Abstract
This study explored violence against women with chronic maternal disabilities in rural Bangladesh. During November 2006-July 2008, in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 rural Bangladeshi women suffering from uterine prolapse, stress incontinence, or fistula. Results of interviews showed that exposure to emotional abuse was almost universal, and most women were sexually abused. The common triggers for violence were the inability of the woman to perform household chores and to satisfy her husband's sexual demands. Misconceptions relating to the causes of these disabilities and the inability of the affected women to fulfill gender role expectations fostered stigma. Emotional and sexual violence increased their vulnerability, highlighting the lack of life options outside marriage and silencing most of them into accepting the violence. Initiatives need to be developed to address misperceptions regarding the causes of such disabilities and, in the long-term, create economic opportunities for reducing the dependence of women on marriage and men and transform the society to overcome rigid gender norms.
Highlights
Maternal disabilities with long-lasting consequences have various adverse effects on the health and well-being of millions of women worldwide
Victims of vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) suffer from urinary incontinence, which makes them vulnerable to urinary tract infections, vaginitis, Chronic maternal morbidity-related violence excoriation of the vulva, narrowing of the vagina, secondary amenorrhoea, and the inability to carry a foetus to term even after repair [10]
Most of the women living with a chronic maternal disability—stress incontinence, uterine prolapse, or fistula—were subjected to emotional violence, and almost half of them were sexually abused
Summary
Maternal disabilities with long-lasting consequences have various adverse effects on the health and well-being of millions of women worldwide. In South Asia, acute maternal morbidities are linked to patriarchal social structures and the Chronic disabilities resulting from severe acute complications include but are not limited to the following: uterine prolapse—sliding of the uterus from its normal position in the pelvic cavity into the vaginal canal; stress incontinence—an involuntary loss of urine during physical activity; and vesicovaginal fistula (VVF)—an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina. These chronic conditions typically trigger a host of comorbidities, increasing the overall suffering of the affected women [9,10,11,12]. Victims of VVF suffer from urinary incontinence, which makes them vulnerable to urinary tract infections, vaginitis, Chronic maternal morbidity-related violence excoriation of the vulva, narrowing of the vagina, secondary amenorrhoea, and the inability to carry a foetus to term even after repair [10]
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