Over one in four women (or 27 per cent) experience intimate partner violence before the age of 50, according to a worldwide analysis led by researchers from McGill University and the World Health Organization. The largest of its kind, the analysis covers 366 studies involving more than 2 million women in 161 countries.
“Intimate partner violence against women — which includes physical and sexual violence by husbands, boyfriends, and other partners — is highly prevalent globally,” says McGill University Professor Mathieu Maheu-Giroux, a Canada Research Chair in Population Health Modeling.
According to the finding published in The Lancet, one in seven women (or 13 per cent) experienced intimate partner violence within the last year of the study period between 2000 and 2018. The analysis also found high levels of violence against young women, estimating that 24 per cent of those between the ages of 15 to 19 experienced domestic violence in their lifetime.
While the numbers are alarming the true scale of violence is likely even higher, the researchers say, noting that the studies were based on self-reported experiences. Given the stigmatized nature of the issue, women can be hesitant to report their experiences, they explain.
— source McGill University | Mar 24, 2022