Citation

Johnson C. Gend. Action 1997; 1(4): 2-3.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Office of Women in Development, Bureau for Global Programs, Field Support and Research)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12321051

Abstract

The United Nations defines domestic violence as violence which occurs within the private sphere, mainly between individuals who are related through intimacy, blood, or law. Such violence is a problem which occurs in every country of the world and is perhaps the most insidious form of gender violence. Available data on domestic violence indicate that from 25% to more than half of all women worldwide have been physically abused by a present or former intimate partner, while an even larger proportion have experienced ongoing emotional and psychological abuse. However, even though domestic violence takes place so extensively, societal norms discourage women from speaking out about the domestic abuse they suffer. Shame and the fear of reprisals from the abuser, his family, and the community intimate victims. Moreover, women may accept physical and emotional abuse as a husband's right, causing women to view some violent behavior as less than violent. Some cultures also blame women for provoking a husband's violence. Women may not speak out against the abuser or press charges because they depend upon the man for economic support and their cultural identity. For example, throughout Asia and Africa, women cannot sustain themselves and their children if they disengage from extended families. In many countries, battered women who leave an abusive marriage risk losing their income, children, shelter, land, and social standing. The lack of comprehensive data on the nature and extent of domestic violence, domestic violence as a development issue, and a framework to address domestic violence are discussed.

Language: en