Socio-economic implications of domestic violence in Thenmaradchi Divisional Secretariat in Jaffna District

Abstract

Domestic violence against women is one of the most contemporary social issues in Sri Lanka. This study aimed to identify the socioeconomic implications of domestic violence experienced by women. All 107 women were selected in Thenmaradchi Divisional Secretariat. The mixed method research design was undertaken with the help of a questionnaire survey and interviews. The Chi-square for univariate analysis was employed to analyze quantitative data with the usage of SPSS version 21 and qualitative data were analyzed thematically using the thematic analysis. According to the results, Hinduism (98.1%) was the predominant religion and 24.3% of the respondents’ age range was 26-30 years. The majority of the victims (54.2%) were educated up to secondary educational level. Wage labour was the primary livelihood of many women and most of the respondents’ monthly income was less than 20,000 Sri Lankan Rupees. There was a significantly high status between economic domestic violence and the variables including education (p<0.000); occupation (p<0.000) and income (p<0.000). Further, financial instability, low income, financial insecurity, unemployment, debt, poverty, low level of living standards, helplessness, lack of social recognition, and lack of social support were the significant economic and social impacts on women. In addition, stress, fear, tension, low self-esteem, and eating and sleeping disorders were the major psychological impacts on women. Additionally, cultural norms, fear, and stigma often cause women to stay silent about their experiences with abuse. Most of the women used coping mechanisms to cope with their implications. The research concludes that psychological implications were the most severe implication among the participants. This study suggests that vulnerable communities should be identified and services such as counselling and legal aid should be made easily accessible.