Some women feel husbands justified in wife beating – Malawi Demographic and Health Survey
Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) report fro 2015/16 has found out that 16 percent of women agree that a husband is justified in beating up a wife, according to National Statistical Office (NSO).
The report was launched Wednesday at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe by Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Goodall Gondwe.
The MDHS is a household based survey that aim at providing data needed to monitor and evaluate population, health and nutrition programmes on a regular basis.
The survey was conducted by the NSO with funding from the Government of Malawi, USAID, UNICEF, NAC, UNFPA, UN Women, Irish Aid and World Bank.
Accoridng to the survey, the women who back wife battering , cite reasons such as refusing to have sex with their husbands and burning the food.
“Sixteen percent of women and 13 percent of men agree that a husband is justified in ebating his wife for at least one of the following reasons: if she burns the food, argues with him, goes out without telling him, neglects the children or refuses to have sex with him,” reads the survey findings in part.
NSO said in the report that the attitudes towards wife beating did not appear to have changed since 2010 MDHS.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Finance Minister Gondwe said the data survey need to be properly used for the intended purpose to improving and promoting health issues in the country.
“It is not enough just to listen to the outcome of data being collected, but to think of the impact the data will have on the population and also look at measures that are to be taken by different stakeholders,” Gondwe explained.
Commissioner of NSO, Mercy Kanyuka said the data collected is provided to various stakeholders for monitoring and evaluation.
She said the launch of the Malawi Demographic Health survey is of great importance to the nation as it will help different stakeholders focus on issues that need to be looked into as per the results of the survey.
The MDHS report alsi indicates that women are more likely to use Modern Family Planning Methods than before.
The survey indicates that 58% of married women are using the family planning methods up from 24% in 2010.
The highest district to use Modern family planning methods is Chiradzulu with 68% and the lowest is Mangochi with 31%.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Malawi Mission Director, Littleton Tazewell said:“Let’s remember that data does not improve the lives of millions of Malawians, but rather becomes a tool to inform our programmatic decision.
Tazewell added: “Data tells us which approaches are ineffective, which approaches need modification and which approached need eliminations,” he said.
The MDHS hasd a national representative sample of 24562 women aged 15 to 49 in 26361 selected households and 7478 men aged 15 to 54 who were interviewed, according to NSO.
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Wife beating is a sign of cowardance. A real man should be able to control his temper.
Men have no right to beat women and men who do so should be arrested
Women support wife beating because they indoctrinated by patriarchy – the stupid notion that men are supposed to dominate women and masions but also punish them.
I know gender based violence is bad. Komabe Akazi ena amafunikadi makofi 2 mins inayake
Beating someone you love? Punishing your own body?
Beating your wife shows how foolish you are and weakness.
In fact how gocky someone is .Uchindele