Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Journal of Family Violence
Published in: Journal of Family Violence 1/2016

01-01-2016 | Original Article

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

Authors: Rubeena Zakar, Muhammad Z. Zakar, Safdar Abbas

Published in: Journal of Family Violence | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

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.
Literature
Alam, A. Y., Qureshi, A. A., Adil, M. M., & Ali, H. (2014). Factors affecting utilization of antenatal care among women in urban slum areas of Islamabad. Rawal Medical Journal, 39(2), 71–75.
Ali, P. A., & Gavino, M. I. (2008). Violence against women in Pakistan: A framework for analysis. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, 58(4), 198–203.
Amado, L. E. (2003). Sexually and bodily rights as human rights in the Middle East and North Africa. A Workshop Report, Malta. Women for Women’s human rights: New Ways and Meditarian Academy of Diplomatic Studies.
Ashwin, S., & Lytkina, T. (2004). Men in crisis in Russia: the role of domestic marginalization. Gender and Society, 18, 189–206.CrossRef
Ayub, M., Irfan, M., Nasr, T., Lutufullah, M., Kingdon, D., & Naeem, F. (2009). Psychiatric morbidity and domestic violence: a survey of married women in Lahore. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 44(11), 953–60.PubMedCrossRef
Basile, K. C., Arias, I., Desai, S., & Thompson, M. P. (2004). The differential association of intimate partner physical, sexual, psychological, and stalking violence and posttraumatic stress symptoms in a nationally representative sample of women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17(5), 413–21.PubMedCrossRef
Bogal-Allbritten, R., & Daughaday, L. R. (1990). Spouse abuse program services: a rural urban comparison. Human Services Rural Environment, 14(2), 6–10.
Campbell, J. C. (2002). Health consequences of intimate partner violence. The Lancet, 359, 1331–36.CrossRef
Coker, A. L. (2007). Does physical intimate partner violence affect sexual health? A systematic review. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 8(2), 149–160.CrossRef
Coker, A. L., Flerx, V. C., Smith, P. H., Whitaker, D. J., Fadden, M. K., & Williams, M. (2007). Partner violence screening in rural health care clinics. American Journal of Public Health, 97(7), 1319–25.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
Cripe, S. M., Sanchez, S. E., Perales, M. T., Lam, N., Garcia, P., & Williams, M. A. (2008). Association of intimate partner physical and sexual violence with unintended pregnancy among pregnant women in Peru. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 100, 104–108.PubMedCrossRef
Critelli, F. M. (2010). Women’s rights=human rights: Pakistani women against gender violence. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 37(2), 135–160.
Diop-Sidibé, N., Campbell, J. C., & Becker, S. (2006). Domestic violence against women in Egypt-wife beating and health outcomes. Social Science and Medicine, 62(5), 1260–1271.
Fatmi, Z., & Avan, B. (2002). Demographic, socio-economic and environmental determinants of utilization of antenatal care in a rural setting of Sindh, Pakistan. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, 138–42.
Fikree, F. F., & Bhatti, L. I. (1999). Domestic violence and health of Pakistani women. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 65, 195–201.CrossRef
Fikree, F. F., Khan, A., Kadir, M. M., Sajan, F., & Rahbar, M. H. (2001). What influences contraceptive use among young women in urban squatter settlement of Karachi, Pakistan? International Family Planning Perspectives, 27(3), 130–136.CrossRef
Finlayson, K., & Downe, S. (2013) Why Do women not use aAntenatal Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries? A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies. PLoS Med 10(1): e1001373. doi:10.​1371/​journal.​pmed.​1001373.
Garcia-Moreno, C., Jansen, H. A. F. M., Ellsberg, M., Heise, L. L., & Watts, C. H. (2005). WHO,multicounty study on women’s health and domestic violence against women: initials results on prevalence, health outcomes, and women’s responses. Switzerland: World Health Organization.
