African Journals Online
The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development
(EJHD)

Official Journal Of The Ethiopian Public Health Association
Volume 17, Second Special Issue, 2003

The results of this large study from south central Ethiopia show that more than half of women suffered from sexual violence, and about half of them from physical violence by a partner at some point in their lives. During the twelve months prior to the survey, 44% of women reported sexual violence and 29% suffered partner violence. The low status of women in the society, a lack of general awareness about human/women’s rights and weakness in the law enforcement system are some of the reasons for the wide spread violence.

Women’s Health and Life Events Study in Rural Ethiopia

Yegomawork Gossaye¹, Negussie Deyessa¹, Yemane Berhane¹, Mary Ellsberg²,

Maria Emmelin³, Meaza Ashenafi⁴, Atalay Alem⁵, Alemayehu Negash⁵,

Derege Kebede⁵, Gunnar Kullgren⁶, Ulf Hogberg³

¹Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
²Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), Washington, D.C, USA
³Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden
⁴Women Lawyers Association, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
⁵Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
⁶Psychiatry and Department of Clinical Science, Umeå University, Sweden

Summary

This report presents major findings from a field research conducted in Meskan and Mareko district in south central Ethiopia. The research was conducted by a multidisciplinary team with extensive field research experiences in the areas of domestic violence, reproductive health, mental health and epidemiology. Over 3000 women were systematically selected for the study both from urban and rural areas. Data were collected using standard questionnaires for domestic violence and mental health developed by the World Health. The results show that 59% of women suffered from sexual violence, and 49% from physical violence by a partner at some point in their lives. During the twelve months prior to the survey, 44% of women reported sexual violence and 29% suffered partner violence. Major lifetime mental health problems include depressive episode, Somatoform disorder and recurrent depressive episodes diagnosed in 6%, 3% and 2% of the women, respectively. Women who suffered from domestic violence also reported more symptoms of mental distress, although the degree of association is not fully explored in this report. The majority of violence reported by women was inflected by intimate partners. The low status of women in the society, a lack of general awareness about human/women’s rights and weakness in the law enforcement system are some of the reasons for the wide spread violence. To end violence against women and promote a healthy and secure life for women coordinated efforts by all concerned are needed. Efforts must also focus in improving the conditions of the family as a whole.