Domestic Violence and Women’s Dis-Empowerment in West Point Township-Monrovia, Liberia

ABSTRACT This study was done to establish the impact of domestic violence on women’s disempowerment in West Point Township Monrovia, Liberia, The study objectives were to determine the forms of domestic violence, examine the causes of domestic violence and how domestic violence dis empowers women in West Point Township. The study was conducted based on a sequential mixed method design in which both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used. Quantitatively the study used questionnaires administered to 55 women and qualitatively 8 key informant interviews and 4 gender segmented focus group discussions were conducted. The results indicate that beating constituted the highest response on domestic violence with 24%, verbal abuse 20% followed, then abandonment 17%, pushing 11%, stalking 7%, sexual assault 6% and economic violence 6%, rape 4%, marital rape 4% and isolation 4% followed as other forms of violence. The major cause of domestic violence was poverty (55% of the respondents)f followed by cultural beliefs 24%, alcoholism 15% and parenting 7%. The results further show that domestic violence has dis-empowered women in west point in various ways including Iowself-esteem, dependence, low skills, low self-confidence, and inability to solve problems, trauma, stigma, and job loss. The focus group discussion and key informant guides further show that the forms of domestic violence are majorly verbal abuses and the causes were house hold poverty and cultural issues. It was further established that domestic violence dis-empower women through earnings, education, health and the general social setup. It can be concluded that domestic violence exists in different forms in West point with the major form being physical violence in the form of beating. The study also shows that poverty and cultural barriers are the major causes of domestic violence. The study further shows that domestic violence dis-empowers the women by highly creating dependency on the family and husbands, stigma, trauma, loss of self-confidence and loss of employment. The study recommends that among others that intervention into the family management should be undertaken and the culprits of domestic violence should be apprehended. There is also need to address poverty among women through economic empowerment initiatives so that women become economically independent instead of depending on their male partner.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION

DEDICATION

APPROVAL

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS v

LIST OF FIGURES ix

LIST OF TABLES

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Background of the Study 1

1.2.1 Historical Perspective 1

1.2.2 Theoretical Perspective 2

1.2.3 Conceptual Perspective 3

1.2.4 Contextual Perspective 4

1.3 Problem Statement 4

1.4Objectives of the Study 5

1.4.2 Specific Objectives 5

1.5 Research Questions

1.7 Scope of the Study 6

1.7Subject Scope 6

1.7.2 Geographical Scope 6

1.6.3 Time Scope 6

1.8 Significance of the Study 6

1.9 Definition of Terms 6

1.10 Conceptual Framework 8

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW 9

2.1 Introduction 9

2.2 Theoretical Overview 10

2.4 Forms of Domestic Violence 12

2.4.1 Physical Abuse 12

2.4.2 Sexual Abuse 12

2.4.3 Marital Rape 13

2.4.4 Emotional Abuse 13

2.4.5 Verbal Abuse 14

2.4.6 Economic Abuse 14

2.5 Causes of Domestic Violence 15

2.6 Effects of Domestic Violence on women 18

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2.7 Research Gap .20

CHAPTER THREE 22

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 22

3.1 Research Design 22

3.2StudyArea 22

3.3 Study Population 22

3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Procedures 23

3.5 Sampling Procedure 25

3.6 Sources of Data 25

3.6.1 Primary Data 25

3.6.2 Secondary Data 25

3.7 Study Methods 26

3.8 Research Instruments 26

3.9 Validity and Reliability of the Instruments 26

3.10 Data Gathering Procedures 27

3.10.1 Before the Administration of the Questionnaires: 27

3.10.2 During the administration of the questionnaires (Quantitative and qualitative,): 27

3.10.3 After the Administration of the Questionnaires 28

3,11 Data Analysis 28

3.12 Ethical Considerations 28

3.13 Limitations of the Study 28

CHAPTER FOUR 30

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS 30

4.1 Introduction 30

4.2 Profile of Respondents 30

4.3 Forms of domestic violence in West Point Township, Monrovia, Liberia 32

4.3.1 Experience with Domestic Violence 32

4.3.2 Where women report domestic violence 33

4.3.3 Forms of domestic violence among the women in West Point Township, Monrovia 34

4.3.4 Whether domestic violence is a problem 36

4.3.5 Encouragement of Domestic Violence Victims 37

4.3.6 Threatens or abuse in the household 38

4.3.7 Responses on the persons that threaten women 38

4.3.8 Reasons for the threats on women 39

4.4 Causes of domestic violence in West Point Township Monrovia, Liberia 41

4.4.1 Causes of domestic violence in West Point Township Monrovia, Liberia 41

4.5 Domestic violence dis-empowers women in West Point Township, Monrovia 43

4.5.1 Psycho-social effects of domestic violence on the survivors/victims 44

4.5.2 Whether domestic violence affect parent-children relationship in your household 44

4.5.3 How Domestic Violence Affect Women 45

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4.5.4 Domestic Violence and Dependence 47

4.5.5 How Domestic violence affect self-confidence and Job 48

4.5.7: Shows responses on whether the women have experienced Stigma 49

4.5.7 Community involvement in combating domestic violence 50

CHAPTER FIVE 53

DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 53

5.1 Introduction 53

5.2 Discussions of Findings 54

5.2.1 Profile of Respondents 54

5.2.2 Forms of domestic violence in West Point Township, Monrovia 54

5.2.3 Causes of domestic violence in West Point Township, Monrovia 55

5.2.4 How domestic violence disempowered women in West Point Monrovia 56

5.2 Conclusions 57

5.4 Recommendations based on the study findings 57

5.5 Suggestions for further Research 58

REFERENCES 58

APPENDIX 1: RESEARCH TOOLS 63

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS 63

APPENDIX II 69

FOCUS GROUP GUIDE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS 69

APPENDIX III 70

KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW GUIDE 70

APPENDIX IV: TIME FRAME 71

APPENDIX V: MAP OF WEST POINT MONROVIA 72