Key findings of the Gender-based Violence National Baseline Study in Seychelles Peace begins at home |02 December 2016

During the launch of the National Gender Policy and Prevention earlier this week, there was also a presentation on the Preliminary Findings of a Gender-based Violence (GBV) survey. It was presented by Colleen Lowe Morna from Gender Links, South Africa where she stressed on the importance of having peace at home in the first place.

Among the distinguished guests at the ceremony held at the Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa, was Jean-Paul Adam, Minister for Health and Social Affairs who also addressed the gathering.

This study comes at an opportune time where there is need for Seychelles to review the various strategies to end gender violence most of which have expired. It also comes at a time where the country is realigning its national policies and plans with the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 SADC Protocol on gender and development with the new goal of eliminating GBV by 2030. The former Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports – now the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the National Bureau of Statistics and Gender Links measured gender-based violence in 2016 through a cross-sectional prevalence and attitudes household survey focusing on both women and men as both perpetrators and victims.This study targeted 1500 women and men older than 18. In the end, the total sample analysed for this study comprised 578 women and 531 men: 1109 in total.

Seychelles is the first country in the SADC region to undertake a GBV study that encompasses both violence against women and violence against men. This study came as an acknowledgement to the existence of violence against men by women particularly within the Seychelles community which is matriarchal. Within the SADC region, Botswana is now at advanced stages of conducting a similar study after the VAW (violence against women) study in 2012.

From her preliminary findings, Mrs Lowe Morna found that more than half of the women (58%) and 43% of men have experienced some form of GBV at least once in their lifetime. Both women and men have perpetrated GBV with 31% and 40% prevalence rates respectively. The study further shows that most of the violence occurs in the home between intimate partners. Fifty four percent of women and over a third (35%) of men have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). An equal proportion (40%) of women and men confirmed they have perpetrated violence against an intimate partner. While this study shows that both women and men are vulnerable, it is evident that the former are more vulnerable.

In the extent of Gender Based Violence (GBV) over a lifetime, forms of violence experienced include physical, sexual, psychological and economical abuse. In all the different forms of violence women were disproportionately affected. The predominant form of violence within intimate relationships is emotional, which involves the perpetrator belittling the victim and using insults and verbal abuse. Forty-three percent of the women and 29% of men experienced emotional intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. An equal proportion (33%) of women and men confirmed they have perpetrated emotional violence against an intimate partner. Thirty nine percent of women and 12% of men experienced physical IPV. Over a third (33%) of women while only 9% of men experienced economic violence. Meanwhile, 19% of women said they faced abuse during pregnancy.

Drivers and patterns

There was no significant association between IPV experience and all the three demographic factors – education, employment status and age (except in men where age was significant).

On the other hand, age and education were significantly associated with IPV perpetration.

78% of women and 79% of men who participated in the study confirmed that they had experienced some form of abuse before they reached 18 years.

The findings show that there is a link between child abuse and IPV with higher proportions of both women and men who experienced child abuse reporting higher prevalence of both experience and perpetration of IPV.

There was a significant association between alcohol consumption and IPV perpetration.

Both women (34%) and men (29%) who consumed alcohol in the past year were most likely to experience IPV, although in the former the association was not statistically significant.

Equal proportions (89%) of men and women affirm that people should be treated the same whether they are male or female. However, 79% of men compared to 54% women believe that a woman should obey her husband.

There was a significant association between attitudes towards gender equity and IPV perpetration in women only and not in men.

Overall a higher proportion of men subscribe to the conservative notions compared to women showing that there is a disparity in terms of acceptance of social norms between women and men. The disparity in perceptions in itself may fuel conflict and further research is necessary to support this.

Effects

Physical effects: A total of 172 women reported to having been physically abused by their intimate partners. From these 46 individuals (27%) sustained injuries resulting in total 21 individuals (46%) being bedridden. The average number of days they spent bedridden was three. Approximately 18 (39%) took days off from employment as a result of injuries sustained after physical abuse. The average number of days that they had to forgo was five. Such a scenario presents an economic burden on the individual as well as the nation as productive days are altered which could have been utilised productively for income generation.  On the other hand 155 (35%) of men who took part in the study experienced physical abuse at the hands of intimate partners. However, unlike women only three men (2%) sustained injuries after the abuse. None of the men disclosed if they were bedridden or if they sustained injuries. These findings show how violence affects women and men differently.

Sexual and reproductive health effects: The study shows that 110 women – constituting almost 20% of the women interviewed – had a smelly and itchy vaginal discharge at some point in their life. The figure also shows that medical staff diagnosed 30 (5%) of the women interviewed with an STI at some point in their lifetime while 27 (4%) had a vaginal ulcer at some point in their lifetime.

HIV and Aids: Seventy four percent of women interviewed had tested for HIV and 37% had done so in the 12 months before the survey. Of the women who collected their results, 0.5% reported an HIV-positive status. A lower proportion (66%) of men had tested for HIV, while 2% who had tested and collected their results tested HIV positive. It is worth noting that a higher proportion of men had tested positive while at the same time more than a third had never tested for HIV.

Psychological effects: Almost a third (28%) of women and 16% of men participating in the study reported feeling depressed in the week before the survey, while 5% of women and 2% of men attempted suicide in their lifetime and 3% of women and 2% of men experienced suicidal thoughts in the month before the survey.

Social Effects: The study shows that both men and women have negative attitudes towards rape survivors: 34% of women and 36% of men agreed that in any rape case one should question whether the victim was promiscuous. A third (29%) of women and 37% of men believe that if a woman does not fight back then it is not rape. A quarter of men (25%) and 18% of women think that in some rape cases, women “want it to happen”. One fifth (20%) of men and 11% of women agreed that if a woman is raped, she should be blamed for putting herself in that situation.

Economic costs: Approximately 18 (39%) survivors took days off from employment as a result of injuries sustained after physical abuse.

Next steps

The results of this study will thus give an impetus for Seychelles to adopt national and local plans of action for ending GBV - followed by allocating funds and resources for prevention and awareness raising programmes and activities. It is also critical to review existing legislation (Family Violence Act, Penal Code) and identify gaps and areas to be strengthened, working with civil society organisations.

Compiled by M. Julie