Author:
Elghossain Tatiana,Bott Sarah,Akik Chaza,Obermeyer Carla Makhlouf
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Violence against women has particular importance for women’s health and wellbeing in the Arab world, where women face persistent barriers to social, political and economic equality. This review aims to summarize what is known about the prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional/psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in the 22 countries of the Arab League, including geographic coverage, quality and comparability of the evidence.
Methods
A systematic review of IPV prevalence in Arab countries was carried out among peer-reviewed journal articles and national, population-based survey reports published by international research programmes and/or governments. Following PRISMA guidelines, Medline and the Social Sciences Citation Index were searched with Medical Subject Headings terms and key words related to IPV and the names of Arab countries. Eligible sources were published between January 2000 and January 2016, in any language. United Nations databases and similar sources were searched for national surveys. Study characteristics, operational definitions and prevalence data were extracted into a database using Open Data Kit Software. Risk of bias was assessed with a structured checklist.
Results
The search identified 74 records with population or facility-based IPV prevalence data from eleven Arab countries, based on 56 individual datasets. These included 46 separate survey datasets from peer-reviewed journals and 11 national surveys published by international research programmes and/or governments. Seven countries had national, population-based IPV estimates. Reported IPV prevalence (ever) ranged from 6% to more than half (59%) (physical); from 3 to 40% (sexual); and from 5 to 91% (emotional/ psychological). Methods and operational definitions of violence varied widely, especially for emotional/psychological IPV, limiting comparability.
Conclusions
IPV against women in Arab countries represents a public health and human rights problem, with substantial levels of physical, sexual and emotional/psychological IPV documented in many settings. The evidence base is fragmented, however, suggesting a need for more comparable, high quality research on IPV in the region and greater adherence to international scientific and ethical guidelines. There is a particular need for national, population-based data to inform prevention and responses to violence against women, and to help Arab countries monitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Funder
International Development Research Centre
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Reference98 articles.
1. League of Arab States.
http://www.leagueofarabstates.net/ar/aboutlas/Pages/CountryData.aspx
. Accessed 16 July 2019.
2. ILO. Rethinking economic growth: Towards productive and inclusive Arab societies. Beirut: International labour Organization, Regional Office for the Arab States and UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States; 2012.
3. World Economic Forum. The global gender gap report 2017. Geneva: World Economic Forum; 2017.
4. Women UN. Violence against Women: what is at stake? Status of Arab Women report 2017. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia: Beirut; 2017.
5. Obermeyer CM, Bott S, Sassine AJ. Arab adolescents: health, gender, and social context. J Adolesc Health. 2015;57(3):252–62.
Cited by
53 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献