“Domestic Violence and Abuse of Women in Armenia”

Extract from report on nationwide survey findings

May 2007

This survey was conducted and published with financial support of Catholic Relief Services Armenian Branch Office and Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe.

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Women’s Rights Center, a Yerevan-based NGO, is actively engaged in combating domestic vio­lence and abuse of women in Armenia. In order to undertake such activities as lobbying, advocacy, and development of draft legislation to prevent domestic violence against women in Armenia, the Center requires reliable information about the current situation in our country. The Turpanjian Center for Policy Analysis (TCPA) at the American University of Armenia (AUA) was contracted to conduct a survey in order to provide information for the development of the activities of the Women’s Rights Center in the prevention of domestic violence against women. The purpose of this nationwide study is to determine women’s attitudes toward domestic violence against women and understanding about its causes and solutions, and to assess the extent of domestic violence and abuse of women in Armenia. It is also aimed at revealing the recent incidents of physical abuse of women at home. The survey was conducted and published with financial support of Catholic Relief Services Armenian Branch Office and Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe

Sixty-one percent of the respondents indicated that “a good wife always obeys her husband even if she disagrees” and that it is important for a man to show his wife who is the boss. About two-thirds of the respondents mentioned that being unfaithful justifies physical force against wives. On the other hand, 78 percent of the respondents disagreed that “it is OK for a husband to forbid his wife to work.” Five in ten respondents reported that neglecting children, four out of ten that disobeying the husband, three in ten that going out without telling the husband, and another three in ten that arguing with the husband justify using physical force against wives. Nevertheless, nearly all respondents agreed that “a man should never hit his wife.”

Some respondents do not have a final say on family-related issues with three in ten respondents saying they do not participate in decision-making about large household purchases. Two in ten respondents do not take part in decision-making about their own health care, or how to use money that they earn themselves.

About 60 percent of the respondents agreed that “domestic violence is a widespread problem in Arme­nia.” Nearly half of the respondents know, on average, four women who have been victims of domestic violence. Six in ten of these respondents indicated that victims are their acquaintances, three in ten said friends and relatives, and two in ten neighbors. About 72 percent of the respondents stated that “Armenia needs a law on domestic violence.”

The top five reasons given by respondents as the explanations for domestic violence are drug and al­cohol problems, unwillingness of women to leave the men who abuse them, poverty, unequal relation­ships between men and women, and abusers’ lack of education, followed by experience of violence in the family during childhood, sudden financial problems or job loss, and victims’ lack of education. Being mentally ill is the reason agreed to by the least number of the respondents.

Psychological, physical, and sexual abuse of women is common in Armenia. Nearly 66 percent of the respondents experienced psychological abuse, with 46 percent experiencing it often or sometimes. In total, half of the respondents were shouted, screamed or sworn at, the movements of three in ten respondents were checked, and another three in ten were criticized in front of others. In seven out of ten incidents of psychological abuse the offenders were the husbands, while in nearly three out of ten occasions – mothers-in-law. Almost all respondents indicated that mental abuse is as bad as physical abuse, and 79 percent of the respondents agreed that being criticized in public by husbands is a type of domestic abuse.

Twenty-seven percent of the respondents experienced acts of moderate physical abuse, with 16 percent experiencing it often or sometimes. Overall, one in ten respondents was pushed, grabbed or shoved, or slapped on the body, arms or legs, or demanded sex when she did not want it, or physically forced to do something against her will. Another ten percent were incidents of moderate physical abuse including either punching or kicking walls or furniture, or throwing things at the woman or about the room. The initiators of eight out of ten incidents of moderate physical abuse were husbands, and about two in ten abusers were mothers-in-law.

About 12 percent of the respondents experienced acts of severe physical abuse, with six percent experi­encing it often or sometimes. Overall, five percent of the respondents were either pulled by the hair or arms were twisted, or their children were hit and hurt, or they were forced to have sex. The perpetra­tors in almost nine out of ten incidents of severe physical abuse were husbands, and in one out of ten incidents mothers-in-law physically abused their daughters-in-law.

While nearly three out of ten respondents experienced physical abuse at home (with about two in ten expe­riencing it often or sometimes), only about 35 percent feel that what happened on the most recent occasion of abuse makes them a victim of domestic violence. Moreover, just under half of the respondents believe that they partially share the blame for what happened on this most recent occasion. About 40 percent of the abused respondents reported about such cases that children had witnessed the abuse. This experience affected the respondents: eight out of ten abused respondents were angry, about five had decreased self esteem, while another five were depressed, and the other five were ashamed as a result of this incident. Sixty percent of the respondents stated that there is something that they can do to stop the abuse happening to them.

