Prevalence of and perception to domestic violence against women in a north western city of Nigeria

Abstract

Domestic violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men. This has prevented the full advancement of women. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and perception of residents of a cosmopolitan city in Nigeria on intimate partner abuse experienced by women.

It is a descriptive cross sectional study which involved 576 married females and males in Kano metropolis using multistage sampling technique. Data was collected with interviewer administered questionnaire and analysis was done using EPI-INFO 2007 software package. Level of significance was pre-determined at p-value < 0.05.

More than two thirds of the male respondents (71.8%) had beaten their wives at one time or the other. Reasons for abuse include food not sweet enough, refusal of sex and leaving home without the consent of the husband. About a third (30.6%) respondents justified that one of the reasons for the husband to beat wife was unfaithfulness. Unfortunately, more males (76.5%) with tertiary education beat their wives as compared with men of lower educational status. There was a statistically significant difference in the educational status of respondents and prevalence of wife beaten p-value <0.05.

Level of education among men was shown in this study to have no protective effect on violence against women as men with tertiary educations are shown to have more likelihood of perpetrating violence against women.

Keywords: Prevalence, Perception, Domestic, Violence, Women