Is Violence Against Women a Serious Problem?

In the last decade, violence against women has appeared as a fundamental human rights issue as the statistics are shocking: across the world, it is estimated that between one-third and one-fifth of the world population of women are the victims and survivors of rape, sexual abuse, murder, slavery, genital mutilation, stalking, and physical and emotional torture.

In this short essay I will describe and focus specifically on one of the forms of violence against women, that is domestic violence. Domestic violence has become an overall term used to define violence, which occurs in or around the home (Corrin, 1996). 

Some writers use this term to define violence by adults, current or former intimates. Also it could be considered as violence in the household perpetrated by woman's partner, parents, child or other relatives. 

Some uses of the term domestic violence include child abuse and elder abuse. However, this essay will be limited to a consideration of violence against women perpetrated only by an adult, current or former intimate, in particular by a woman's partner, and how to deal with this problem by the community and women's organisations/NGOs.

Let us first consider the issue concerning domestic violence. Pickup et al (2001) claim that a large amounts of violence experienced by women happens in the home and is initiated by a husband or an intimate partner. According to a recent report by The John Hopkins University Population Information Program, based on over 50 population surveys, domestic violence is a serious human rights violation on women in all societies. If it is so, what are then the impacts of violence against women?

Firstly, its impact on women's health both physical and psychological. Pisklakova (in Pickup et al, 2001) shows that in terms of physical health, violence against women is dismissed as a normal thing in life with a male partner. However, this violence can be extreme which can lead to death. 

In Russia, according to statistics from the Prosecutors' office in 1999, the husbands killed nearly 14,000 women. On the other hand, in terms of psychological impact, Pickup et al (ibid.) explain Heise's theory that violence can lead to feelings of confusion and loss of hope, which are 12 times more likely than other women to attempt suicide, and also explains Counts' theory that a cross cultural study on data from Africa, South America, and several Melanesian Islands, demonstrated marital violence to be a preceding cause of suicide.

Secondly, economics and social effects. Pickup et al (ibid.) show that at community level, women who have survived violence may be rejected and face social stigma. So, they are scared to venture into public spaces and curtail their education. As a consequence, lack of education can limit women's income-generating opportunities.

Thirdly, its influence on their dependants. Pickup et al (ibid.) claim that many babies of women who were beaten during a pregnancy are born injured. Asling-Monemi et al (1999) in Pickup et al (ibid.) state that findings from research conducted in Leon, Nicaragua, the children of women who were facing physical or sexual assault were six times more likely to die before reaching the age of five than other children.

And the other impact, Pickup et al (ibid.) point out that men as perpetrators that criticized by the community may feel alienated, lose love and respect from their families, and also may face arrest and imprisonment as well.