Women Are More at Risk from Violence at Home Than in the Street

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first study on domestic violence. The freighting results reveal that intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence in women's lives, much more so than assault or rape by strangers or acquaintances.

The study reports on the enormous toll physical and sexual violence by husbands and partners has on the health and well-being of women around the world and the extent to which partner violence is still largely hidden.

"This study shows that women are more at risk from violence at home than in the street and this has serious repercussions for women's health", said Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of WHO at the study release in Geneva. "The study also shows how important it is to shine a spotlight on domestic violence globally and treat it as a major public health issue."

The study is based on interviews with more than 24 000 women from rural and urban areas in 10 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Statistics show that one quarter to one half of all women who had been physically assaulted by their partners said that they had suffered physical injuries as a direct result. The abused women were also twice as likely as non-abused women to have poor health and physical and mental problems, even if the violence occurred years before.

This includes suicidal thoughts and attempts, mental distress and physical symptoms like pain, dizziness and vaginal discharge.