Characteristics of violence against women in Kairouan, Tunisia, in 2017

Abstract

Violence against women represents a serious concern worldwide. In Tunisia, despite an advanced legislative framework, we still receive women victims of violence. This survey aimed to characterize the demographic and clinical profile of women victims of violence in Kairouan, central Tunisia. This survey was designed as a cross-sectional study. It concerned women victims of violence over 18 years old, consulting the emergency department of the University Hospital of Kairouan during 3 months in 2017. We defined violence against women according to the Tunisian protection of gender discrimination law. This survey included 100 Tunisian victims of violence; their median age was 35 (ranging from 18 to 59 years old). This study showed that 58% of victims, CI95% [48.3%, 67.6%], were illiterate or had only a primary level education and that 90%, CI95% [84.1%, 95.8%], had a low or middle socioeconomic level. The Intimate Partner Violence was about 70% among all cases, CI 95% [61.0%, 78.9%]. Most aggressive partners were young (aged between 39 and 51 years old). The most affected part of the body was the face (76%, CI 95% [67.6%, 84.3%]). Alcohol consumption was the primary risk factor of violence in 29.6% of cases, CI95% [20.0%, 37.9%]. Other risk factors were the occupational instability, conflicts with the family in-laws and infidelity. Violence against women remains widespread. Even strict legislations in Tunisia didn't protect women sufficiently from different types of violence. It mostly happens within intimate relationships. Therefore, surveillance and early intervention controlling risk factors are extremely important.

Vulnerabilities associated with violence against women before entering the prison system

“…Both in the results presented here and in the literature (18,29,30) , the positive relationship between drug use, legal or illicit, with the occurrence of violence against women, was perceived, thus requiring, therefore, that health professionals are prepared to work in the context of primary prevention, with the identification of risk factors associated with the occurrence of violence, assessing women and their context of social life, as in the context of secondary prevention, providing adequate care to victims of violence from physical care to mental health dimensions, avoiding the victim's feeling of guilt and dependence on substance use, as well as implementing strategies to prevent the recurrence of events (18) .…”

“…A second review study showed that the non-white skin color dimension seems to have a positive association with psychological violence, as well as the marital status of not being married seems to be related to a higher prevalence of psychological and physical/sexual violence (3) . The low education dimension was associated with the occurrence of violence in a study carried out in Vitória, Espírito Santo, with women in Primary Care, in which the occurrence of psychological (57%), physical (39.3%) and sexual (18) violence was identified. %) among women throughout life (13) .…”

“…The occupation aspect of the social dimension was also assessed in another national study (16) , in which it was obtained that most women victims of violence investigated had some formal employment or not. However, other studies suggest that being a housewife or spending more time at home considerably increases a woman's chances of suffering some type of violence, due to the high rates of domestic violence (17)(18)(19) . Also, the religion aspect, linked to the social dimension, was more associated with psychological and sexual violence, while the income dimension was related to the occurrence of physical violence.…”

Vulnerabilidades associadas à violência contra a mulher antes do ingresso no sistema prisional

“…O aspecto da ocupação da dimensão social também foi avaliado em outro estudo nacional (16) , em que foi obtido que a maioria das mulheres vítimas de violência investigadas possuíam algum emprego formal ou não. Contudo, outros estudos sugerem que ser dona de casa ou estar mais tempo em casa aumenta consideravelmente as chances da mulher de sofrer algum tipo de violência, em decorrência dos altos índices de violência doméstica (17)(18)(19) . Ainda, o aspecto religião, vinculado à dimensão social, mostrou estar mais associado às violências psicológica e sexual, enquanto que a dimensão renda esteve relacionada à ocorrência de violência física.…”

“…Tanto nos resultados aqui apresentados como na literatura (18,29,30) , foi percebida a relação positiva entre o uso de drogas, lícitas ou ilícitas, com a ocorrência de violência à mulher, necessitando, portanto, que os profissionais de saúde estejam preparados para atuar no contexto da prevenção primária, com a identificação dos fatores de risco associados à ocorrência da violência, avaliando a mulher e seu contexto de vida social, como no contexto da prevenção secundária, prestando um cuidado adequado às vítimas de violência desde em relação ao cuidado físico até às dimensões de saúde mental, evitando o sentimento de culpabilização da vítima e a dependência do uso de substâncias, assim como implementando estratégias para evitar a recorrência dos eventos (18) .…”