Have you ever being a victim of violence, or have you ever being a witness to violence against women?. Do you know that 1 in 3 women have experienced either physical and/or sexual IPV in their lifetime?.
Intimate partner violence is a form of domestic violence against women. It is a pattern of abusive behaviours by one partner against another in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family or cohabitation. This includes; physical violence (wife beating, hitting), controlling behaviours, sexual violence (forceful sex).
IPV varies by women’s background characteristics associated with attitudes accepting the violence, quality of education, exposure to violence in the family, excessive alcohol intake, e.t.c. In Nigeria, there is a deep rooted culture that is socially supportive of domestic violence and reporting of IPV is seen as a taboo.
Globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner. Evidence suggests that violence seems to be one of the leading causes of death for people aged 15-49 years and that IPV is a major public health issue and violations of women’s human rights which is performed by either a husband or an intimate male partner. It is the most common form of violence against women
Paying greater attention to educating girls, women and men (who tends to perpetrate the violence), may reduce the likelihood of IPV and its consequences. Hence, there is need for a fundamental change of some cultural practices that permits IPVAW in Nigeria.
By-ifeoma Utojiuba
ifytricyoncall. com 