Prevalence and Predictors of Violence Against Women in Pakistan

Abstract

Violence against Pakistani women occurs at an alarming prevalence that reflects a significant risk to the health of women and families. Understanding violence against women in Pakistan comes with methodological and cultural complexities. Many of the studies examining prevalence and predictors of violence against women tend to utilize convenience samples contributing to the possibility of an inflated prevalence. Due to the patriarchal family structure and cultural context, domestic violence is normalized resulting in extremely low reporting rates. The present study utilizes a sample of ever-married Pakistani women collected across five provinces to shed light on the prevalence and predictors of women that experience domestic violence (emotional or physical abuse). Data were obtained from the 2012-2013 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey including a large sample of Pakistani women from five provinces (Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit Baltistan). Binary Linear regressions were conducted to examine how intrinsic variables (age, education, region, urban/rural, type of marital relationship, and wealth) predicted experiencing emotional or physical abuse from one’s husband within the past year. Approximately, 20% of women endorsed experiencing physical violence and 28% endorsed experiencing emotional violence. Results found that educational level, wealth, and type of marital relationship were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing some form of physical or emotional violence. Implications from this study support policy interventions aimed at education within the family, linking women with resources, and continued investment in the education of young women. Interventions would be best targeted in low wealth regions with a special emphasis on rural areas.

Bride Price Payment and Justification of Sexual Violence Among Women in Ghana*These authors contributed equally to this work.

“…Accompanied with wealth are independence, empowerment, and autonomy to stand for and defend one’s rights and what she stands for (Kpozehouen et al, 2018). Noting that rich women have a lesser tendency of justifying sexual violence is an observation that reinforces earlier findings (Kaye et al, 2005; LaBore et al, 2019). In Uganda, Kaye et al (2005) observed that women who were entirely dependent on their spouses feared to quit abusive unions, as repayment of the bride price would be required.…”

“…Frequency of reading newspaper/magazine, frequency of listening to radio, and frequency of watching television were all coded as 1 = not at all, 2 = less than once a week, and 3 = at least once a week. The decision to use these variables was influenced by their significant association with justification of sexual violence in previous studies (Adjei & Mpiani, 2018; LaBore et al, 2019; Weatherred, 2015).…”

Intimate-partner violence and its association with symptoms of depression, perceived health, and quality of life in the Himalayan Mountain Villages of Gilgit Baltistan

“…For the purpose of power calculation, the formula for binomial distribution [n = z zα 2 p (1- p)/d 2 ] was adopted. This approach is used in population based cross-sectional surveys, where ‘n’ is the sample size, ‘zα’ is the normal deviate (1.96) at 5% level of significance, assuming a precision or tolerable variation of ±0.03 around the estimated prevalence (P) of IPV in ever married women (13.3%) based on similar studies conducted in Pakistan [ 19 ]. The calculation suggested a minimum sample size of 700 participants.…”

Eradicating Gender-Based Violence against Female-Intimate Partner in Pakistan: A Theoretical Framework from Islamic Philosophy

“…The researchers categorized violence against women into physical, emotional, psychological, economic, and sexual (Ali et al 2014: 10). The table 2 presents different forms/ types of intimate partner violence in Pakistan: forced marriage, child marriages, barter marriages, exchange marriages, forced sexual intercourse, non-consensual sex, sexual coercion, forms of sexual coercion including marital rape, forcing sex, attacking sexual parts, treating in the sexually demeaning manner, the husband's unmet sexual needs, forced prostitution, medicating wife for forced, frequent and repeated sex, pushing to get pregnant after 40 days of a child's birth Economic or Monetary Violence making financial dependence, controlling financial resources, denial of funds and foods, withholding money access, forbidding attendance at school or employment, controlling access to primary health care Cultural Violence harmful cultural practices, including: Dowry, Watta Satta (exchange marriage), Vani or Swara (forced child-marriage) Sources: LaBore et al, 2019: 4, 9, 11, Usman, 2018: 2, 3, 9, Ali et al, 2018: 1-2, 10-11, Abdul Hadi, 2017: 301, Karmaliani et al, 2017: 10-11, Tabassum, 2016: 103, Awais et al, 2015: 222-23, Siddiqui et al, 2015: 919, Ahmed, 2014: 368, Ali et al, 2011: 132, Bhatti et al, 2011: 150, Ibrahim & Abdalla, 2010: 331-332, Kapadia et al, 2010: 164, Ali et al, 2009: 9-77, Zareen et al, 2009: 292, Hussain and Khan, 2008: 25-26, 472-73, Rabbani et al, 2008: 419, Ali and Bustamante-Gavino, 2007: 1420, Fikree et al, 2006: 253, Ali et al, 2005…”