Factors Influencing Domestic Violence Against Married Women in Bangladesh : Evidence From Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey

Abstract

Violence against women is a common and menacing phenomenon in Bangladesh-and domestic violence is the most common form which includes pushing, shaking or throwing of any objects, slapping, punching with fist or something harmful, kicking or dragging, trying of choke or burn, threatening with knife/gun or other weapon, twisting arm or pulling hair. In the study mean age of the respondents were 30.66 (±8.904) and 62.5% respondents lived in Rural areas where higher prevalence of abuse has been observed. The reasons mentioned through out the country for abuse were inconsequential and included failure to perform household work and care of children, economic problems, food crisis, refusal to bring dowry, disobeying husband/elder, unemployment status of husband, suspected case of infidelity etc. Factors influencing domestic violence were lack of education both in respondents or their spouse, lack of exposure to magazine or source of information, current married, large number of children ever born etc. The majority of abused women remained silent about their experience because of the high acceptance of violence within society, only a few shared the matter with neighbor, father/mother or other relatives. A very small proportion of women approached institutional sources for help. Interestingly, violence increased with membership of women in any non government organization or mother club or relating to any income generating process. It is furthermore disgraceful to find that the women with lower body mass index are the higher group of population who are the high-flying victims of violence. In rural or urban Bangladesh, women's physical, mental, social and economic circumstances may influence their risk of domestic violence in multifaceted and paradoxical ways. Therefore findings suggest discussing policy propositions to overcome current realities.