Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

More than half of women who have ever been beaten say they were beaten in the 12 months beforethe survey. Overall, almost four out of ten women (36 percent) who have ever experienced physical violencereport having been beaten once or twice in the last 12 months. Almost one in six women (13 percent) reporthaving been beaten three to five times, and 6 percent report having been beaten six or more times in the pastyear.The frequency of beatings among women who report being beaten does not vary much with age ormarital status. However, women age 15-19 are more likely to report being beaten six or more times in the lastyear (10 percent) than women in other age groups.Overall, rural women who have ever been beaten report a higher frequency of beatings in the last yearthan urban women. The urban-rural distinction is particularly notable in the proportions of women who reportbeing beaten three to five times in the last 12 months (7 percent in urban areas; 18 percent in rural areas). Theprovinces with the highest proportions of women ever been beaten reporting six or more beatings include thepredominantly rural Western province (one in three women) and Southern province (one in ten women).Notably, one out of five women who have ever experienced physical violence report being beaten three tofive times in Copperbelt, Luapula, Northern, and Western provinces.The frequency of beatings decreases with increasing level of education among women who have everbeen beaten. Additionally, a significantly higher proportion of women employed but not earning any cashreport being beaten three or more times in the last year compared with those unemployed or employed forcash.12.6 SEXUAL VIOLENCE BY A MANWomen in the domestic violence sub-sample were asked whether they had ever been forced by a manto have sexual intercourse when they did not want to. Women who answered “Yes” are defined as havingexperienced sexual violence. Women were asked how often this had occurred in the last 12 months and whothe person was.Table 12.5 shows the percentage of women who have experienced sexual violence ever and in the 12months prior to the survey by background characteristics. Overall, around one in six women (15 percent)report having ever experienced sexual violence by a man and one in twelve (8 percent) report such experiencein the last year. Ever-married women report slightly lower levels of sexual violence ever and in the past 12months (14 percent and 7 percent, respectively) than those never-married (18 percent and 11 percent,respectively).190 | Violence against Women