Experiences of gender - based domestic violence among unemployed women in Havana informal settlement - Windhoek

Abstract

Gender-based domestic violence (GBDV) has become one of the most widespread human rights abuses, with staggering prevalence rate in the world. GBDV also has public health implications. Globally, GBDV affects women disproportionately. According to World Health Organization, 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner violence. In the sub-Saharan Africa alone, GBDV has affected millions of women because it is largely hidden and viewed as a private matter by many societies in the region. The predominance of the patriarchal system across Africa has meant that women are still perceived and treated as subordinate to men, as a result violence against women is accepted as a cultural norm. In Namibia the most recent reports indicate that 50 000 crimes related to gender based violence were reported to police stations around the country between 2012 and 2015. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of GBDV among unemployed women who reside in Havana Informal Settlement in Windhoek. For this research, a qualitative approach and an exploratory research design were used. Semi-structured interviews were administered among 15 unemployed women aged between 19 and 55 years old who were recruited as participants. All interviews were audio-recorded and later transcribed. The social and cultural factors that perpetuate domestic violence, and the consequences of gender based-violence on unemployed women. The data was analysed thematically in line with the study objectives. It is envisioned that the findings of this study can be used as a foundation for future study that fully describes the experiences of unemployed women not only in Windhoek informal settlements but also in all the 14 regions of Namibia. KEY WORDS: gender, family, domestic violence, unemployed, cultural experiences, women.