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Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 - Timor-Leste Ministry of ...

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Among women who have never been married, parents are the most common perpetrators <strong>of</strong><br />

physical violence. Sixty-five percent reported mother/step-mother <strong>and</strong> 59 percent father/step-father as<br />

their perpetrators. Among never-married women, 27 percent also reported physical violence<br />

committed by siblings while 13 percent reported teachers as the perpetrators.<br />

16.4 WOMEN’S EXPERIENCE OF FORCE AT SEXUAL INITIATION<br />

The <strong>2009</strong>-<strong>10</strong> TLDHS investigated women’s experience <strong>of</strong> sexual violence, including a<br />

question on whether the respondent’s first sexual intercourse was forced against her will. Because the<br />

idea <strong>of</strong> force can be interpreted in various ways, the question was worded as follows: The first time<br />

you had sexual intercourse, would you say that you had it because you wanted to or because you were<br />

forced to do it against your will? Table 16.3 shows that only 1 percent <strong>of</strong> women said their first<br />

sexual experience was forced against their will. This proportion is relatively higher among those who<br />

first had sex before age 15 (4 percent).<br />

In addition to the question on whether first<br />

sexual intercourse was forced, the <strong>2009</strong>-<strong>10</strong> TLDHS<br />

included two sets <strong>of</strong> questions on sexual violence.<br />

Sexual violence limits women’s ability to practice<br />

safe sex <strong>and</strong> to protect themselves from sexually<br />

transmitted infections <strong>and</strong> unwanted pregnancies<br />

(Krug et al., 2002). The first set <strong>of</strong> questions asked<br />

about sexual violence committed by their current<br />

spouse, if they were currently married, <strong>and</strong> the<br />

most recent spouse, if they were currently<br />

divorced, separated, or widowed. The second set <strong>of</strong><br />

questions asked all respondents, irrespective <strong>of</strong><br />

marital status, whether they had ever, as a child or<br />

as an adult, experienced sexual violence. Sexual<br />

violence here includes being forced to have sexual<br />

intercourse or perform any other sexual acts<br />

against one’s will. Tables 16.3 through 16.5<br />

present the results on the experience <strong>of</strong> any sexual<br />

violence. The findings on sexual violence among<br />

women by a spouse or intimate partner are<br />

explored later in the chapter.<br />

16.5 EXPERIENCE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND<br />

PERPETRATORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE<br />

Table 16.3 Force at sexual initiation<br />

Percentage <strong>of</strong> women age 15-49 who have ever had sexual<br />

intercourse who say that their first experience <strong>of</strong> sexual<br />

intercourse was forced against their will, by age at first sexual<br />

intercourse <strong>and</strong> whether the first sexual intercourse was at<br />

the time <strong>of</strong> first marriage or before, <strong>Timor</strong>-<strong>Leste</strong> <strong>2009</strong>-<strong>10</strong><br />

Percentage<br />

whose first<br />

sexual<br />

intercourse<br />

was forced<br />

against their<br />

will<br />

Number <strong>of</strong><br />

women who<br />

have ever<br />

had sex<br />

Age at first sexual intercourse<br />

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