The study consisted of standardised population based household surveys of five countries — Bangladesh, Brazil, Peru, Thailand and Tanzania. Conducted by the WHO, along with a core research team of experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and those from the Program from Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), the results indicate that violence by a male immediate partner is widespread in all countries.

The proportion of ever-partnered women who had even suffered physical violence by a male intimate partner ranged from 13 per cent in Japan to 61 per cent in Peru, with most sites falling between 23 per cent and 49 per cent.

“A prevalence of women being hit with a fist, kicked, dragged, choked, burnt on purpose, threatened with a weapon, ranged from 4 per cent in Japan to 49 per cent in Peru,” says the study.

According to the study, the range of lifetime prevalence of sexual violence by an intimate partner was seen to be between 6 per cent in Japan and 59 per cent in Ethiopia. While, sexual violence was seen to be less frequent than physical violence, it was found to be more frequent in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Thailand.

In fact, as per the report, the greatest amount of violence was reported by women living in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Peru and Tanzania.

“The findings illustrate the extent to which violence is a reality in partnered women’s lives, with a large proportion of women having some experience of violence during their partnership and many having recent experiences of abuse,” it underlines.

Across all countries, emotionally abusive acts including being insulted or made to feel bad about oneself, being humiliated in front of others were found to be happening.

It was investigated that in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Peru and Tanzania, between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of women felt that they did not have right to refuse sex under any circumstances.

“Injury is a recognised consequence of violence by a male partner, but isn’t the only outcome. Gynaecological and gastrointestinal disorders, and mental health problems are common,” says the Lancet.

The prevalence of injury among women who had ever been physically abused by their partner ranged from 19 per cent in Ethiopia to 55 per cent in Peru. In Thailand, Namibia, Peru, Tanzania over 20 per cent of the ever injured women reported that they had been injured various times in eyes and ears.

The investigations suggested that women who had ever experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner had higher levels of emotional distress and seen to have attempted suicide. WHO experts, therefore, recommend promotion of gender equality, enhancing of capacity and establishing of systems to monitor violence against women.