Gazmararian, J. A., Petersen, R., Spitz, A. M., Goodwin, M. M., Saltzman, L. E., & Markes, J. S. (2000). Violence and reproductive health: current knowledge and future research directions. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 4, 79–84.PubMedCrossRef
Gracia, E., & Herrero, J. (2006). Acceptability of domestic violence against women in the European Union: a multilevel analysis. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 123–9.
Hall, M., Chappell, L. C., Parnell, B. L., Seed, P. T., Bewley, S. (2014). Associations between intimate partner violence and termination of pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS Medicine.
Heise, L., Ellsberg, M., Gottemmoeller. (1999). Ending violence against women. population reports, series L, no. 11. Baltimore, MD: Population Information Program, Center for Communication Programs, the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Population Information Program (Population Reports, Series L, no. 11). Retrieved from: http://​www.​k4health.​org/​system/​files/​L%20​11.​pdf
Hidrobo, M., & Fernald, L. (2013). Major health and human rights problem. Journal of Health Economics, 32(1), 304–319.PubMedCrossRef
Hindin, M. J., & Adair, L. S. (2002). Who is at risk? Factors associated with intimate partner. Social Science Medicine, 55(8), 1385–99.PubMedCrossRef
HRCP. (2012). State of human rights in 2012. Lahore: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Jejeebhoy, S. (1998). Wife-beating in rural India: a husband’s right? Economic and Political Weekly, 11(1998), 855–862.
Kazi, S., Reeves, M., Creinin, M. (2008). The prevalence of domestic violence in volunteers for abortion and contraceptive research studies. Contraception, 79–83.
Khodarahimi, S. (2014). Role of family violence on mental health and hopefulness in an Iranian adolescents sample. Journal of Family Violence, 259–268.
Koenig, M. A., Ahmed, S., Hossain, M., Mozumder, A., & Khorshed, A. (2003). Women’s status and domestic violence in rural Bangladesh: individual- and community-level effects. Demography, 40(2), 269–88.PubMedCrossRef
Krishnan, S. P., Hilbert, J. C., & Vanleeuwen, D. (2001). Domestic violence and help-seeking behavior among rural women: results from a shelter-based study. Family Community Health, 24, 28–38.PubMedCrossRef
Kumar, S., Jeyaseelan, L., Suresh, S., & Ahuja, R. C. (2005). Domestic violence and its mental health correlates in Indian women. British Journal of Psychiatry, 187, 62–67.PubMedCrossRef
Moore, A. M., Frohwirth, L., & Miller, E. (2010). Male reproductive control of women who have experienced intimate partner violence in the United States. Social Sciences and Medicine, 70(11), 1737–1744.CrossRef
Mumtaz, Z., & Salway, S. M. (2007). Gender, pregnancy and the uptake of antenatal care services in Pakistan. Sociology of Health and Illness, 29(1), 1–26.PubMedCrossRef
Nasrullah, M., Zakar, R., Zakar, M. Z. (2014). Child marriage and its associations with controlling behaviors and spousal violence against adolescent and young women in Pakistan. Journal of Adolescent Health, 804–809.
National Institute of Population Studies and Macro International. (2013). Pakistan demographic and health survey 2012–13. Islamabad: National Institute of Population Studies and Macro International.
Niaz, U. (2003). Violence against women in South Asian countries. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 6, 173–184.PubMedCrossRef
Pallitto, C. C., Campbell, J. C., & O’Campo, P. (2005). Is intimate partner violence associated with unintended pregnancy: a review of the literature? Trauma Violence and Abuse, 6(3), 217–235.CrossRef
Peek-Asa, C., Wallis, A., Harland, K., Beyer, K., Dickey, P., & Saftlas, A. (2011). Rural disparity in domestic violence prevalence and access to resources. Journal of Womens Health, 20(11), 1743–9.
Raj, A., Saggurt, N., Balaiah, D., & Silverman, J. G. (2009). Prevalence of child marriage and its impact on the fertility and fertility control behaviors of young women in India. Lancet, 1883–1889.
Riddell, T., Ford-Gilboe, M., Leipert, B. (2009). Strategies used by rural women to stop, avoid, or escape from intimate partner violence. Health Care Women Int, 134–159.
