Background

Violence against women is now widely recognized as a serious human right abuse, and an important public health problem with substantial consequences physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health. Data on systematic review of domestic violence are needed to support policy and program recommendations. Therefore, the overall purpose of this systematic review was to assess magnitude of domestic violence against women and associated factors in Ethiopia.

Methods

Studies systematically reviewed in Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 2000 to 2014. Systematic review was employed on published research works from databases such as Pubmed, popline, Hinari, and Google using key words. We also consulted public health experts. Community based studies with a study population (15–49 years) were included for review. Thirteen peer reviewed papers and two consecutive Ethiopian demographic and health surveys (2005 and 2011) were included to the systematic review. Twenty-seven available in open access journals were retrieved and assessed based on the criteria’s such as community-based study, cross sectional study design, clearly report prevalence and associated factors were included in the systematic review work. Finally, 15 papers were included in this review.

Results

Lifetime prevalence of domestic violence against women by husband or intimate partner among 10 studies ranged from 20 to 78 %. The lifetime domestic physical violence by husband or intimate partner against women ranged from 31 to 76.5 %. The lifetime domestic sexual violence against women by husband or intimate partner ranged from 19.2 to 59 %. The mean lifetime prevalence of domestic emotional violence was 51.7 %. Significant number of women experienced violence during their pregnancy period. Domestic violence against women significantly associated with alcohol consumption, chat chewing, family history of violence, occupation, religion, educational status, residence and decision-making power.

Conclusion

Domestic violence against women was relatively high in different parts of Ethiopia. Domestic violence has direct relationship with sociodemographic characteristics of the victim as well as perpetrator. Therefore, appropriate health promotion information activities needed to tackle associated factors of domestic violence against women or to prevent and control the problem to save women from being victim.

India is witnessing a rise in the number of domestic violence incidents, during the 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. While the entire world has been advised to take comfort inside their homes, for those at the receiving end of domestic abuse, home is hardly a ‘safe space’.

The lockdown has left this vulnerable group completely at risk, with no escape from their abusers during quarantine, activists’ point.

Verified Helpline Numbers

The National Commission for Women has launched a WhatsApp helpline number – 7217735372 – in addition to the online complaint links and emails which are already operational.

How Can You Help Someone In Trouble?

Victims of abuse can also reach out to 1091 – a dedicated nationwide helpline for women in any kind of distress. The governments of Uttar Pradesh (112) and Kerala (9400080292) have also launched dedicated helplines for women who are subjected to domestic violence.

Aishwarya Says:

I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.

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We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.

We are also running a series Inspirational Women from January 2021 to March 31,2021, featuring around 1000 stories about Indian Women, who changed the world. #choosetochallenge