Lesotho Demographic Health Survey - Attitudes towards Wife Beating

Brief Description

To gauge the acceptability of domestic violence, women and men interviewed in the 2009 Lesotho Demographic Health Survey were asked whether they thought a husband would be justified in hitting or beating his wife in each of the following five situations: if she burns the food, if she argues with him, if she goes out without telling him, if she neglects the children, and if she refuses to have sexual relations with him. Attitudes towards spousal violence, specifically against wives, was demonstrated in the Lesotho Demographic Health Survey report which showed that 15% of men feel that denying sex to the husband is a justification for wife beating. The study also suggested that the ack of institutional programs targeting behaviour change and patriarchal mind-sets contribute to high incidences of gender based violence  cases among Basotho women.