Domestic Violence Against Rural Women in Pakistan: An Issue of Health and Human Rights

Abstract

Pakistani women living in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to violence because of their relatively weaker social position and lack of awareness about their legal rights. We investigated domestic violence against rural women and its association with women’s health. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from Rural Health Center of five selected districts by conducting face-to-face interviews from 490 randomly selected women of reproductive age. The data showed that about 65 % of the interviewed women had experienced different types of violence, with psychological violence being the most common. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that women’s low education, low income, and marriage at an early age were significantly associated with domestic violence. Additionally, Domestic violence was significantly associated with poor mental and reproductive health. These findings may be useful in developing public health programs to address domestic violence against rural women.