One in five women in Cambodia has experienced sexual and/or physical intimate partner violence, according to the National Survey on Women’s Health and Life Experiences launched by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the National Institute of Statistics. The study documents significant physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health consequences, including injuries and pain, suicide and miscarriage. The study shows that 90% of women who reported being injured by their intimate partner had been hurt severely enough to need health care. However, 47% never sought health care.
“Violence against women and girls is an important public health issue in Cambodia. It results in serious health consequences for survivors," says WHO Representative in Cambodia, Dr Dong-il Ahn. "This study also confirms the link between gender inequality and violence. The health sector has an important role to play in responding to survivors' needs."
“The study findings confirm that violence against women is one of the most pervasive human rights violations in Cambodia” adds United Nations Women Country Representative, Wenny Kusuma. The study found that due to shame and social stigma, most victims never tell others of the violence they have experienced, and very few seek assistance. “This underscores the urgency of ensuring that a full range of services are available and that all victims are fully aware of their right to access these services,” says Kusuma.
The 2014–2015 study was conducted by the Ministry of Planning’s National Institute of Statistics and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. A total of 3574 women between 15 and 64 years from across Cambodia participated in face-to-face interviews. Adapting a globally recognized WHO methodology to the Cambodian context, the study asked women about their experience of different forms of intimate partner violence as well as physical and sexual violence by non-partners, health-related consequences, risk and protective factors and women’s coping strategies. The internationally recognized data collection standards ensure that the findings are comparable with other studies.
The data generated by the study fills an important gap in evidence and provides a strong basis for developing an effective response to gender-based violence in Cambodia. The study makes recommendations for different stakeholders, from health to education and law enforcement. “We appreciate the strong cooperation, partnership and commitment from government ministries and other partners,” says Her Excellency Dr Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister for Women’s Affairs. “We hope that the information presented in this report will strengthen Cambodia's efforts to effectively prevent and respond to violence against women and improve services for all Cambodians, especially women who experience violence.”
Note to the Editor:
The work is coordinated by WHO and supported by UN Women Cambodia’s Ending Violence against Women Programme through generous funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.