HANOI: About 63 per cent of Vietnamese women live with physical, sexual, emotional, economic or behavioural abuse from their husbands or partners.
The findings from a survey of nearly 6,000 women aged 15 to 64 across Vietnam found that nearly two in three, or 62.9 per cent, experienced one or more forms of domestic abuse from male partners in their lifetime. Nearly 32 per cent of the women suffered the abuse within the year.
The results were from the second national study on violence against women in Vietnam, conducted last year by the Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Ministry, in collaboration with the General Statistics Office.
The first survey was conducted in 2010.
News portal Vn Express reported that the study aimed to shed light on what was needed to boost gender equality and eliminate gender-based violence in Vietnam.
The study also found the ratio of women physically abused by husbands or partners last year had dropped compared with 2010, to 26.1 per cent from 31.5 per cent.
However, more women had reported being sexually abused last year compared with 2010, with a ratio of 13.3 per cent compared with 9.9 per cent.
The survey team said while this reflected an increase in sexual violence, it might also be the result of a social change in which women had become more open to talking about sexuality and sexual violence after one decade.
Emotional violence by a husband or partner was the most common form of violence reported by Vietnamese women with 47 per cent having encountered such behaviour.
One in five women experienced economic abuse by a husband or partner during their lifetime and 27.3 per cent suffered one or more acts of controlling behaviour.
Deputy Social Affairs Ministry Nguyen Thi Ha said after almost a decade, positive change could be seen among young women as they were more determined in fighting domestic abuse.
“Those with higher education tend to suffer less from domestic abuse than the rest, which proves that education plays a key role, helping women grow more confident, independent and stronger.”