Landmark study on domestic violence - WHO report finds domestic
violence is widespread and has serious impact on health
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The study is available online at
http://www.who.int/gender/violence/who_multicountry_study/en/index.html
The first-ever World Health Organization (WHO) study on domestic
violence reveals that intimate partner violence is the most com-
mon form of violence in women's lives - much more so than as-
sault or rape by strangers or acquaintances. The study reports
on the enormous toll physical and sexual violence by husbands
and partners has on the health and well-being of women around
the world and the extent to which partner violence is still
largely hidden.
"This study shows that women are more at risk from violence at
home than in the street and this has serious repercussions for
women's health," said Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of WHO
at the study release in Geneva. "The study also shows how impor-
tant it is to shine a spotlight on domestic violence globally
and treat it as a major public health issue."
The study is based on interviews with more than 24 000 women
from rural and urban areas in 10 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil,
Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro,
Thailand, and the United Republic of Tanzania. The Women's
Health and Domestic Violence Against Women study makes recommen-
dations and calls for action by policy makers and the public
health sector to address the human and health costs, including
by integrating violence prevention programming into a range of
social programmes.
The study finds that one quarter to one half of all women who
had been physically assaulted by their partners said that they
had suffered physical injuries as a direct result. The abused
women were also twice as likely as non-abused women to have poor
health and physical and mental problems, even if the violence
occurred years before. This includes suicidal thoughts and at-
tempts, mental distress, and physical symptoms like pain, dizzi-
ness and vaginal discharge. The study was carried out in col-
laboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medi-
cine, PATH and national research institutions and women's or-
ganizations in the participating countries.
"The degree to which the health consequences of partner violence
in the WHO study are consistent across sites, both within and
between countries, is striking," noted Dr Charlotte Watts, from
the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a member of
the core research team for the study. "Partner violence appears
to have a similar impact on women's health and well-being re-
gardless of where she lives, the prevalence of violence in her
setting, or her cultural or economic background."
Domestic violence is known to affect women's sexual and repro-
ductive health and may contribute to increased risk of sexually
transmitted infections, including HIV. In this study, women who
were in physically or sexually abusive relationships were more
likely to report that their partner had multiple sexual partners
and had refused to use a condom than women in non violent rela-
tionships. Women who reported physical or sexual violence by a
partner were also more likely to report having had at least one
induced abortion or miscarriage than those who did not report
violence.
Although pregnancy is often thought of as a time when women
should be protected, in most study locations, between 4% and 12%
of women who had been pregnant reported being beaten during
pregnancy. More than 90% of these women had been abused by the
father of the unborn child and between one quarter and one half
of them had been kicked or punched in the abdomen.
For policy makers, the greatest challenge is that abuse remains
hidden. At least 20% of women reporting physical violence in the
study had never told anyone before being interviewed. Despite
the health consequences, very few women reported seeking help
from formal services like health and police, or from individuals
in positions of authority, preferring instead to reach out to
friends, neighbours and family members. Those who did seek for-
mal support tended to be the most severely abused.
"This is the first ever study conducted in Thailand on this is-
sue and has made us better understand the extent of violence
that women experience in our country," noted Dr. Churnrurtai
Kanchanachitra from Mahidol University, and a member of the
study team in Thailand. "The findings helped us to develop the
national plan for the elimination of violence against women and
children."
The report recommends a range of vital interventions to change
attitudes and challenge the inequities and social norms that
perpetuate abuse. It further recommends integrating violence
prevention programming into ongoing initiatives aimed at chil-
dren, youth, HIV/AIDS, and sexual and reproductive health.
Health service providers should be trained to identify women ex-
periencing violence and to respond appropriately. Prenatal care,
family planning or post abortion care are potential entry points
to provide care, support, and referral to other services.
Schools need to be safe places, support systems for victims must
be strengthened and prevention programmes put in place. Raising
awareness of the problem among the general public is critical. .
"Domestic violence can be prevented and governments and communi-
ties need to mobilize to fight this widespread public health
problem," said WHO's Dr Claudia Garcia Moreno, Study Coordina-
tor. "WHO will continue to raise awareness about violence and
the important role that public health can play to address its
causes and consequences. Globally, we need to stop the violence
from happening in the first place, and to provide help and sup-
port to women who are in abusive relationships."
WHO's Global Campaign for the Prevention of Violence supports
governments to develop comprehensive violence prevention pro-
grammes to address domestic violence alongside other types of
violence.
Some quotes from women interviewed for the study
"I suffered for a long time and swallowed all my pain. That's
why I am constantly visiting doctors and using medicines. No one
should do this." Woman interviewed in Serbia and Montenegro. "He
got this gun, I don't know from who... And he would tell the
girls: "I'm going to kill your mother... The day will break and
your mother will be dead right here..." I would sleep in a
locked bedroom and with a dog inside the room with me. My dog.
So he would not kill me". Woman interviewed in Brazil. "He hit
me in the belly and made me miscarry two babies - identical or
fraternal twins, I don't know. I went to the Loayza hospital
with heavy bleeding and they cleaned me up." Woman interviewed
in urban Peru.
How physical and sexual violence was measured: For physical vio-
lence, women were asked whether a current or former partner had
ever: slapped her, or thrown something at her that could hurt
her; pushed or shoved her; hit her with a fist or something else
that could hurt; kicked, dragged or beaten her up; choked or
burnt her on purpose; threatened her with, or actually used a
gun, knife or other weapon against her.
Sexual violence was defined by the following three behaviours:
Being physically forced to have a sexual intercourse against her
will; having sexual intercourse because she was afraid of what
her partner might do; being forced to do something sexual she
found degrading or humiliating.
For more information contact:
Melissa Rendler-Garcia
Gender, Women and Health Department
Tel.: +41-22-791 5543
mailto:rendlergarciam@who.int