Attitudes of Qatari Men and Women towards Violence against Wife: An

Analysis of Survey Data

M. Nizam Khan, Ph.D.

December 2, 2013

Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) Qatar University

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Why domestic violence against women matters

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Globally, 30 percent of all women are affected by domestic violence and it pervades all corner of the world (WHO, 2013)

Has adverse consequences for women’s and children’s health

Forms significant barriers to women’s empowerment

Recognized worldwide as a violation of the basic human rights of women (UN Conference on Women, 1995)

Different forms of domestic violence

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Wife-beating is the most common form of physical

violence against women

Only a few countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have data on prevalence of wife-beating.

Available data from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, and Morocco show that at least one out of three women is beaten by their husband in their lifetime. (WHO, 2013)

Studies on wife beating

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Wife-beating studies can be broadly divided into two

groups: Actual violence against wives Attitudes towards wife beating This study focuses on attitude towards wife beating

Why it is important to study attitudes towards wife-beating

• Social norms or attitudes that condone or excuse domestic violence may place women at greater risk of becoming victims

• It may help to understand the actual prevalence of wife beating in the society

• It is an indication of the degree of social acceptance of wife beating

• It can be a good indicator of the status of women

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Widespread acceptance of Wife beating

54%

47%

27%

30%

55%

52%

55%

56%

47%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Less developed countries

World (excluding China)

CEE/CIS

East Asia and Pacific (excluding…

Eastern and Southern Africa

MENA

South Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

West and Central Africa

Percentage of women aged 15–49 years who think that a husband/partner is justified in hitting or beating his wife/partner under certain circumstances, by

region

Source: UNICEF global databases, 2012. Based on DHS, MICS and other national surveys, 2002-2011.

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Wide variations in acceptance of wife-beating in the MENA

In Egypt (2008 DHS) and Turkey (2003 DHS), about 40 percent of ever-married women believed that husbands were sometimes justified in beating their wives

Overwhelming majority (90%) of ever-married Jordanian women agreed that wife-beating was justified under certain conditions (2007 DHS)

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Gender-based violence in Qatar: What we know

Study Year

Population Sample size

% subjected to violence

Reference

2008 Qatari married women 1,117 28 Dr. Al-Ghanim, SCFA

2008 Men and women 1121 23 Dr. Al-Ghanim, MOI

2006 Qatari and non-Qatari female students at Qatar University

2,787 23 Dr. Al-Ghanim, SCFA Journal of Middle East Women’s studies Vol. 5, No. 1 2009

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Violence Against Women in Qatari Society (Kaltham Al-Ghanim, Journal of Middle East Women’s studies Vol.5, No.1, 2009)

2,787 female students from

Qatar University were

interviewed in 2006.

23% of all female students

reported experiencing violence

at some point in their lives

Note: An woman can be assaulted by more than one family and non-family members

42% 39%

27%

12% 13%

7%

Father Brother Mother Sister Other relatives Non-relative

Of those who were subjected to violence: “Who exercised violence against you?”

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Attitudes towards gender-based violence in Qatar: What we know

Three surveys collected data on attitudes towards wife-beating:

2010 Qatar World Values Survey, SESRI, Qatar University

2010 Qatar Omnibus Survey, SESRI

2012 Qatar Omnibus Survey, SESRI

This study is based on 2012 Qatar Omnibus Survey

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Objectives of this study

The main objectives of this study are…..

1. to assess the level of justification of wife-beating in Qatar

2. to examine the reasons for justification of wife-beating

3. to study gender differences in attitudes towards

wife-beating

1. to examine the factors associated with attitudes towards wife-beating

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Conceptual framework: How socio-demographic factors are associated

with justification of violence against wife

Based largely on conceptual framework developed by Rani et al. (2004)*

Socio-demographic factors operate mainly via three mechanisms:

– by producing a conflict between reality and a normative belief in male superiority;

– by exposing individuals to more egalitarian social networks and authority structures other than kinship-based ones; and

– by exposing individuals to non-conformist ideas through modern media and wider social networks beyond kinship based networks.

Rani M, Bonu S, Diop-Sidibe N (2004): An empirical investigation of attitudes towards wife-beating among men and women in seven sub-Saharan African countries. African journal of reproductive health 2004, 8(3):116-136.

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Data

• Data source: The 2012 Qatar Omnibus Survey (QOS) conducted by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University.

• Sampling: A national representative probability sample of 773 Qataris (408 men and 365 women) aged 18 years or older.

• Data collection mode: Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI).

• Data collection period: May, 2011.

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Measurement of attitudes towards wife-beatings

Followed the methods used by the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). According to this method, in most cases transgression of prevailing gender roles “triggers” wife beating.

Respondents were asked

“It is normal for husbands and wives to have differences and argue sometimes. Sometimes, husbands may reprimand their wives, and some husbands may beat their wives. In your opinion, is it justifiable for a husband to be hitting or beating his wives in the following situations”:

1) if wife goes out to market without telling husband (yes/no) 2) if wife visits friends without telling husband 3) if wife visits relatives without telling husband 4) if wife shows disrespect for husband 5) if wife shows disrespect for parents in-law 6) if wife neglects her children

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Measurement of attitudes

A binary outcome variable was created for acceptance of wife-beating:

O = if the respondent did not agree with any of the situations when a husband is justified in beating the wife

1 = if the respondent agreed with at least one situation where the husband is justified in beating the wife.

