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Women and Domestic Violence: A Case Study in Rural Sri Lanka

Democracies: Challenges to Societal Health

ISBN: 978-1-78052-238-8, eISBN: 978-1-78052-239-5

Publication date: 7 December 2011

Abstract

Violence against women remains a significant barrier to securing human-centered development goals. Domestic violence in particular has limited options in almost every sphere of women's lives and in most community space. It also compromises the healthy development and well-being of their children and families. Yet, domestic violence is widespread in all regions, classes, and cultures. Wife beating is the most common form of family violence, and it poses a threat to the quality of women's lives in nearly every culture and society (Penn & Nardos, 2003). Victims of violence are often silent because they are helpless. Social and legal barriers continue to make it difficult to collect accurate data and sufficient evidence for domestic violence. In patriarchal societies in Asia, such as Sri Lanka, women face many difficulties due to domestic violence. This chapter identifies diverse problems and harassment faced by women in their domestic life in Kandy District in rural Sri Lanka. It focuses on problems women face in their youth, married life, and, in some cases, divorce. The qualitative study focuses on understanding the nature of the problem, the reason for domestic violence, and providing some conclusion from the material gathered from the study.

Citation

Aladuwaka, S. and Alagan, R. (2011), "Women and Domestic Violence: A Case Study in Rural Sri Lanka", Wejnert, B. (Ed.) Democracies: Challenges to Societal Health (Research in Political Sociology, Vol. 19), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 103-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0895-9935(2011)0000019011

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited