This new study uses population-based surveys, improved quality of data, and updated methods to provide current prevalence estimates of intimate partner violence across the world, up to and including the year 2018, reporting that one in four ever-partnered women experience violence from intimate partners alone. (Representational: Pixabay) IN A new study published in The Lancet, it has been estimated that more than one in four women in the world have experienced domestic violence during their lifetime. Using data from the World Health Organisation Global Database on the Prevalence of Violence Against Women, which covers 90% of women worldwide, the new estimate indicates that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, 27% of ever-partnered women in the age group of 15-49 had experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime, with one in seven (13%) experiencing violence from an intimate partner recently (within the past 12 months of the survey).
Intimate partner violence of ever-partnered women (defined as women who are or have been married, co-habit , or have a long-term sexual partner) refers to physically, sexually, and psychologically harmful behaviours in the context of marriage, cohabitation, or any other form of union. It can have major short and long-term impacts on the physical and mental health of the victim, leading to substantial social and economic costs for governments, communities and individuals.
The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has called for an end to violence against women in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG5.2). This study aims to provide baseline estimates for intimate partner violence against women on global, regional, and country-wide levels to help governments monitor their progress towards this target and inform policy and programming to prevent and respond to violence.
In 2013, WHO published the first global and regional estimates on the prevalence of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, and non-partner sexual violence with existing survey data up to 2010, finding that one in three women experience physical and/or sexual violence from partners and non-partners. Nearly one in three (30%) of women experienced physical and/or sexual violence from partners only.
This new study uses population-based surveys, improved quality of data, and updated methods to provide current prevalence estimates of intimate partner violence across the world, up to and including the year 2018, reporting that one in four ever-partnered women experience violence from intimate partners alone. The study only estimated physical and sexual violence and work is underway by WHO to strengthen measures of reporting psychological harmful behaviours by partners.
The present analysis reveals that governments are not in line to meet targets for eradicating violence against women. “Whilst progress has been made in the past 20 years, it is still grossly insufficient to meet the SDG target for eliminating violence against women by 2030,” said study senior author Claudia García-Moreno, World Health Organisation.
The data used in this research were from the WHO Global Database on Prevalence of Violence Against Women and include over 300 eligible surveys and studies conducted between 2000 and 2018. It covers 161 countries and areas, accounting for 2 million women aged 15 years and older, representing 90% of the global population of women and girls. Statistical analysis allowed estimation of the prevalence of intimate partner violence over different age groups, regions, and time ranges to be calculated.
Globally, 27% or approximately one in four ever-partnered women aged 15-49 years are estimated to have experienced intimate partner violence at least once in their lifetime since age 15. The estimates suggest that in 2018, up to 492 million women aged 15-49 years experienced intimate partner violence in the past 12 months, equating to 13% or one in seven women. Because estimates in this study are based off women’s self-reported experiences and given the sensitive and stigmatised nature of the issue, the true prevalence of violence that these women are subjected to by an intimate partner is likely to be even higher.
The study also draws attention to high levels of intimate partner violence experienced by adolescent girls and young women. In the youngest age cohort of women (15-19 years), 24% or almost one in four are estimated to have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
The prevalence of recent/current intimate partner violence was highest among ever-partnered adolescent girls and young women aged 15-19 and 20-24 years, with 16% or one in six experiencing intimate partner violence in 2018 (within the past 12 months of the survey).
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