Preventing violence in the family, together

Despite the growing awareness about family violence, there is still a high prevalence of violence against women in Malaysia and across the world, often at the hands of men close to them. — 123rf.com

AROUND 30% of women aged 15 and older worldwide have faced physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). If we delve deeper into the global figures, 26% of women in the same age bracket experienced violence at the hands of intimate partners (WHO, 2018). Not only that, 58% of girls and women killed worldwide were murdered by their own intimate partners or family members (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2021).

Local figures paint a grim picture as well: Malaysia’s Women, Family & Community Development Ministry reported in the Dewan Rakyat that 7,568 domestic violence cases were recorded by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in 2021, which was 42% higher than the previous year. In addition, the Talian Kasih helpline received 3,028 calls about domestic violence during the same period (Galen Centre, 2022). Previous research found 8% of Malaysian women aged 18 to 50 faced intimate partner violence (Shuib et al, 2013).