Dealing with spousal violence

Abstract

"Violence by husbands against their wives, commonly called domestic or spousal violence, is one of the most common forms of gender-based violence experienced by women across the world (1). It varies from country to country but its presence is hidden but recognised by all. It is a serious public health issue with implications for the individual and for society. It can lead to serious injury to the woman and, at times, even her death. Most violence against women is perpetrated by their intimate male partners. A WHO study in 11 countries found that between 15% and 71% of women, depending on the country, had experienced physical or sexual violence by a husband or partner in their lifetime (2) and two out of five currently married Indian women age 15-49 have experienced spousal violence in their current marriage; among women who have ever experienced such violence, more than two in three have experienced violence in the past year (3). The husbands’ consumption of alcohol significantly increases the risk. Further, recent research points to both short- and long-term detrimental effects of domestic violence on the health and welfare of women and their children