More than half of Moldovan women think that domestic violence is a private matter to be taken care of within the family. Also, half of women acknowledge that the wives must always obey their husbands even when they disagree. These findings are included in a OSCE-led survey on the well-being and safety of women and presented by the OSCE Mission to Moldova today.

Viorica Dumbrăveanu, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection, said that the aspects revealed in the survey will help to consolidate the efforts of the government to react promptly to the phenomenon of domestic violence. “The study reveals an increase in domestic violence cases and this is not only an issue for the victim but for the whole society as well.”

Claus Neukirch, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, noted that the survey is part of a bigger research that was conducted in seven countries in South-East Europe. “This survey offers a unique and realistic opportunity to see the prevalence and existence of domestic violence against women”, said Neukirch. He added that the survey is valuable also for revealing the reasons why women are reluctant to seek help from the law enforcement bodies when subjected to various forms of violence.

The collected data show that 71% of the women who experienced violence at the hands of their partners were subjected to psychological violence, 33% were victims of physical violence, and 9%were abused in the last 12 months before the study. Also, one in six women experienced physical and / or sexual violence at the hands of a non-partner.

The study also shows that 55% of women surveyed think that domestic violence is a private issue that needs to be dealt within the family. 50% of the women surveyed believe that a good wife should always obey the husband, even if she does not agree with him.

The study conducted by the OSCE is based on a representative sample of women between the ages of 18 and 74 who live in Moldova. A total of 1802 interviews were conducted from April to August 2018.

Source: IPN Press Agency