Violence against women are   major public health problems and violation of women’s human right. According to the World Health Organization, 35 % ( 1 in 3 ) of women worldwide have experienced  either physical or sexual intimate partner abuse   or non partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

Violence can have a negative effect on a woman’s physical, mental,  sexual and reproductive health. It also increases her risk of  HIV.

Factors that increase the  risk of violence include the following :

• child maltreatment
• low education
• exposure to violence in the family
• alcohol abuse
• gender inequality
• attitudes accepting of violence

What are the signs of violence against women ?

Signs that may indicate that you are being abused include the following :

• always accusing you of being unfaithful
• monitors what you are doing all the time
• controls how you spend your money
• discourages or prevents you from working
• discourages or prevents you from going to school
• get very angry during and after using alcohol
• threatens to hurt you , your children or pets
• humiliates  you in front of other people
• destroys property or things that you care about
• forces you to have sex against your will
• threatens to kill himself  when angry with you
• blames you for his  violent behavior
• threatens to or uses a weapon to hurt you
• decides things for you such as what to eat or wear
• hurts you by doing the following
  • biting
  • hitting
  • pushing
  • biting
  • slapping
  • kicking
  • punching
  • shoving
• insists  that you get pregnant or control when you use birth control
• controls how you use medications  that you need

If you are  being abused or know  somebody who is being abused, you need to get help. Violence can affect one physically and emotionally. You have to know that nobody has the right to hurt you.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233