statistically significant relation of physical violence with highest level of education, Household structure, Age, place of residence, Caste and socio-economic condition. Though we found physical violence persist across socio-economic and cultural categories but prevalence of physical violence was high among SC (Schedule caste) category women and those who belong to low income-group families. Thus, this paper will help policy-makers to know the role of demographic and socio-cultural factors in physical violence among 15-49 aged women in India.

The autonomy of the woman emerges as a central and separate dimension to consider in understanding health behavior. In fact, several authors have highlighted its influence on the use of maternal health care in developing countries. However, if the individual autonomy is relevant, it nevertheless deserves to be placed and analyzed within the social context in which the woman lives. Not only the social context and their norms have a direct influence on the use of care, but in addition, it shapes and structures the women autonomy. Using DHS data from Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, we measure the norms related to violence against women and assess their impact on women autonomy. Confirmatory Factor Analysis show a good model fits for the measure of the latent variable related to violence against women (Cronbach's alpha > 0.8; RMSEA <0.04 and CFI>=0.96). In addition, controlling for women attitudes toward wife beating, we found that women who live in area where acceptance of wife beating is high are more likely to be of low autonomy.

This study investigates the cause-effect relationship between bridewealth and domestic violence in two domains of women’s lives (contraception and women’s personal economic activities). It also examines domestic violence at different levels of bridewealth payment using the “vignette experimental” method with a sample of 276 women in rural areas. The general linear model and multiple linear regression results show a significant of bridewealth on domestic violence. On the other hand, the results also show that the effect of bridewealth on domestic violence does not differ between the domains of women’s behaviours. Domestic violence was also found to be associated more with full bridewealth payment than with no bridewealth paid. The findings underscore the effects of the custom of bridewealth payment on domestic violence. It is therefore important that the cultural norms surrounding with bridewealth payment be explored further for future female empowerment research especially for national level policies.

Violence against women is a major public-health problem throughout the world and a serious violation of fundamental rights. The gender gap in the attitudes towards violence against women is shaped by attitudes towards gender. In India, traditional gender-role attitudes are associated with greater acceptance of violence against women. Therefore, this study attempts to understand the effect of childhood exposure to parental violence on spousal violence against women on men and women separately and also to see differentials in this relationship under different settings. The present study is based on the data of National Family Health Survey of India. Exposure to childhood violence was categorized into different levels depending upon the exposure in either single partner or both the partners. Based on these variables various assessments were made with the help of different statistical tools. Explicitly, findings reflect the impact of childhood exposure to parental violence in shaping conformation to the set gender role norms.Childhood exposures by husband or wife alone also have impact on spousal violence but among them women’s exposure has more significant impact.Given the apparent pervasiveness of the problem of childhood exposure to parental violence in India, remains an important area for social, legal and public policy concern.

One of the primary concerns of the Millennium Development Goals is to “promote gender equality and empower women”. The paper examines how violence against women is portrayed in selected Nigerian home movies. Women and girls in Nigeria are still subjected to various culturally based forms of abuse, exploitation and discrimination, especially wife battering, rape and other forms of sexual violence, female genital mutilation, trafficking in women, and inhuman widowhood practices. The paper discusses how Nigerian dramatists present or misrepresent gender related violence in their works. It relates the discussion to the local social and cultural contexts in which these films are set, and to the wider global debates about gender justice and human rights. The paper focuses on a representative selection of video films which portray the Nigerian woman burdened in various ways with patriarchal prejudices and very obnoxious native laws and customs that violate her human rights and dignity. It concludes with some comments on the adverse social consequences of violence against women, and the relevant international conventions, local legislation and other social responses that seek to redress these gender related anomalies in Nigeria. It also considers how home videos can be used more creatively to combat gender-based violence.

This paper explores domestic violence against women inflicted by husbands and its effect on reproductive health outcomes among ever married women of Bangladesh using the nationally representative 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. Three indicators: ‘childbearing before age 18’, ‘pregnancy termination’ and ‘having symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases or sexually transmitted infections’ were considered as the outcome variables. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques were applied in analysing the data. Findings revealed that, overall 53.2% of the women ever experienced any domestic violence inflicted by their husbands. The multivariate analyses revealed that, physical violence only significantly (p<0.01) increased the risk of childbearing before age 18 (OR=1.28, 95% CI=1.09-1.58). Both physical and sexual violence were associated with significantly (p<0.01) higher risks of pregnancy termination (OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.06-1.71) and having symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases or infections (OR=2.80, 95% CI=2.14-3.66). Programs to reduce poor reproductive health outcomes such as increased risk of teenage pregnancies, higher risk of pregnancy termination and elevated risk of sexually transmitted diseases among women must address domestic violence as part of effective prevention strategies.

