Polygyny and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Among Ethiopian Women
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Polygyny and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Among Ethiopian Women Nasser B. Ebrahim 1 & Madhu S. Atteraya 2 Accepted: 25 September 2020 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Polygyny is marriage between a man and multiple women and is mostly practiced in sub-Saharan African countries. Some of the common attributes of this family structure include perennial conflicts and marital discord, which can expose women to intimate partner violence (IPV). Nonetheless, there is limited research on the intersection between such family structures and IPV in the Ethiopian context. Thus, we examined data from ever-married women (n = 4469) between 15 and 49 years of age collected in the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS-2016). Overall, the proportion of polygynous marriages among evermarried Ethiopian women was 10.4% (confidence interval (CI): 8.7–12.4). The prevalences of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse among ever-married women were 24%, 23.1%, and 10.1%, respectively. Women who reported being in polygynous marriages were 1.82 times more likely to report emotional abuse by their husbands (odds ratio (OR) = 1.82; CI: 1.256–2.628). However, the type of marriage had no significant association with physical and sexual violence among ever-married women. The results suggest that polygynous family structures may expose women to IPV. Thus, health and social service providers should be aware of the vulnerability to psychological distress of women in such unions. Keywords Women . Polygyny . Intimate partner violence . Ethiopia . Africa
Introduction Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health problem that is affecting the well-being of millions of women across the world (WHO 2017). It occurs in the context of intimate relationships and often causes psychological, physical, or sexual harm (WHO 2012). For example, the global prevalence of intimate partner homicides among all female homicides is 39%, meaning four in ten women homicide victims are murdered by male intimate partners (Stöckl et al. 2013). A multi-country WHO study examined 24,097 women from diverse geographical locations and cultures and observed a lifetime prevalence of 15 to 71% of physical or sexual
* Nasser B. Ebrahim [email protected] Madhu S. Atteraya [email protected] 1
Department of Public Health, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-Daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, South Korea
2
Department of Social Welfare, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-Daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, South Korea
violence among them (Garcia-Moreno et al. 2006). IPV is a common phenomenon among women in Africa, where the rate of lifetime experiences ranges between 29 and 65% (Devries et al. 2013). IPV is also prevalent in Ethiopia, with lifetime rates estimated between 10 and 23% (Central Statistical Agency (CSA) [Ethiopia] and ICF International 2017). Polygyny is marriage between a man and multiple women (Britannica 2020) and is the most common form of polygamy worldwide (Valsiner 1989). The practice has historically been allowed in 80–85% o
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