How does domestic violence stigma manifest in women’s lives in Afghanistan? A study of survivors’ lived experiences of help-seeking across three provinces.
Afghanistan has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world, with an estimated 46% women reporting lifetime violence. Survivors of domestic violence experience significant stigma from their families and communities, often in the form of blame, shame, gossip, and dismissal. While the m...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Global Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2212035 |
| _version_ | 1827811333442109440 |
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| author | Reshmi Mukerji Lamba Saboor Sharli Paphitis Delanjathan Devakumar Jenevieve Mannell |
| author_facet | Reshmi Mukerji Lamba Saboor Sharli Paphitis Delanjathan Devakumar Jenevieve Mannell |
| author_sort | Reshmi Mukerji |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Afghanistan has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world, with an estimated 46% women reporting lifetime violence. Survivors of domestic violence experience significant stigma from their families and communities, often in the form of blame, shame, gossip, and dismissal. While the manifestations of stigma are often the same across cultural settings, the drivers may be different. We conducted sixty semi-structured interviews with survivors of domestic violence in three provinces of Afghanistan. Data were analysed using thematic network analysis. Our analysis highlights stigma as a structural phenomenon in Afghanistan underpinned by mutually reinforcing structural elements (including community, government authorities, marital and natal families, other survivors and the self). In a country with a deeply patriarchal social structure, the main manifestation of stigma was the silencing of survivors of violence, as domestic violence was considered a private affair. Notions of honour were paramount in fuelling stigma against survivors of violence, as any action to report or leave violent relationships was considered dishonourable. Our findings have implications for the design of services to help survivors of violence seek help for the violence they experience, especially at a time when such services are increasingly constricted for women in Afghanistan. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:03:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9806c5580a544ed1a788dc4d07998fbd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1744-1692 1744-1706 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:03:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-9806c5580a544ed1a788dc4d07998fbd2023-09-21T13:56:58ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGlobal Public Health1744-16921744-17062023-01-0118110.1080/17441692.2023.22120352212035How does domestic violence stigma manifest in women’s lives in Afghanistan? A study of survivors’ lived experiences of help-seeking across three provinces.Reshmi Mukerji0Lamba Saboor1Sharli Paphitis2Delanjathan Devakumar3Jenevieve Mannell4University College London (UCL)Independent consultantKing’s College LondonUniversity College London (UCL)University College London (UCL)Afghanistan has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world, with an estimated 46% women reporting lifetime violence. Survivors of domestic violence experience significant stigma from their families and communities, often in the form of blame, shame, gossip, and dismissal. While the manifestations of stigma are often the same across cultural settings, the drivers may be different. We conducted sixty semi-structured interviews with survivors of domestic violence in three provinces of Afghanistan. Data were analysed using thematic network analysis. Our analysis highlights stigma as a structural phenomenon in Afghanistan underpinned by mutually reinforcing structural elements (including community, government authorities, marital and natal families, other survivors and the self). In a country with a deeply patriarchal social structure, the main manifestation of stigma was the silencing of survivors of violence, as domestic violence was considered a private affair. Notions of honour were paramount in fuelling stigma against survivors of violence, as any action to report or leave violent relationships was considered dishonourable. Our findings have implications for the design of services to help survivors of violence seek help for the violence they experience, especially at a time when such services are increasingly constricted for women in Afghanistan.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2212035domestic violencestigmaafghanistanwomensurvivors |
| spellingShingle | Reshmi Mukerji Lamba Saboor Sharli Paphitis Delanjathan Devakumar Jenevieve Mannell How does domestic violence stigma manifest in women’s lives in Afghanistan? A study of survivors’ lived experiences of help-seeking across three provinces. Global Public Health domestic violence stigma afghanistan women survivors |
| title | How does domestic violence stigma manifest in women’s lives in Afghanistan? A study of survivors’ lived experiences of help-seeking across three provinces. |
| title_full | How does domestic violence stigma manifest in women’s lives in Afghanistan? A study of survivors’ lived experiences of help-seeking across three provinces. |
| title_fullStr | How does domestic violence stigma manifest in women’s lives in Afghanistan? A study of survivors’ lived experiences of help-seeking across three provinces. |
| title_full_unstemmed | How does domestic violence stigma manifest in women’s lives in Afghanistan? A study of survivors’ lived experiences of help-seeking across three provinces. |
| title_short | How does domestic violence stigma manifest in women’s lives in Afghanistan? A study of survivors’ lived experiences of help-seeking across three provinces. |
| title_sort | how does domestic violence stigma manifest in women s lives in afghanistan a study of survivors lived experiences of help seeking across three provinces |
| topic | domestic violence stigma afghanistan women survivors |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2212035 |
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