Cases of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) continue taking place for 15-49 years old ever married women.
Data gives a clear indication that neither the street nor the home is safe for our women and girls. Cases of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) continue taking place for 15-49 years old ever married women. According to the latest Liberia Demographic and Health Survey (2019–2020), 55.29% of women reported having ever experienced some form of IPV perpetrated by their current or most recent husband/partner, with the most common types being physical violence, sexual violence, emotional and economical violence in Liberia.
In Montserrado, we sampled a few young women, especially those who are and have been married or had an intimate relation, asking them if ever they have experienced violence in the home. Experience of sexual, physical and emotional violence were derived from responses as to either physically force you to have sexual intercourse with him even when you did not want to, physically force you to perform any other sexual acts you did not want to say or do something to humiliate you in front of others, threaten to hurt or harm you or someone close to you, or insult you or make you feel bad about yourself. These were generally the categories of violence that they experienced.
“I had an experience where a man had sex with me but when it comes to payment, he turned violent. He slapped me and ran away. I did not follow because people can be wicked, I feared he may even kill me.”
Out of the total number of women we reached out to, 44 percent experienced Sexual violence in their homes. 41 percent experienced physical violence, 13 percent experienced emotional violence while 2 percent experienced economical violence. Those that experienced sexual violence affirmed they don’t have control over their own bodies; the decision to have sex lies with the man and so the women is forced to indulge. Some of the women are female sex workers, stating that their sexual partners force themselves to them and sometimes fail to pay, which is a breach of contract. One stated; “I had an experience where a man had sex with me but when it comes to payment, he turned violent. He slapped me and ran away. I did not follow because people can be wicked, I feared he may even kill me.”
Cultural beliefs have propagated the increase in all forms of violence. Intimate Partner Violence has been ‘culturally’ accepted and justified by the men in the society, giving scenarios such as wife going out without telling her partner, argues or gives a contrary opinion to the partner, refusing to have sex and even refusing to have sex without a condom, e.t.c. One shared an experience where she proposed to her partner to start using condom as a family planning mechanism but the husband was hostile and threatened to through her out of the house. She says, “One day I told my partner that we should use condom but he beat me up and said that I have started sleeping with men. For me I scare because he can drink liqor too much and sometimes he don’t come home until the next day, maybe he goes to sleep with other women. I’m afraid of HIV.”
Youth Alive Liberia creates behavior change messages targeting the general public, with information on gender based violence prevention. We advocate for Policy dialogues and exchanges of information that enhance collaboration for gender equality, equity and development with other partners and community structures. We affirm that conducting evidence-based research would also be valuable, to evaluate programme successes, generate additional issues and or conversations and form the basis for ongoing interventions that advance gender equality and development.
“One day I told my partner that we should use condom but he beat me up and said that I have started sleeping with men. For me I scare because he can drink liqor too much and sometimes he don’t come home until the next day, maybe he goes to sleep with other women. I’m afraid of HIV.”
The government line-ministries have tried but here is still much to be done with regards to improving and strengthening the policies, such as the National Gender Policy and making sure they are implemented. Providing survivors with safe space or homes would also be a step towards addressing gender violence. One of the women we talked to pointed out that women suffer because there is nowhere else they can get help, so they have to stay in the abusive relation for social security. She said, “We suffer but nothing doing. Even if my partner beats me, I can run away but later on I will still come back to the house, nowhere else to go. If there was a place where the women can be taken to be safe, it can be fine”
Continuous engagement with the traditional leaders, including working with the media in awareness creation and information dissemination, is also key because it will address issues like harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and early marriages.
“We suffer but nothing doing. Even if my partner beats me, I can run away but later on I will still come back to the house, nowhere else to go. If there was a place where the women can be taken to be safe, it can be fine”