Summary of publication
This document is a PowerPoint presentation (also provided as PDF) on the Centre's 2009/2010 study of violence against women and children in Vanuatu.
The sample of 3,281 occupied households had a response rate of 96 per cent. It found that 60 per cent of women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime by husbands/partners. For 90 per cent of the women who experienced violence, it was severe. The study found more than 1 in 4 women experienced physical violence by non-partners over fifteen years. It also found that 1 in 3 women experienced child sexual abuse under the age of 15, and sexual violence over the age of 15. It reported 2 in 5 women were forced into first sex. The study showed the violence caused injuries for many women (including loss of consciousness for almost half of these), and permanent disability for some (1 in 5 of those who were injured). It highlighted that the violence also caused mental health problems, including attempted suicide. The study revealed that the violence disrupted women's work and daily living, and that they coped by not telling anyone (2 in 5 women), asking for help (1 in 4 asked a chief, church leader, health agency or police for help), and/or temporarily leaving home (almost half). The study reported less than 1 per cent of women left home permanently because of violence.