Determinants of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka: An In-Depth Analysis

Abstract

Intimate partner violence against women can be defined as any emotional, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse committed against women by intimate partners. The main objective of the study is to identify the factors associated with violence from intimate partners against women in Sri Lanka. The other objective is to determine the awareness among the women about the organization or people providing services to combat violence from intimate partners. To achieve those objectives, data was obtained from the demographic and health survey (2016) conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics Sri Lanka. The chi-square test, binary logistic regression, and ordinary logistic regression were used for the analysis. The average age of the women in this study was 35.98±7.69 years, and women from age 15 to 49 were considered eligible for the study. The results of chi-square tests, binary logistic regression analysis, and ordinary logistic regression analysis revealed that intimate partner violence can be decreased in many ways, including increasing education and media exposure. The well-being of women in society should be at a higher level since more than half of the community consists of women and they are key to the growth and development of a society in various ways. Therefore, determining the magnitude and associated factors from different studies can help government officials, policymakers, program designers, and concerned bodies design prevention and control strategies to lower domestic violence.