Violence Against Women (VAW) Survey 2011

Draft Report of the Survey(Not to be quoted without specific permission)

Presented by

Md. Alauddin FokirJoint Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh

Statistics & Informatics Division (SID)

Ministry of Planning

Bangladesh

www.sid.gov.bd

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Outline of The Presentation

Goal & Objective

Major four categories of VAW

Sample Design of the survey.

Methodology.

Data collection and response rate.

Key findings of the survey

Challenge

Experience

PSU : Primary Sampling Unit HH : Household VAW :Violence against Women Eligible woman: Woman aged 15 years and above who lives in

the sample household. Partner :Her husband(Current & previous). Non-partner : Anybody other than husband. Current husband: Married in current time & having husband. Previous husband :Married previously without having that

husband at present including widowed/divorced or married currently again.

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Abbreviations

Goal & Objective To generate official national statistics on the prevalence of

violence against women.

To observe the overall situation including the forms of

violence along with their magnitude in Bangladesh.

To identify and understand the magnitude and intensity of violence against women.

To help in policy formulation, programs and interventions and also improve the existing laws and act related with this issue.

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Major four categories of VAW

Psychological violence (i.e. husband exhibits controlling behaviors to wife):a) Controlling behaviors

He tries to restrict contact with her (parental) family of birth? He insists on knowing where she is at all times? He ignores her & treats her indifferently? He gets angry if she speaks with another man? He is often suspicious that she is unfaithful? He expects you to ask his permission before seeking health care for her? He forces her to maintain Parda/ hijab? He obstructs her in studying or doing work? He forbids her in going out for recreation? Does he utter attacking words against her parents? Does he force her to use family planning or forbid family planning? Does he misbehave due to birth of a girl? Does he misbehave with her due to complaints from her

mother-in-law/sister-in- law? Does he become angry if she talks on face openly? He tries to keep her from seeing her friends?

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Categories of VAW(contd.)b) Abuse against women by husband: Insulted or made her feel bad about herself? Belittled or humiliated her in front of other people Done things to scare or intimidate her on purpose (e.g.

shout loudly & smash things)? Verbally threatened to hurt her or someone she cares

about? Torture for her relation with neighbors or other women? Threaten to marry other women? Threaten to divorce?

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Categories of VAW(contd.)

(2) Economic violence:  He refuses to give her enough money for household

expenses, even when he has money for other things? He regularly refuses to pay pocket money? Is the marriage happened with money or property as

dowry? Does he pressurize her to get money or things from her

parents’ house?

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Categories of VAW(contd.)

(3) a.Physical violence:  Husband talked loudly, threatening or shouting Husband slapped, fist, boxed or threw something and she got

hurt Pushed her or shoved her or pulled her hair by force. Shake with hot things. Threw acid or hot water Intentionally suffocated her Choked or burnt her on purpose Threatened with gun, knife or other sharp weapons Struck her with stick or heavy things

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Categories of VAW(contd.) (3) b. Physical violence by non-partners:

She was hit, beaten, kicked or done anything else to hurt her physically-or mistreated in any way by anyone other than husband; a) Thrown something at her b) Pushed or pulled hair c) Choked or burnt her on purpose d) Threatened or actually used a gun, knife or weapon against her e) Threw acid f) Threw hot water g) Stalking (intimate physical touch without consent) 

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Categories of VAW(contd.)

(4) Sexual Violence:  Did husband hurt her or force her to have sexual intercourse

when she did not want to? Did she ever have sexual intercourse with her husband against

her will because she was afraid of what her husband does? Did her husband ever force her to do something else sexual

that she did not want or that she found degrading or humiliating for her?

Other sexual torture 

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Sample Design

A two-stage stratified cluster sampling was followed in the survey. The whole country was divided into 7 divisions: each division treated as Stratum and each stratum again divided into two sub strata: urban & rural.

The final sample comprised of 420 PSUs from the 1000 IMPS, in which sampling frame is updated regularly.

30 HHs were selected from each of the selected EA at the 2nd stage, the number of EA selected from each sub-stratum was 30.

12,600 (=7*2*30*30) eligible women over 15 years of age were selected for interview (One women selected per household).

11IMPS: Integrated Multipurpose Sample.

Methodology

A long questionnaire was used for direct interview.

The questionnaire was designed as per UNSD guidelines.

A series of meeting with the stakeholders were conducted to finalize the questionnaire with adoption of local context.

The questionnaire consisted of two parts: Household part: comprised of the household and individual

modules; and Woman’s part: comprised of the current husband, previous

husband and non-partner modules.

