Factors Associated with Help-Seeking among Women Affected by Intimate Partner Violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Abstract

According to a published report by the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics in 2011, 37% of ever-married women in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) reported having experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) by their husband at least once in the previous year. However, less than 1% of women who had experienced IPV sought formal help. Thus, this study sought to identify factors associated with help-seeking among women in the oPt. We used linear probability regression to investigate factors associated with formal and informal help-seeking among survivors of IPV, using data from the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics’ 2011 Violence Survey. Our results showed women in Gaza were more likely to seek formal help than those in the West Bank. Employed women were more likely to seek informal help, and higher education was inversely associated with informal help-seeking. Findings suggest both political and sociocultural barriers to help-seeking. We recommend policies that decrease barriers to IPV help-seeking, such as harmful gender norms, and support organizations that provide valuable services to women in the oPt.