Roy, M. P., Mohan, U., Singh, S. K., Singh, V. K., Srivastava, A. K. (2013). Determinants of Utilization of Antenatal Care Services in Rural Lucknow, India. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 55–59.
Saigol, R. (2011). Women’s empowerment in Pakistan. Islamabad: Aurat Publication and Information Services Foundation.
Shuib, R., Endut, N., Ali, S. H., Osman, I., Abdullah, S., Oon, S. W., et al. (2013). Domestic violence and Women’s well-being in Malaysia: issues and challenges conducting a national study using the WHO multi-country questionnaire on Women’s health and domestic violence against women. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 91, 475–480.CrossRef
Silverman, J. G., Gupta, J., Decker, M. R., Kapur, N., & Raj, A. (2007). Intimate partner violence and unwanted pregnancy, miscarriage, induced abortion, and stillbirth among a national sample of Bangladeshi women. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 114, 1246–1252.CrossRef
Stickley, A., Kislitsyna, O., Timofeeva, I., & Vägerö, D. (2008). Attitudes towards intimate partner violence against women in Moscow, Russia. Journal of Family Violence, 23, 447–456.CrossRef
Straus, M. A., Hamby, S. L., Boney-Mccoy, S., & Sugarman, D. B. (1996). The revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): development and preliminary psychometric data. Journal of Family Issues, 17(3), 283–316.CrossRef
UN WOMEN. (2014). Violence against women in politics a study conducted in India, Nepal and Pakistan. New Delhi: United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Wilson-Williams, L., Stephenson, R., Juvekar, S., & Andes, K. (2008). Domestic violence and contraceptive use in a rural Indian village. Violence Against Women, 14(10), 1181–1198.PubMedCrossRef
World Bank. (2011). World bank annual report, 2011. Washington: World Bank.CrossRef
World Health Organization. (1994). A user’s guide to the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ). WHO Geneva: Division of mental Health.
World Health Organization. (2001). Putting women first: Ethical and safety recommendations, for research on domestic violence against women. Geneva: WHO, Department of Gender and Women’s Health Family and Community Health.
Zakar, R. (2012). Intimate partner violence against women and its implications for women’s in Pakistan. Disserta Verlag: Hamburg.
Zakar, R., Zakar, M. Z., & Krämer, A. (2012). Voices of strength and struggle: women’s coping strategies against spousal violence in Pakistan. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27(16), 3268–3298.PubMedCrossRef
Zakar, R., Zakar, M. Z., & Krämer, A. (2013). Men’s belief and attitudes towards intimate partner violence against women in Pakistan. Violence Against Women, 19(2), 246–68.PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
Domestic Violence Against Rural Women in Pakistan: An Issue of Health and Human Rights
Authors
Rubeena Zakar
Muhammad Z. Zakar
Safdar Abbas
Publication date
01-01-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Family Violence / Issue 1/2016
Print ISSN: 0885-7482
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2851
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9742-6

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

Journal of Family Violence 1/2016 Go to the issue

Original Article

Children, Family Violence and Group Work: Some Do’s and Don’ts in Running Therapeutic Groups with Children Affected by Family Violence

Original Article

Spousal Rejection as a Risk Factor for Parental Rejection of Children Among Pakistani Families in the U.S.

Original Article

Family Functioning and Children’s Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in a Referred Sample Exposed to Interparental Violence

Original Article

Social Factors Affecting the Completion of a Batterer Intervention Program

Original Article

Barriers to Active Inquiry About Intimate Partner Violence Among German Physicians Participating in a Mandatory Training

Original Article

A Focus on the Positive: Reasons for Not Engaging in Physical Aggression Against a Dating Partner