VAW survey: Three out of every four women are victims of spousal violence

Three out of every four women in the country have faced violence from their spouse or partner at least once in their lifetime.

Women have been subjected to physical, sexual, psychological, economic and controlling forms of violence. However, the overall rate of such violence has declined by about 17 per cent compared to 2015.

These findings were revealed in the Violence Against Women Survey 2024, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Bangladesh.

The results were released this morning (Monday) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka, where the findings were presented by Minakshi Biswas, Deputy Director of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

According to the survey findings, 76 per cent of women in Bangladesh have experienced violence from their spouse or partner at least once in their lifetime. Among them, 49 per cent faced such violence within the past year. Two out of every three victims (62 per cent) never disclosed their experience to anyone.

The survey also found that 15 per cent of women have suffered physical violence by someone other than a partner since the age of 15, and more than 2 per cent have been subjected to sexual violence. However, the rate of spousal violence declined from 66 per cent in 2015 to 49 per cent in 2024.

The findings further reveal that younger women, those affected by the dowry system, those whose husbands are drug users or engaged in extramarital relationships, and women living in urban slums face higher levels of spousal violence. A husband’s higher education reduces the risk of violence. Younger women, those with limited education, and women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence from non-partners.

More than half of women (54 per cent) have suffered physical or sexual violence by their husbands during their lifetime. Among those who experienced sexual violence, 60 per cent faced such incidents multiple times in the past 12 months.

Over 7 per cent of married women experienced physical violence during pregnancy, and more than 5 per cent suffered sexual violence during that time.

The findings also show that mothers-in-law and male relatives are most often involved in incidents of physical violence against women, while male relatives, friends, and acquaintances are the main perpetrators of sexual violence.

The survey shows that 8.3 per cent of women have been victims of technology-based gender violence. These include sexual blackmail, misuse of personal images, and controlling behaviour through digital platforms.

The survey reveals an alarmingly low rate of service-seeking among victims. Only 14.5 per cent of women who experienced violence sought medical care. Among women who faced violence from their husbands, only 7.4 per cent took legal action, and most sought help from local community leaders rather than formal institutions.

Among women who experienced violence by non-partners, only 3.8 per cent took legal action, most commonly by seeking help from the police.
Awareness about where to report violence is also very low. The survey found that less than half (48.5 per cent) of women know where to file a complaint, and only 12.3 per cent are aware of the national helpline for violence survivors—109.

Qaiyum Ara Begum, Member of the General Economics Division at the Planning Commission, was chief guest at the results dissemination event. Special guests included Aleya Akter, Secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division, and Shabnam Mostari, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. The UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh, Catherine Breen Kamkong, attended as the guest of honour.