Publication:

Violence against women: a study on nature, prevalence and extent

Background To study the nature, prevalence and extent of domestic violence against women in the study area.

Methods The cross-sectional study was carried out in the urban and rural area of Surendranagar district of Gujarat. Total 600 ever married women of 15-49 years of age were selected for the study purpose. The self-administered questionnaire was used to gather all the information. Steps were taken up to maintain confidentiality.

Results Out of total 600 women, 231 (38.5%) were victims of domestic violence in one form or the other. The analysis based on each form of violence discloses that about 83% were victims of psychological violence, about 54% of the victims had experienced physical violence, about 32% were victims of economical violence and about 24% were victims of sexual violence.

Conclusions Husband was the frequent instigator of domestic violence. Psychological violence is the commonest form of violence experienced by the victims.