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Data collection & Response rate

Data collection period: From 19-28 December, 2011

No. of eligible women found in the sample: 19,534

No. of women randomly selected for interview:12,600

No. of women actually interviewed: 12,530

Response rate for interview: 99.44%

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Key Findings

  

During lifetime* During Last 12 months

Currenthusband

Previous husband

Non partner

Current husband

Previous husband

Non partner

Physical or sexual violence

67.2 61.3 25.1 50.7 21.2 8.4

Physical violence 64.6 58.9 23.8 46.4 19.6 7.8

Sexual violence 36.5 32.2 4.4 24.1 9.1 1.0

Economic violence 53.2 48.6 NA 32.3 15.5 NA

Psychological violence

81.6 73.2 NA 71.9 31.6 NA

Non partner: Anybody other than husband. 14

Findings (Contd.)

Dowry Status

Current husband

(ever)%

Previous husband (ever)

%

Condition for giving money or property during marriage

33.7 24.0

Pressurize to bring money or things from parent’s house (after marriage)

12.6 17.7

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Findings (Contd.)

Payment Status of Dower (Denmohor)[Muslims only]

Current husband (%)

Previous husband (%)

Husband paid dower in full 19.8 17.7

Husband didn’t paid dower 40.5 41.0

Husband paid dower in part 18.8 9.8

Husband requested for waive

11.9 13.7

Don’t know 9.0 17.8

Total 100 100

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Findings (Contd.)

Reasons for not taking treatment due to violence

Current husband(%)

Previous husband(%)

Afraid of husband 17.3 22.6

Husband didn’t allow 15.2 8.9

Not necessary 51.6 41.0

Afraid of other family member 3.4 2.9

Afraid of social prestige 8.6 6.0

Other 4.0 18.6

Treatment received for violence 51.8 51.3

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Findings (Contd.)

Distribution of treatment provider

Current husband(%)

Previous husband(%)

Doctor 65.0 62.9

Clinic 5.5 2.8

Govt. Hospital 19.5 26.5

NGO Hospital 4.0 3.1

Others 6.0 4.7

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Findings (Contd.)

Why legal action wasn’t takenCurrent husband

(%)

Previous husband

(%)

In fear of husband 8.1 14.5

Husband has right to torture 6.7 6.4

Husband didn’t allow 2.7 1.6

Wasn’t necessary 40.1 27.7

In fear of members of the household 2.8 2.9

Thinking future of the children 20.9 12.1

Thinking of family or own defame 16.5 12.2

Others 2.2 1.3

Not reported - 21.319

Findings (Contd.)

Type of physical & mental impact due to violence

National

Current Husband (%)

Previous Husband(%)

Attempted to suicide 7.1 12.9

Abortion 1.1 1.4

Non-response 13.9 28.0

Drug Addicted 0.17 1.87

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Findings (Contd.)

 Type of Childhood ViolenceRural(%)

Urban (%)

National (%)

Physical torture 4.3 2.7 3.9

Mental torture 1.1 0.6 0.9

Teasing 3.0 1.2 2.5

Intimate physical touch without consent 1.3 0.9 1.2

Other 0.2 0.2 0.2

Total violated women 9.9 5.6 8.7

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Findings (Contd.)

Violence by non-partner: First Forced Sex at age of Percentage

05-09 1.7

10-14 41.8

15-19 34.3

20-24 9.9

25-29 4.9

30-34 4.1

35-39 2.3

40+ 0.9

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Challenge

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• Women violence is considered as private affair, so women are reluctant to disclose it to public. (taboo)

• All the interviewers must be woman.

• Need consent of the respondents assuring the information would be kept confidential.

• Different title ( Survey about Women’s Status instead of Violence Against Women) used during data collection stage in the Questionnaire to avoid negative approach.

• Questionnaire finalization and selection process- series of meetings were held and huge opinions were received.

Challenge (contd.)

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• Maintaining the confidentiality• Interviewers were instructed not to disclose anything other than the

respondents• Not to ask any confidential questions until the respondent were

alone.

• Target respondents were only women and interviews must be conducted with the presence of only the respondents and interviewers.

• Sensible language needed for making the environment amicable for the respondents.

• Only one respondents from one household was selected.

Experience

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• Enthusiastic response which was more than our expectation.

• Interviewers were previously known to the respondents which build trust and confidence to the respondent’s family.

• It is observed that women face psychological violence mostly among all other categories of violence.( 81.6%)

• After the violence occurred 65 %women got treatment from the doctor which is greater than other treatment providers.

• Even 40.1% women never fell necessity to take legal actions against the violence.

Experience (contd..)

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• Women are mostly victimized for forced sex by non-partner at the age of 10 to 19 years. The number is around 75% of total victims in this category.

• A large portion (around 37%) did not take any legal action because of thinking of the children or family prestige.

Thank You

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