A national survey of attitudes toward intimate partner violence among married women in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan: Implications for health prevention and intervention

Abstract

Attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV) can affect the prevalence of IPV, response of victims' to IPV (e.g., whether to seek help), and the response of professionals (e.g., police, social workers, health care professionals) to IPV. Knowledge about IPV-related attitudes is essential for developing effective social work and violence-related programs. Using data from the 2005-2006 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, this study examines attitudes toward IPV and socio-demographic predictors of these attitudes among married women in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Women were asked whether they approved of a husband beating his wife: if she goes out without telling him, neglects their children, argues, refuses to have sex, and burns food. The prevalence of IPV acceptance for at least one of the five reasons varied from 12.3% in Kazakhstan to 45.3% in Kyrgyzstan and 74.5% in Tajikistan. Women who were less educated, members of Asian ethnic groups, resided in middle-class urban areas, and lived in specific regions were more likely to accept IPV. Few age differences that emerged indicated that young women were more approving of IPV. Proactive efforts are needed to confront attitudes about gender roles and IPV in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Women's decision‐making autonomy and utilization of antenatal, natal and post‐natal healthcare services: Insights from Tajikistan's national surveys

“…At the same time, Ourbaeva suggested that religious beliefs and women's views on gender roles are the main obstacles of women empowerment, 28 while Joshi and Childress highlighted the wide acceptance of lower status by women and their partners. 17 Equally, Childress indicated that the social construction of marriage, the shame associated with domestic violence, and the status of daughters-in-law in the family is used to justify domestic violence and prevent victims from seeking help. 56 Under these circumstances, the above-describe messages can be useful to change attitudes and beliefs about women status and hence lead to women's autonomy.…”

“…Finally, proactive efforts to AUCHYNNIKAVA AND HABIBOV -169 increase women's autonomy through interventions of social change could also be successful in promoting women's autonomy. 17,54,58 Future studies should focus on overcoming the limitations of our study in several ways. First, future studies should explore the option of man and healthcare professional on women's autonomy and healthcare utilization in Tajikistan.…”

“…First, Tajikistan had been the poorest republic within the former Soviet Union, and it remains the poorest country of the Commonwealth of Independent States. 17 The severe and prolonged economic crisis that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union had adverse effects on healthcare in Tajikistan, where healthcare facilities were dilapidated, healthcare professionals left the country, informal out-pocket-expenditures became the main channels of financing healthcare, and wide disparities in access to healthcare emerged based on the ability-to-pay, regional variation and urban-rural areas. [18][19][20][21] Child and maternal healthcare utilization rates in Tajikistan are among the lowest in the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the country has the greatest rates of child and maternal mortality in the region.…”

“…[31][32][33][34] Although a law against domestic violence was passed in 2013 after more than a decade of advocacy by civil society and international organizations, women's autonomy is still characterized by significant AUCHYNNIKAVA AND HABIBOV -159 restrains, and many of the advances gained in gender equality during the Soviet period have been withdrawn in recent decades. 17,35,36 In comparative terms, Tajikistan tends to be more conservative with respect to women's autonomy than other countries of post-communist Central Asia. 37,38 In a focus group study on IPV-related help-seeking in Tajikistan, most Tajik men and women agreed that a woman who is a victim of IPV should only seek help from a medical doctor if she endures serious injuries 39 (Haarr, 2008).…”

“…37,38 In a focus group study on IPV-related help-seeking in Tajikistan, most Tajik men and women agreed that a woman who is a victim of IPV should only seek help from a medical doctor if she endures serious injuries 39 (Haarr, 2008). The national study estimated that the prevalence of IPV acceptance had reached to 75% of married women of reproductive age 17 (Joshi and Childress, 2017).…”