This study describes the types and risk factors for experience of violence by 695 female youths working as hairdressing and tailoring apprentices and hawkers were interviewed in three states in South west, Nigeria. The mean age of the subjects was 23.5 years. Most (72.2%) worked long hours (>10 hours) and for six n days of the week (87.2%). The commonest violent acts experienced was sexual violence (61.3%) followed by economic violence (27.5%). Sexual harassment was the common type of (36.3%) sexual violence experienced, while 5.5% had experienced rape. Economic violence was by withholding or reducing payments (23.4%) or being forced to perform duties for which no payments were made (57%). Younger aged girls were more likely to experience physical (AOR 1.60; 95%CI 1.06-2.43), sexual (AOR 3.53; 95%CI 2.06-7.63) and psychological violence (OR 1.10; 95%CI 1.11-2.33) than their older counterparts. Similarly, students who did not live with their parents (OR 1.53; 1.25 -2.45), or worked long hours outside the home (OR 1.48; 1.07-2.03) were more vulnerable to experiencing violence. Most of the victims (59.3 %) did not seek care or redress for the violent acts they suffered. Multiple interventions targeted at men in the workplace, the young women themselves are needed. Microcredit facilities for the female youths are recommended.

The feminization of African international migration flows led to an increased presence of women with female genital mutilation (FGM). In Italy as well as other countries the increasing need to have more detailed information on this practice among immigrants leaded researchers to gather primary data in order to investigate topics such as prevalence in emigration, most diffused types of excision, health consequences, related socio-economic factors and attitudes on circumcision of second generation girls. According to this approach the contribute presented here has the aim to assess the determinants of mother-to-daughter transmission of FGM among African immigrants living in Italy by means of a survey including un ad-hoc module. Main results using multilevel analysis techniques indicate that once other factors (including family and community effects) are held constant, covariates like mother education and experience of FGM, family support for FGM, daughters’ year of birth and being born in emigration are strongly associated with the process of mother to daughter transmission of FGM. Strong differences are also observed across communities.

Background : This paper examines the association between sexual violence and health outcomes among young married women in rural Nepal.

Methods: The data are from a cross-sectional survey conducted with 1,296 married women aged 15 -24 years in rural Nepal in 2009-10. We used regression models adjusted for selected socioeconomic and demographics to estimate the odds ratios for the associations between sexual violence and health-related conditions and behaviors.

Results: About half of women (46%) had reported ever experience of sexual violence and 31% had experienced SV in the past 12 months. SV was associated with reported lifetime experience of unwanted pregnancy (adjusted OR 4.32), suicidal ideation/attempted suicide (OR 4.42), self-reported feeling of fear/tension (OR 3.76), depression (OR 2.68) and experiences of signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (OR 2.92).

Conclusion: Our results show that sexual violence within marriage is common among women even in early years of marriage in rural Nepal. The study suggests a strong association between sexual violence and negative health consequences. Therefore, there is a need to recognize the pervasiveness of sexual violence within marriage, as well as, the negative health consequences that results from it and develop a comprehensive response at many levels.

Several studies have shown how political conflict can lead to the "normalization" of violence within a society, increasing domestic violence against women. We analyse here the levels and determinants of domestic violence in the Palestinian society, assessing the extent to which patriarchy and Israeli occupation are major determinants of this violence. We use data from the Palestinian Health Survey (2006) database on cases of violence reported by married women (5291) and on their attitudes towards violence. Our first result is that the probability of accepting violent behavior is significantly related to the experience that women themselves have of domestic violence (OR=1.48[1.10-1.99] for the acceptance of violence among respondents who experienced violence from their spouse vs those who did not experience this domestic violence). Second, the probability of accepting domestic violence and to report acts of violence is significantly associated with exposure to political violence:women who live in the areas most affected by political violence and mobility restrictions are more likely to report having experienced violence and to accept it; their households also suffer from economic insecurity. Thus, the violence experienced by the society as a whole seems to legitimize and increase violence in the couple.