Abstract

Domestic violence is a crime that may result in injury or even death for the victim, but oftentimes the victim is unwilling to report these incidents to law enforcement branches. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of women with domestic violence in selected towns in Fako so as to better understand what impact these meanings may or may not have on their futures and the future of their families.

This study used phenomenology to bring out descriptions from a sample of women victims. Specifically, the goal of this methodology was to examine how women conceptualize their experience of domestic violence. Participants were recruited from two towns in Fako and were 6 in number. This decision was influenced by Cresswell (2013) in keeping with phenomenology’s requirements to have a small and fairly homogenous sample to make assertions regarding the phenomenon of interest.

The method of data collection was through in depth open-ended interviews. It was discovered that women experience varied forms of domestic violence and a number of factors inhibit them from disclosing the incidents including religion and self-blame and guilt.

Challenges to the study were ascribed to the restriction of time and resources, insufficient national data on the subject matter, as well as skeptical attitudes on the interviewees among other things.

The study concluded that although, the historical acceptance of domestic violence cannot be altered, changing societal attitudes regarding domestic violence and empowering victims (women) of domestic violence abuse are the best approaches for deterring future incidents of violence however, a lot still remains to be done in curbing the problem of domestic violence in Cameroon.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview

Violence against women is one of the most pervasive forms of human rights violations around the world. Over one third of all women have been beaten, forced into sexual activities or otherwise abused in their lifetime. The abuser is usually a family member or someone otherwise known to them (World Health Organization, 2013).

Domestic violence, otherwise known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence or intimate partner violence (IPV), is therefore, seen in simple terms to mean a pattern of abusive behaviors by one partner against another in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family or cohabitation.

Domestic violence so defined has many forms including physical aggression or assault (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving and restraining, slapping, throwing objects among many others) or threats thereof; sexual abuse, emotional abuse, controlling or domineering, intimidation, stalking, economic deprivation, passive/ covert abuse (that is neglect). Domestic violence and abuse is however not limited to obvious physical violence.

It can also mean endangerment, criminal coercion, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, trespassing, harassment and stalking. It must be mentioned that, the awareness, perception, definition and documentation of domestic violence differ widely from country to country and has evolved from era to era. In any case, all forms of domestic violence have one purpose; which is to gain and maintain control over the victim.

We would at some point agree with many feminist researchers who have pointed out that domestic violence is a gender neutral term and as such fails to clarify who is the victim and who is the perpetrator. In many, relationships women are most frequently subjected to violence by men (Brodsky and Hare-Mustin, 1980).

It is also true that in spite of the number of cases a society experiences and comprises its official statistics pertaining to crimes against women , many of these crimes against women go unreported and little or nothing is been done to curb the problem. The field of domestic violence is one of the most neglected areas in most areas of the world particularly in the African continent.

1.2 Background

Every year at least 4million women all over the world are victimized by their partners. Approximately 2million of these women suffer serious injuries while others stay traumatized for the greater parts of their lives (Tjaden and Theonnes, 2000). Most clinical researchers believe that intimate partner abuse tends to be underreported and to date, the research on women experiences with domestic violence remains difficult to interpret because of the underreported nature of this problem (Miller Veltkamp and Kraus, 1997).

Apart from random violence to which everyone is susceptible, women face particular forms of violence in their marriage life, or within the family; that is domestic violence. There is a profound difference between popular conception of what families are and the reality. For many “home is where they face a regime of terror and violence at the hand of somebody close to them.” Women experience violence primarily in the hands of men they know and within the so called “Safe Heaven” of home (Sweetman 1998).

Feminist analysis also, challenges the belief in the security and safety of the home as a myth. For example Dobash and Dobash (1998) argue that marriage is a social structure that gives the husband the right to the domestic and sexual services of the wife: this places women under the control and direction of their husbands and subject to the use of intimidation, coercion and violence as strategies of maintaining male rights and privileges.

Women are often in great danger in the place where they should be safest; within their families. As seen above, for many, “home is where they face a regime of terror and violence at the hands of somebody close to them.” Somebody they should be able to trust.

This makes the unable to make their own decisions, voice their own opinions or protect themselves for fear of further repercussions. Their rights are denied and their lives are stolen from them by ever present threat of violence.

Global awareness regarding domestic violence has undergone a profound transformation in recent years. Once viewed as a private problem affecting only a few women, it is now considered a major social, health and human right issue. The growing awareness is largely the result of the emergence of the women’s issue and the presence of a strong feminist movement, enabling collective organization against its occurrence.

The success of these efforts is evident in recent international documents such as: the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of all forms Violence against Women (UNDEVW, 1993), the Declarations of Platforms for Action of the UN Conference of Human Rights (Vienna 1993), Population Development (Cairo 1994) and the (BPA) Beijing Platform of Action (WHO 2005).

Domestic violence occurs in all communities and transcends social, economic, religious and cultural groups, and the Fako division is no exception. Around the world at least one woman in every second has been beaten, coerced into sex otherwise abused in her lifetime.

Studies also suggest that from one fifth to more than half all women have been physically assaulted by a spouse or male intimate partner or even family members in the course of existence (Heise et al 1999). Despite the fact that domestic violence exists in all countries of the world, its severity varies from society to society and culture to culture.

Many international researchers indicate that while the root cause of such violence is inequality in gender relations there are several factors such as economy, cultural and social norms that contribute to the severity and frequency of gender based violence.

In spite of the growing recognition of domestic violence against women and progress made in developing countries like Cameroon, there is still lack of basic information on the experiences of women with domestic violence and the prevalence of the problem and understanding its root causes.

1.3 Statement Of Problem

The world is changing and the status quo is changing, women’s rights are increasingly respected in Europe and North America. Unfortunately, the rights of the woman in Africa are still significantly challenged and laws are hardly respected where they exist to protect women. Although laws protecting women’s rights exist in Cameroon, their implementation appears to face challenges and violence against women remains a serious problem.

Cameroon is a signatory of the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (UNDEVW), which calls for action to be taken against public and private gender based violence; violence by intimate partner.

Studies have shown that physical, sexual, economic and psychological assaults are widespread. Significant studies show that domestic violence affects women negatively beyond the immediate harm caused by violence. It limits women’s economic, social and political capacity, because their options are constrained directly or indirectly.

Abusers often directly constrain the victim’s choices by using violence or threat of violence to coerce compliance with their decisions violence can indirectly affect women’s economic capacity in terms of lost wages when they miss work due to the violence.

One of such study in the United States for example found that domestic violence has a “substantial impact on health care service use and cost. Women with a high history of domestic violence had increased utilization across all types of health services, translating into 19% higher annual costs than women without a history of domestic violence (Rivara et al 2007).” The combined effects of these losses then have both individual and larger economic consequences (Agarwal and Panda 2007, Farmer and Tiefenthaler 1997).

Decreasing domestic violence will increase the social, political and economic capacity of women, which will have long term micro level benefits. In the Fako division of Cameroon, domestic violence against women is however still a growing concern, limited efforts have been made to understand how domestic violence affects women in Cameroon.

This study examines the impact of such violence on women which has implications for the wider society and economy. This is done by examining the experiences of women with domestic violence in Selected Towns in Fako Division.

1.4 Research Questions

This research work answers the following questions:

1. How do women in Fako Division experience domestic violence?
2. How does the experience of domestic violence impact upon the lives of the abused women?
3. What are the barriers that inhibit the abused women from discussing and seeking outside help?
4. What are the issues highlighted by abused women in relation to their needs and the support of domestic violence service providers?