Gender Relations and Male-to-Female Partner Violence: Insights from Nigeria and Haiti

Violence against women is “a global problem of epidemic proportions.”  Worldwide, three in every ten women will experience violence by an intimate partner or non-partner at some point in their lives.  With a prevalence rate of 45.6 percent, Africa has the highest lifetime prevalence of intimate partner physical and/or sexual and non-partner violence. Sexual and physical violence during conflict and natural disasters is an important component of non-partner violence and helps to create an environment where violence against women is seen as an acceptable way of dealing with problems.  In Haiti, in particular, a turbulent political history and frequent episodes of civil unrest have increased the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual and physical assault.  Upon the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004, an estimated 35,000 women and girls in the greater Port-au-Prince area were sexually assaulted, half of whom were younger than 18 years.  More recently, in the six weeks following the January 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas, it was estimated that 10,813 individuals, most of whom were female, were sexually assaulted while 4,645 were physically assaulted. 

Although it is generally acknowledged that gender norms and power dynamics underlie intimate partner violence, only recently have studies in low-income settings tested these associations.  This gap in the literature arises from the lack of commonly accepted definitions for gender norms and power in sexual relationships, and from the fact that common behavioral models do not explicitly address issues of power.  Furthermore, the cultural context may be crucial in shaping how gender norms and power dynamics are associated with intimate partner violence. This presentation examines the association of gender norms, power and control with women’s violence victimization in intimate relationships in Haiti and Nigeria.  Theoretical perspectives and varying dimensions of gender norms and power are discussed.  Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys Program and a survey of students in grades 9-12 in two high schools in Port-au-Prince, Haiti are used to test the association of gender norms and varying dimensions of power on violence in intimate relationships.  Implications for primary and secondary prevention of intimate partner violence are discussed.