SOMEBODy’S LIFE, EVERYBODy’S BUSINESS! National Research on Women's Health and Life Experiences in Fiji (2010/2011): A survey exploring the prevalence, incidence and attitudes to intimate partner violence in Fiji. 1 2 SOMEBODy’S LIFE, EVERYBODy’S BUSINESS! National Research on Women's Health and Life Experiences in Fiji (2010/2011): A survey exploring the prevalence, incidence and attitudes to intimate partner violence in Fiji. 1 Copyright © Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre 2013 All rights for commercial, for-profit and not-for-profit reproduction or translation, in any form, rest with the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre. No part of this publication may be adapted, reproduced or translated, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise), except for the purposes of training, private study, review or research. Any reproduction, translation or adaptation or other above mentioned allowed purposes must fully acknowledge the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre. Published by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) 88 Gordon Street Suva, Fiji Phone: 679 331 3000 www.fijiwomen.com This research was funded by the Australian Government’s aid program. FWCC’s national and regional programs are funded by the Australian Government’s aid program. FWCC’s Branches are funded by the New Zealand Government’s aid program. 2 Acknowledgements First, acknowledgement is due to the women of Fiji who willingly and openly shared their experiences with the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) research team. Many spoke for the first time about their experience of violence; we thank them for their valuable time and for their trust. We also thank all the families and villages that welcomed and accommodated the research team. Many people contributed to the implementation of this research and to the production of this report. Edwina Kotoisuva was Deputy Coordinator of FWCC at the time of the research and managed all aspects from inception to completion, including providing valuable inputs into this report; her dedication and expertise was invaluable. Thanks are due to all the members of the research team for their effort, sensitivity and commitment, including all the staff from FWCC and others who joined us during the fieldwork (see Annex 5). The research was done with the cooperation of the Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics, which provided key expertise and access to their interviewers. Thanks to the then Government Statistician, Timoci Bainimarama, for facilitating this cooperation. Lanieta Vakadewabuka designed the survey sample, and assisted in the training of the interviewers. Toga Raikoti prepared the data entry frame, trained the data entry processors and prepared preliminary data tables. Extensive technical assistance was provided by Henrica A.F.M. (Henriette) Jansen, FWCC’s Research Consultant. She conducted the 3-week training of the fieldwork team and supervised the pilot testing of the survey. She undertook the data analysis including the production of the statistical annex and draft charts, and continuously provided ongoing support and advice with data interpretation during the preparation of this report. Technical assistance with the preparation of tables was also provided by Nguyen Thi Viet Nga. The analysis and interpretation of the findings in this report are based on a workshop with staff from the FWCC and its Branches held in September 2012. This report was written by Dr. Juliet Hunt, FWCC’s Consultant, who, meticulous as always, went beyond the call of duty to make this document as credible and accurate as possible. Finally, the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre acknowledges the funding and support of the Australian Government’s aid program, and thanks the staff in Fiji and Canberra who responded to every need with support and understanding. Shamima Ali Coordinator, Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre 3i Map of Fiji Divisions & Provinces map showing divisional and provincial boundaries 4ii Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank AOG Assemblies of God Church ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation AusAID Australian Agency for International Development (integrated into the Australian CSW Commission on the Status of Women (United Nations) DEVAW United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women DVRO Domestic Violence Restraining Order EVAW Elimination of violence against women FBOS Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics FWCC Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre FWRM Fiji Women’s Rights Movement ILO International Labour Organization MDGs Millennium Development Goals MOH Fiji Islands Ministry of Health MOW Fiji Islands Ministry of Women N Number (refers to the denominator in statistical tables) P value A measure of statistical significance (see Annex 6) RRRT Regional Rights Resource Team of the SPC