Domestic violence or intimate partner violence constitutes one of the major and most devastating forms of violence against women all over the world. In May 2016, the World Health Assembly kick-started a global plan of action to strengthen the role of the health care system in the fight against interpersonal violence directed against women, girls, and children. The world has witnessed varying degrees of violence faced by women in their homes and several studies can testify to the physical, psychological and economic damage caused by domestic violence. Several governments have ensured the establishment and enforcement of laws and penalties on perpetrators of domestic violence. This may have reduced the number of reported cases of domestic violence but statistics show that domestic violence has since taken new forms and it will require a combined effort of governments, individuals, and organizations to put a stop to intimate partner violence against women.
What constitutes domestic violence?
Domestic violence is defined by the United Nations as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used as a tool to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Anyone, irrespective of their age, gender, race, faith, class, or sexual orientation can suffer domestic abuse. Any behavior from an intimate partner that physically or psychologically harms or humiliates, injures, manipulates, terrorizes, frightens, or intimidates constitutes acts of domestic abuse.
Intimate partner violence can take a physical, mental, sexual, or economic nature and vary in frequency from one case to another. The people involved may be dating, living together, or married. There is no justification for domestic abuse and no person is deserving of such treatment either.
Domestic violence against women; STATISTICS
Society places a lot of women in positions where they are vulnerable to manipulations and oppression. This is seen a lot in the dynamics of most relationships and sets the precedence for domestic violence against women.
Statistics show that more women suffer domestic violence than men worldwide. 38% of murders of women committed globally are done by their male partners. As many as 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime and domestic violence is a problem affecting 35% of women worldwide. This is a shocking reality and it doesn’t make you feel better when you realize that following the Covid-19 crisis that shook the world, there has been a huge spike in the number of domestic violence cases worldwide.
What are the forms of domestic violence against women?
Intimate partner violence against women can take several forms depending on the abuser. The most common form that is usually easy to detect is Physical violence. This involves hurting an intimate partner by hitting, slapping, kicking, stabbing, shooting, flogging, choking them, or inflicting other forms of physical injury. This form of abuse leaves injuries, scars, and a lot of psychological damage behind and may ultimately lead to the death of an intimate partner.
Emotional or psychological violence involves the use of words, criticism, demeaning remarks, gas-lighting, and other actions to humiliate, decrease confidence and subdue women in their relationships. Economic abuse takes away a woman’s financial freedom and security and/or threatens to limit them financially as a way of keeping them under control.
Sexual abuse might take the form of rape, forcing women to engage in certain types of sexual activity and using sex as a tool to control and demean the victim. Abuse can also take a spiritual nature when women are forced to take part in religious activities and fulfill religious obligations that they are not comfortable with. They may also be forced to raise mutual children with a religion they do not agree with.
Stalking is also a type of abuse where a woman is constantly or repeatedly followed, monitored, or harassed physically, via phone calls, text messages, social media platforms, emails, and so on. Stalkers may show up uninvited to events, break into homes or property, and pose serious threats to their victims and their loved ones.
Harmful consequences of domestic violence against women
Women who are victims of domestic violence are exposed to physical and emotional harm. The effects of domestic violence extend to their children, friends, family, and the entire society. Domestic violence can have short-term effects like; fractures, unwanted pregnancies, nightmares, sexually transmitted infections, bodily injuries, loss of consciousness, and injuries to children and family members.
Some long term effects of domestic violence include; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety, poor performance at work, low self-esteem, trust issues, varying degrees of mental illnesses, and even death
These women suffer the worst kinds of humiliation and terror. Some of the victims might remain trapped in these situations if they do not receive help. Many also deal with feelings of guilt, shame, confusion, and lack of trust in law enforcement agencies, family members, and friends who may want to help.