Almost 50 percent of women experience abuse, report

About half of Zambia's women have been subjected to physical or emotional abuse by their spouses or intimate partners, according to a recent report. The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), a US Agency for International Development (USAID) project that collects demographic and health data in developing countries has added questions on domestic violence and women's empowerment, allowing for in-depth analyses of the health and other consequences of gender relations. The DHS report, 'Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study', finds high rates of domestic violence in all the countries studied, with over 40 percent of women in several countries reporting spousal or intimate partner abuse. The number of women reporting physical or sexual abuse, through structured in-person interviews, was highest in Zambia, with 48 percent of respondents stating they had been subjected to abuse. In most countries the highest levels of violence occurred in moderately wealthy households, and not, as was often assumed, among poorer households, the study found. Although domestic violence had an obvious impact on the health and wellbeing of abused women, the report also showed that the children of abused women were more likely to suffer health problems. "We know women in violent situations often have poor health, with some ending up as homicides and suicides, but this report also documents its impact on their young children," said gender researcher Dr Sunita Kishor. "The children of abused mothers are more likely to be malnourished and less likely to be immunised than other children," said Kishor. According to the report, infant and child mortality rates were also higher among women who had experienced violence when compared with women who had not. "We hope this report can serve as a tool for programme planners and policymakers as we work to end violence against women worldwide," said Dr Kiersten Johnson, co-author of the report. "This violence has wide-ranging family and social consequences, as demonstrated by our data."