SRQ-20 Self reporting questionnaire (a tool used to assess emotional distress, see WHO 1994) SDA Seventh Day Adventist Church SES Socio-economic status (in this report, this refers to 3 clusters based on an assets index, see Annex 4) SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community UN United Nations UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFPA United Nations Population Fund USP University of the South Pacific VWC Vanuatu Women’s Centre WHO World Health Organisation iii5 Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ABBREVIATIONS iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 11 1.1 The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) 12 1.2 Violence against women 13 1.3 Legal, policy and institutional context of violence against women in Fiji 15 1.3.1 Policy context 15 1.3.2 Legal framework and implementation of the law 16 1.3.3 Institutional and social context 18 1.4 The status of women in Fiji 19 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY 21 2.1 Overview of research method and objectives 22 2.2 The survey questionnaire 23 2.2.1 Overview of the survey instrument 23 2.2.2 Operational definitions used in the survey 24 2.2.3 Child sexual abuse 26 2.3 Design of the survey sample 26 2.4 Fieldwork, data processing and quality control 27 2.4.1 Interviewer selection, training, pilot and fieldwork 27 2.4.2 Quality control 28 2.4.3 Data entry, tabulation and analysis 29 2.5 Ethical and safety considerations 29 2.6 Strengths and limitations of the research design 30 CHAPTER 3: RESPONSE RATE AND DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE 31 3.1 Response rates 32 3.2 Description of respondents in the sample 32 3.2.1 Characteristics of respondents 32 3.2.2 Household head 32 3.2.3 Socio- economic assets index 33 3.3 Representativeness of the sample 33 3.4 How women felt after the interview 34 iv6 CHAPTER 4: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN BY HUSBANDS AND INTIMATE PARTNERS 35 Summary of main findings 35 4.1 Definition of prevalence 36 4.2 Overview of violence against women by husbands and partners 36 4.2.1 National prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional violence 36 4.2.2 Who experiences intimate partner violence? 37 4.2.3 Overlap of physical, sexual and emotional partner violence 43 4.3 Types, frequency and severity of physical partner violence 45 4.4 Types and frequency of sexual partner violence 48 4.5 Types and frequency of emotional violence 50 4.6 Types of controlling behaviours 51 4.6.1 National prevalence of controlling behaviours 51 4.6.2 Who experiences control by husbands/partners? 52 4.6.3 How are controlling behaviours associated with physical and sexual violence? 53 4.7 Discussion of findings 54 4.7.1 Myths about intimate partner violence against women 54 4.7.2 Intimate partner violence and gender inequality 55 4.7.3 Explaining ethnic differences in prevalence 57 CHAPTER 5: NON- PARNTER VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS 59 Summary of main findings 59 5.1 Overview of violence against women and girls 60 5.1.1 Combined prevalence and overlap of non-partner and partner violence 60 5.1.2 Prevalence of child sexual abuse 61 5.2 Prevalence of physical and sexual abuse by non- partners 62 5.3 Features of physical violence by non-partners 66 5.4 Features of sexual violence by non-partners 67 5.5 Women’s first sexual experience 69 5.6 Discussion of findings 70 5.6.1 High tolerance for violence 70 5.6.2 Myths about the risks of sexual violence to women and girls 71 5.6.3 Perpetrators of child sexual assault 72 7v CHAPTER 6: WOMEN’S ATTITUDES TO GENDER POWER RELATIONS AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 73 Summary of main findings 73 6.1 Women’s attitudes to gender power relations 74 6.1.1 Overview of women’s attitudes to gender power relations 74 6.1.2 Differences in women’s attitudes to gender power relations 75 6.1.3 Association between women’s attitudes and their experience of violence 76 6.2 Women’s attitudes to physical violence by husbands/partners 77 6.2.1 Overview of women’s attitudes to physical intimate partner violence 77 6.2.2 Differences in women’s attitudes to physical intimate partner violence 77 6.2.3 Association between women’s attitudes to physical violence and their experience of violence 78 6.3 Women’s attitudes to sexual autonomy 78 6.4 Women’s views about situations when physical violence occurs 79 6.5 Discussion of findings 80 CHAPTER 7: IMPACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ON PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, INCLUDING DURING PREGNANCY 83 Summary of main findings 83 7.1 Impacts of partner violence on physical health 84 7.1.1 Injuries caused by partner violence 84 7.1.2 Other impacts on physical health 86 7.1.3 Use of health services and medication 88 7.2 Impacts of partner violence on mental health 88 7.3 Prevalence of partner violence during pregnancy and other impacts of partner violence on reproductive health 89 7.3.1