27% of women have already been victims of violence from their spouse, according to a new international survey.
- 492 million women aged 15-49 have experienced partner violence in the past 12 months.
- In 2021, 113 French women were killed by their spouse.
A new international research published in The Lancet estimates that more than one in four women worldwide have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime.
161 countries studied
The data used for this new survey comes from 300 studies conducted between 2000 and 2018 in 161 different countries. In all, 2 million women aged 15 and over were surveyed about the physically, sexually and psychologically harmful behaviors that their spouses could have towards them.
After analyzing the responses, the researchers first found that young women were particularly affected by assaults by their partners. “The prevalence of domestic violence was highest among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-19 and 20-24” note the scientists. “The high number of young women experiencing violence is alarming, as adolescence and early adulthood are important stages in life where the foundations of healthy relationships are laid,” underlines the director of the study Lynnmarie Sardinha.
More violence in poor countries
The survey also shows that domestic violence is more prevalent in poor countries: its prevalence is highest in Oceania (49%) and sub-Saharan Central Africa (44%). Central Asia (18%) and Central Europe (16%) are, on the other hand, the regions where women suffer the least abuse.
“These results confirm that violence against women remains a global public health problem. Governments are not in a position to achieve their goals of eradicating this phenomenon by 2030, as they envisaged” , says Claudia García-Moreno, a doctor at the WHO. “We call for urgent investment in effective multi-sector interventions to tackle domestic aggression”she concludes.
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