TY - JOUR
T1 - Domestic violence against women in Ghana
T2 - The attitudes of men toward wife-beating
AU - Osei-Tutu, Ellen Mabel
AU - Ampadu, Ernest
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Journal of International Women's Studies.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - This study examines the issue of domestic violence against women; specifically, men's attitudes toward wife beating. The data used was obtained from the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). The results presented in this study come from a total 3,052 males from across all the 10 regions in Ghana. It is interesting to note that, although majority of the participants do not endorse wife beating, there was a significant number of these men who thought wife beating was justified for various reasons. That is, the attitude of men toward wife beating is complex to explain as the participants had divergent views regarding the issue. For example, while some were of the opinion that wife beating is justified, others thought otherwise. The results also established that there is a direct relationship between men's level of education and their attitudes toward wife beating. That is, those who were highly educated did not endorse wife beating as compared to those who were not highly educated. Furthermore, men who were in consensual unions or customary marriages were found to be in favour of wife-beating as compared to their counterparts in other types of marriage. It is therefore recommended that institutions that could help reduce domestic violence particularly wife beating in Ghana such as, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) will need to focus their attention on men with relatively low education as well as those in consensual and customary marriages.
AB - This study examines the issue of domestic violence against women; specifically, men's attitudes toward wife beating. The data used was obtained from the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). The results presented in this study come from a total 3,052 males from across all the 10 regions in Ghana. It is interesting to note that, although majority of the participants do not endorse wife beating, there was a significant number of these men who thought wife beating was justified for various reasons. That is, the attitude of men toward wife beating is complex to explain as the participants had divergent views regarding the issue. For example, while some were of the opinion that wife beating is justified, others thought otherwise. The results also established that there is a direct relationship between men's level of education and their attitudes toward wife beating. That is, those who were highly educated did not endorse wife beating as compared to those who were not highly educated. Furthermore, men who were in consensual unions or customary marriages were found to be in favour of wife-beating as compared to their counterparts in other types of marriage. It is therefore recommended that institutions that could help reduce domestic violence particularly wife beating in Ghana such as, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) will need to focus their attention on men with relatively low education as well as those in consensual and customary marriages.
KW - Development
KW - Domestic violence
KW - Education
KW - Human rights
KW - Wife beating
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028732953&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85028732953
SN - 1539-8706
VL - 18
SP - 106
EP - 116
JO - Journal of International Women's Studies
JF - Journal of International Women's Studies
IS - 4
ER -