Malawi 2015-16

• Women’s experience of at least three marital control behaviours ranges from a low of 14% among
Sena ever-married women to a high of 31% among other women not belonging to any of the listed
ethnicities.
• Formerly married women (divorced, separated, or widowed) are about twice as likely (40%) as
currently married women (21%) to report that their husbands display at least three of the specified
behaviours.
• Women who have more than secondary education are less likely (7%) than any other category of
women to report that their husband displays at least three of the specified controlling behaviours.
• Women’s reports of husbands’ controlling behaviours vary greatly by whether the respondent is afraid
of her husband or not. While 13% of women who say that they are never afraid of their husband report
at least three controlling behaviours by their husband, this percentage rises to 50% among women who
are afraid of their husband most of the time.
17.6 FORMS OF SPOUSAL VIOLENCE
Spousal violence
Percentage of women who have experienced any of the specified acts of
physical, sexual, or emotional violence committed by their current husband (if
currently married) or most recent husband (if formerly married), ever and in the
12 months before the survey.
Sample: Ever-married women age 15-49
17.6.1 Prevalence of Spousal Violence
More than two-fifths of ever-married women (42%) have ever experienced spousal physical, sexual, or
emotional violence by their current or most recent spouse (for formerly married women), and 33% have
experienced at least one of these forms of violence in the 12 months before the survey (Table 17.9).
Twenty-six percent of ever-married women have experienced spousal physical violence, with 16%
experiencing this type of violence in the past 12 months. Nineteen percent have experienced spousal sexual
violence, with 15% experiencing this type of violence in the past 12 months. Spousal emotional violence
was reported by 30% of ever-married women, and 23% reported such violence in the past 12 months.
Of the acts of physical violence committed by current or most recent husbands, the most common type is
slapping (22%). Ten percent of women reported being punched with the fist or with something that could
hurt them, and 9% each reported being kicked, dragged, or beaten up and being pushed, shaken, or having
something thrown at them. Three percent each of women reported that their husband tried to choke or burn
them on purpose and that their husband had threatened or attacked them with knives, guns, or other
weapons. Women who reported sexual violence mostly report that their husband used physical force to
have sexual intercourse when the respondent did not want to (18%). However, 7% also report that their
husband physically forced them to perform other sexual acts they did not want to do, and 4% reported that
their husband forced them with threats or in other ways to perform sexual acts they did not want to do
(Figure 17.3).
Women reporting emotional violence were most likely to report that their husband insulted them and made
them feel bad about themselves (23%), followed by their husband saying or doing something to humiliate
them in front of others (16%) and threatening to hurt or harm them or someone close to them (13%).
Women who were married more than once were also asked about spousal physical or sexual violence by
any other husband. Thirty-eight percent of ever-married women have ever experienced spousal physical or
sexual violence committed by any husband, which is higher than the 34% of women who reported physical
284 • Domestic Violence