Only 29 percent of the abused respondents asked someone for help to stop the abuse and in most cases they sought this help from family members. Almost one in ten respondents sought medical assistance because of injuries caused by domestic violence and six percent called the police. The abuser, after signing a statement that the violence would not be repeated, was released in about eight out of ten cases when the police were called.

About three in ten respondents left partners because they had been threatened or abused by them. In 90 percent of these cases, the abused respondents eventually returned home.

Domestic violence and abuse of women appear to be equally distributed in Armenia across ages, in­come, employment status, and education. That is, for the most part, no statistically significant differ­ences in the instances of violence and abuse were found based on these factors.

The true scale of domestic violence and abuse may be higher. TCPA interviewers believe that there is some under-reporting; for example, there were some women who refused to participate in the survey because they said their husbands would get angry and other women who said “no,” even though their eyes showed the opposite. Unfortunately, numerous social barriers may prevent some women from revealing their experiences of domestic violence and abuse to outsiders.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS

This section summarizes the major findings of the report on a nationwide survey of domestic violence and abuse of women in Armenia.

Perceptions about family relationships

• Six out of ten Armenian women believe that “a good wife always obeys her husband even if she disagrees,” and that “it is important for a man to show his wife who is the boss.”

• Only about four out of ten Armenian women agree that a woman should be able to choose her friends even without her husband’s approval.

• Only two in ten Armenian women agree that “it is OK for a husband to forbid his wife to work,” and about four in ten Armenian women agree that “it is a wife’s obligation to have sex with her husband even if she doesn’t feel like it.”

• About two-thirds of Armenian women believe that being unfaithful justifies physical force against wives. Five in ten Armenian women reported that neglecting children, four out of ten that disobeying the husband, three in ten that going out without telling the husband, and another three in ten that arguing with the husband justify using physical force against wives.

• Nearly all Armenian women agree that “a man should never hit his wife.”

• Three in ten Armenian women do not participate in decision-making about large household purchases and two in ten Armenian women do not take part in decision-making about their own health care or how to use money that they themselves earn.

Levels of understanding about causes of domestic violence

• Almost all Armenian women agree that drug and alcohol problems are the main causes of domestic violence.

• Almost nine out of ten Armenian women believe that domestic violence continues because women do not leave the men who abuse them.

• Nine in ten Armenian women believe that poverty increases the likelihood of domestic violence, while seven in ten agree that sudden financial problems or job loss are reasons for domestic violence.

• Nine out of ten Armenian women believe that domestic violence results from unequal relationships between men and women.

• Nearly eight in ten Armenian women agree that most men learn to be violent because they witnessed violence in their home during the childhood.

Attitudes toward domestic violence and public agencies

• Nine in ten Armenian women believe that domestic violence can be best solved as a private matter, inside the family, instead of by police.

• Six in ten Armenian women think that this problem, as a public issue, should be solved by government and society.

• Only half of Armenian women agree that there should be outside intervention if a man mistreats his wife.

• Seven in ten Armenian women believe that Armenia needs a law on domestic violence and nine in ten Armenian women believe that the government should take actions to combat domestic violence.

• Only about four in ten Armenian women would be likely to call the police if they were to experience domestic violence.

• Six in ten Armenian women agree that the court system does very little to protect abused women.

Psychological abuse

• About 66 percent of Armenian women experienced psychological abuse, with 46 percent experiencing it often or sometimes.

• In 74 percent of the incidents of psychological abuse the offenders were husbands and in 28 percent mothers-in-law.

• Almost all Armenian women believe that mental abuse is as bad as physical abuse, and eight in ten Armenian women agree that being criticized in public by husbands is a type of domestic abuse.

Moderate physical abuse

• Twenty-seven percent of Armenian women experienced moderate physical abuse, with 16 percent experiencing it often or sometimes.

• One in ten Armenian women has been either pushed, grabbed or shoved, or slapped on the body, arms or legs, or demanded sex when she did not want it, or physically forced to do something against her will.

• The initiators of eight out of ten incidents of moderate physical abuse were husbands, whereas about two in ten abusers were mothers-in-law.

Severe physical abuse

• About 12 percent of Armenian women experienced severe physical abuse, with six percent experiencing it often or sometimes.

• Five percent of Armenian women have been either pulled by the hair or their arms have been twisted, or their children have been hit and hurt, or they have been forced to have sex.

• The perpetrators in almost nine out of ten incidents of severe physical abuse were husbands, and in one out of ten incidents mothers-in-law physically abused their daughters-in-law.