Abstract

We examined the prevalence of sexual abuse against women around the world and the protective factors that may prevent this violence. Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 470,000 women in 50 countries informed our multivariate estimates. Our results show that one out of ten women aged 18-49 years old, experienced –at least once in their life time- sexual abuse, and most perpetrators are people in the environment of their victims. We also find that women educational attainment is a key factor in order to prevent sexual abuse, but gender equality achievements in economics, politics and health do not guarantee lower rates of sexual abuse. These results promote further discussions on strategies to strengthen effective preventive programs, especially for vulnerable women.

摘要

我们研究了世界各地对妇女性虐待的普遍性以及可能防止这种暴力的保护因素。来自 50 个国家的 470,000 名女性的人口与健康调查 (DHS) 数据为我们的多元估计提供了依据。我们的研究结果表明，十分之一的 18 至 49 岁女性经历过（一生中至少一次）性虐待，而且大多数施虐者是受害者环境中的人。我们还发现，女性受教育程度是防止性虐待的关键因素，但在经济、政治和健康方面取得的性别平等成就并不能保证较低的性虐待率。这些结果促进了对加强有效预防计划的战略的进一步讨论，特别是针对弱势妇女。