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Outcome and explanatory variables

Outcome variable: Acceptance of wife beating » 1= justified wife beating for at least one reason

» 0= Never justified

Explanatory variables: Age

Highest level of education completed

Current employment

Voluntary organization membership

Exposure to online social networking media

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Explanatory variables: Specifications & distribution

Variables Categories Male (N=421) Female (N=367)

Age group

18-29 34% 38%

30-39 27% 19%

40-49 18% 24%

50+ 21% 19%

Highest level of education completed

Below high school 27% 27%

High school 48% 45%

University 25% 28%

Currently employed Yes 72% 35%

No 28% 65%

Membership in a voluntary association Yes 48% 40%

No 52% 60%

Use online social media at least once a week Yes 52% 49%

No 48% 51%

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Results: Bivariate

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Number of actions for which husband is reportedly justified in hitting or beating his wife

Number of actions Male (%) Female (%) All (%)

0 62 69 65

1 11 6 9

2 12 12 12

3 5 7 6

4 1 2 1

5 3 2 3

6 7 2 5

All 100% 100% 100%

Justified wife-beating for at least one reason

Never justified

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Justifications of wife-beating

9%

11%

12%

18%

26%

33%

6%

5%

6%

16%

20%

28%

*Visiting relatives without telling husband

***Going out to market without telling husband

**Visiting friends without telling husband

Neglecting own children

*Showing disrespect for parents in law

*Showing disrespect for husband

Percentage of respondents who justified wife beating by gender and reasons for justification

Female Male

legend: * p<.1; ** p<.05; *** p<.01 20

Gender differences

38%

31% 35%

Male Female All

Percentage of respondents who justified wife-beating for at least one of the reasons by gender

(Chi2(1)=4.37 (p-value=0.0856)

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Age

49%

38%

30% 30%

35%

22%

28%

38%

18-29 30-39 40-49 50+ 18-29 30-39 40-49 50+

Percentage of respondents who justified wife beating by gender and age group

MALE FEMALE

Chi2(3)=12.11 [P value= 0.039] 22

Highest level of education completed

36%

40% 38%

34% 36%

21%

Below highschool

High school University Below highschool

High school University

Percentage of respondents who justified wife beating by gender and highest level of education completed

MALE FEMALE

[Chi2(2)=6.51 P value =0.1071]

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Visits to online social network

42%

29%

34% 34%

Male Female

Percentage of respondents who justified wife beating by gender and frequency of visit to online social network

At least once a week Less than once a week

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Employment

36%

27%

44%

34%

Male Female

Percentage of respondents who justified wife beating by gender and current employment

Employed Not employed

25

Voluntary organization membership

39%

31%

38%

31%

Male Female

Percentage of respondents who justified wife beating by gender and voluntary organization membership

Member Not member

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Results: Multivariate analysis

Odds Ratios assessing the association between socio-demographic factors and justification of

wife beating

Variable Male Female

Age group

18-29 Ref Ref

30-39 0.706 0.693

40-49 0.487* 0.900

50+ 0.441** 1.522

Highest level of education attained

Below high school Ref Ref

High school 1.021 1.362

University 1.090 0.682

Use online social media at least once a week (1=Yes; 0=No) 1.301 0.842

Membership in a voluntary org (1= Yes; 0=No) 0.911 1.276

Currently employed (1=yes; 0=No) 0.640 0.960

legend: * p<.1; ** p<.05; *** p<.01 28

Conclusion and discussion

• Prevalence of justification of wife beating is lower compared to data available from other MENA countries

Country Year Percentage of ever-married women aged 15-49 who

justified wife beating

Source

Egypt 1996 86.4 DHS

2005 50.0

2008 39.3

Jordan 2002 87.0 DHS

2007 90.0

Turkey 1999 40.0 DHS

2005 39.3

Qatar 2012 30.0* Qatar Omnibus 29 *aged 18-49

Conclusion and discussion

* Younger males are more likely to justify wife beating…

* All key variables, except men’s age, did not show significant impact on the attitudes towards wife beating

Possible explanations for this pattern…….

kinship based social groups and patriarchal values are more influential than the egalitarian social institutions or non-conformist ideas

non-kinship based institutions are not as egalitarian as we expected and or these institutions do not expose the individuals to non-conformist ideas as expected.

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Conclusion and discussion

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Effects of education will depend on whether the education is adaptive or normative, how it is used to challenge gender bias or to perpetuate traditional gender norms (Haj-Yahia, 2002; Rani et al. 2004).

All media do not disseminate modernity or gender equity. In fact there are many electronic media in this region which preach conservatism and they hold very orthodox view about women’s role.

Conclusion and discussion

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In-depth study is needed to have better understanding of this important issue