1Examples of the pervasiveness and patterns of VAW

So I take a blanket and I spend the night with my children out in the cold because he is hitting me too much. I have to take the kids to stop him hitting them too. I would go out in the fields and sleep there all night. I have done that more than ten times…

Woman interviewed in Peru

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How common is physical or sexual violence in women’s lives? (WHO study)

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20

40

60

80

100

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Prevalence of physical or sexual violence against women by anyone (partners and others), since age 15 years

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Most of this violence is physical or sexual violence by partners

● In most sites, 4 out of 5 women who have been abused (by anybody: partners and others) reported being abused by a partner.

● Between 15% (Japan) and 71% (Ethiopia) of ever-partnered women experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.

(WHO study, 2005)

Pregnancy is not necessarily a protected time

“He hit me in the belly and made me miscarry two babies - identical or fraternal twins, I don’t know. I went to the hospital with heavy bleeding and they cleaned me up”

Woman interviewed in Peru

● In most sites 4%-12% of women who had been pregnant were beaten during a pregnancy

● In almost 100% of cases the abuser was the father of the unborn child

● Between one-quarter to half of these women reported being punched or kicked in the stomach

(WHO study, 2005)

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Overlap lifetime physical and sexual violence not always the same patterns

PERU THAILAND

29% 20% 3% 11% 12% 18%

phys viol sex viol phys viol sex viol

SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

17% 5% 1%

physical viol sexual viol

Urban sites

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Partner violence is usually a course of conduct and different types of violence often go together

• Globally, one-third to one-half of all physically abused women also report sexual violence

• Almost all physically abused women also experience severe emotional abuse

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Ph: Physical violenceSex: Sexual violenceEmot: Emotional abuse

Ph. alone:3.6% (162)

Emot.alone: 23.5% (1073)

No violence: 42.5% (1939)

Ph+Sex+ Emot: 6.8% (312)

Ph+Emot: 20.1% (916)

Sex. alone: 0.9% (39)

Ph+Sex: 0.1% (6)

Emot+Sex: 2.5% (114)

Overlap of lifetime prevalence of physical and sexual violence and emotional abuse by husbands, among ever-married women, Viet Nam 2010 (N=4561)

My husband slaps me, has sex with me against my will and I have to conform. Before being interviewed I didn't really think about this. I thought this is only natural. This is the way a husband behaves.

Woman interviewed in Bangladesh

Many women internalize social norms justifying abuse

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“”

There are certain behaviours that are expected of a married woman, and if you don't and your husband beats you up, then it's ok. It's like a parent disciplines a child.

Health worker interviewed in Samoa.

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