DAMASCUS, 8 April 2006 — Syria has broken a taboo by presenting a high profile study on violence against women, which found that one in four married women gets beaten — usually by her husband or father.
The study, released this week by the state-run General Union of Women and funded by United Nations Development Fund for Women, sheds light on the nature and extent of violence against women in Syria. It also coincides with calls for a campaign to raise awareness of the problem.
The results of the Syrian survey appear in line with studies in Egypt, Britain and the United States, but campaigners said it breaks new ground simply by drawing attention to the issue.
“This was a courageous study because it touched upon the very sensitive subject of violence against women, which is an essential part for improving the status of women,” said United Nations Development Fund for Women spokesman Aref Sheikh.
Violence against women in Syria tends to be a family affair. Over 70 percent of abusers are husbands, fathers or brothers while married women are most likely to get hit, it said. Excuses for the violence range from neglecting housework to bombarding husbands with too many questions, the study found.
Encouraging a woman in Syria to report violence from family members is not easy, a Syrian lawmaker said. “Even though a man would go to prison if his female relative reported him for assault, it is very rare in our society ... because that would bring shame onto the family,” Syrian member of parliament Souad Bukour told Reuters.
