WUNRN
New study shows one-third of Vietnamese women suffer from physical or sexual violence
Ha Noi, 25 November 2010 – One in three, or 34 percent, of
ever-married women report that they have suffered physical or sexual violence
from their husbands at some time in their lives, according to the National Study on Domestic Violence
Against Women in Viet Nam, launched today by the Government of Viet
Nam and the United Nations. Ever-married women who are currently experiencing
either of these two types of violence amount to 9 percent.
When all three main types of partner violence –
physical, sexual and emotional – are considered, more than half (58 percent) of
Vietnamese women report experiencing at least one type of domestic violence in
their lifetime. The study findings also show that women are three times more
likely to be abused by a husband than by any other person.
“For the first time, a study seeks to obtain detailed
information nationwide about the prevalence, frequencies and types of violence
against women, looking at the health outcomes of domestic violence, the factors
that may protect or put women at risk of domestic violence and showing coping
strategies and services that women use to deal with domestic violence,”
explained Tran Thi Hang, Deputy General Director of GSO.
New data from the study highlight the fact that most
women in
“Although domestic violence is widespread, the problem
is very much hidden,” said Ms. Henrica A.F.M. Jansen, the lead researcher of
the study. “Besides the stigma and shame causing women to remain silent, many
women think that violence in relationships is ‘normal’ and that women should
tolerate and endure what is happening to them for the sake of family harmony.”
In fact, one in two women said that before the survey interviews, they had
never told anyone about instances of violence by their husbands.
“This report highlights the urgency of breaking the
silence,” stressed Jean Marc Olive, WHO Representative in
It is clear that domestic violence has serious
consequences on both the physical and mental health of women. In Viet Nam, one
in four women who were physically or sexually abused by their husbands reported
suffering physical injuries, and more than half of them reported being injured
multiple times. Compared to women who have never been abused, those who have
experienced partner violence are almost two times more likely to report poor
health and physical problems, and three times more likely to have ever thought
of suicide.
Pregnant women are also at risk. According to the
report, about 5 percent of women who had been pregnant reported being beaten
during pregnancy. In almost all of these cases, the women had been abused by
the father of the unborn child.
Although domestic violence takes a heavy toll on
women, children are also victims. Almost one in four women with children under
15 years of age reported that their children have been abused physically by
their husbands. The study indicates that domestic violence poses serious risks
for the well-being of the children. For example, the report shows that children
living in a household where their mother was abused by her husband were more
likely to have behavioral problems compared to other children.
“Women who have been abused have more chances to have
a husband whose mother was beaten or who was himself beaten when he was a
child. The childhood experience of the husband is an important risk factor with
respect to him being a perpetrator later in life,” said Jansen. This reinforces
the idea that violence is a learned behavior.
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Notes
The research team for the study interviewed 4,838
women between 18 and 60 years old, representing the general population of women
of these ages in
The study, undertaken as part of the United Nations -
Government of Viet Nam Joint Programme on Gender Equality, was conducted by the
General Statistics Office (GSO), with technical assistance from the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the participation of national consultants from
the Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP), the
Ministry of Health and an international consultant. The study was funded by the
Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDGF) and the Spanish Agency for
International Development Cooperation (AECID). A consultative approach was used
throughout, with stakeholders representing government, national civil society
and the international community involved in all phases of the study, from
planning the study to interpretation and endorsement of the results, as well as
formulation of the recommendations.
Speech of WHO Representative, Dr. Jean-Marc Olive during the Study Launch:: http://www.un.org.vn/en/speeches/159/1644-speech-of-who-representative-dr-jean-marc-olive.html