Widespread IPV among women in Bangladesh

Staff Reporter :

A new national survey highlights the alarming prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, with 70per cent of women reporting at least one form of IPV-physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or controlling behaviors during their lifetime.

The survey, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), reveals that 41per cent of women experienced IPV in the past 12 months.

The findings were presented during the dissemination event for the 2024 Violence Against Women (VAW) Survey, based on UN standard measures used globally to monitor the prevalence of violence against women.

When adjusted to include additional forms of violence specific to Bangladesh’s national context, the figures rise to 76per cent lifetime prevalence and 49% in the past year.

While the overall lifetime IPV rate stands at 70per cent, the rate of IPV experienced in the past year is 41per cent. This marks a slight decrease from 2015, when the figures were 73per cent for lifetime prevalence and 55per cent for the past 12 months.

The study also reveals that intimate partner violence is far more prevalent than non-partner violence. For the purposes of this survey, ‘intimate partners’ are defined as current or former husbands, while ‘non-partners’ refer to anyone other than a current or former husband with whom the respondent has interacted since the age of 15.

A staggering 54per cent of women reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence from their husbands at some point in their lives, with 16per cent facing such violence in the past year. The survey also found that controlling behaviors and emotional violence are the most common forms of abuse, highlighting the growing concern of psychological violence.

Additionally, the survey showed that women are three times more likely to suffer physical violence and over 14 times more likely to experience sexual violence from their husbands compared to other individuals. This underscores the heightened risks of both physical and sexual abuse within marital relationships.

These findings shed light on the urgent need for intervention and support for women experiencing intimate partner violence in Bangladesh.