Prevalence and Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women With Disabilities in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of 226 women with disabilities living in four different districts of Bangladesh. It also explored the physical and psychological suffering of women experiencing violence and their various coping strategies. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 226 women with disabilities to measure the prevalence of IPV, and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted to document in detail the experiences of violence encountered by the abused women. Among the 226 women interviewed in the survey, about 84% reported ever having experienced at least one act of emotional abuse, physical, or sexual violence from their partner during their lifetime. Women who were older (aged above 32 years), separated, and members of economic/savings group were more likely to report ever having experienced any IPV than women with disabilities who were younger (aged 32 years and less), married, and not members of economic/savings group. Most of the women experiencing violence reported sufferings from physical and psychological problems. Of all the women who experienced violence, less than half (45%) reported seeking support to minimize or avoid violence experiences. However, seeking support from informal network such as family and relatives was commonly reported by many (81.4%) of them. Study findings suggest that women with disabilities who possess poor socio-economic status coupled with economic dependency on husbands' income and wide-spread social stigma against disability make them vulnerable to IPV. Future interventions to address IPV against women with disabilities should include building community knowledge of disability and IPV, countering the pervasive social stigma against disabilities, and improving the socio-economic conditions of women with disabilities through education and employment.

Prevalence and risk of violence against people with and without disabilities: findings from an Australian population‐based study

“…Accordingly, it was not possible to determine if disability was present at the time the violence was experienced. This approach has also been reported in previous cross‐sectional research 10,16,29,35–37 . Considering that violence in the past 12 months is a relatively rare event, extended time frames are necessary to capture a sufficient number of cases for detailed analysis.…”

“…Internationally, there is considerable evidence that that poverty and disadvantage increases the risk of violence 9 . In Australia, as in other high income countries, people with disabilities are more likely to have lower levels of education, lower incomes and higher levels of unemployment 2 and there is some evidence internationally to suggest that poverty contributes to increased risk of violence among people with disabilities 13,28,29 . In addition, people with disabilities are often exposed to other risk factors for violence, such as: living in institutions; being dependent on informal or formal care in the home; 28 reduced physical and emotional defences; communication barriers that hamper reporting of violence; social stigma; and discrimination 4 …”

Factors Associated with Disability in Rural Bangladesh: Bangladesh Population-Based Diabetes and Eye Study (BPDES)

“…In addition, women continue to be victims of physical violence or domestic abuse by their partners, relatives or neighbors and this may have an impact on the prevalence of disability. A study conducted into the experience of 226 disabled women residing in different districts in Bangladesh found that 84% of them had suffered physical and psychological problems due to at least one form of violence including emotional abuse and physical, verbal or sexual violence from their partners during their lifetime [36]. …”

Currently married women’s present experiences of male intimate partner physical violence in Bangladesh: An intercategorical intersectional approach

“…Our next projects will be built on this study to examine women's (1) triple intersectional locations, especially the intersecting locations of younger age-lower education-poverty and (2) community-level locations. Examining the effects of other locations such as ethnicity, disability, non-heterosexual and dating relationships, and slums (Hadi, 2011;Hasan, Muhaddes, Camellia, Selim, & Rashid, 2014;Kelly, 2011;Rashid, 2006) are important, but it is beyond the scope of this study. With a cross-sectional design, we have examined only the association between women's different intersectional locations and MIPPV, not the causality.…”