Epidemiological study on the prevalence of violence among employed women in Kufa University and some associated factors

Abstract EN

Objective : this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of violence against women(VAW) and some associated factors in a sample of employed women in Kufa university.

Design and methods : A cross sectional study of VAW covering 110 employed married women in 6 colleges in Kufa university was carried out during the period of 1st of March to the 1st of May 2011, data collection was done by using questionnaire forms containing demographic and violence related questions as well as questions related to husbands of participants.

Results: Results showed that about 37.3 % of the sample were ever exposed to violence by their husbands both physical and sexual violence.

Thirty six women (32.7 %) exposed to physical violence and 15 women (13.6 %) exposed to sexual violence.

No significant statistical association (p = 0.37) was found between violence and if the husband is relative or not as well as no significant statistical association (p = 1) was found between violence and husband's work.

This study showed a significant statistical association found between husband's satisfaction with women’s work and the violence (p = 0.03).

The study also showed that 14 (12.7 %) women subjected to violence reported that they cannot complete their lives with violent husbands compared with 27 (24.5 %) who reported that they will complete their lives with violence with significant statistical association (p= 0.005).

No significant association between women’s level of education and exposure to violence (p = 0.39), also there was no significant association between the number of children and exposure to violence (p = 0.383) as well as there was no significant statistical association between the age of women and the exposure to violence (p = 0.07).

Conclusion : these results indicate the need for more attention to be given in order to prevent this problem by the governments, ministries (especially ministries of women, human right and justice), international organizations, religious leaders and NGOs through education about this problem and reactivation of laws in the constitution regarding women’s rights.