1) Percentage of women age 15-49 who have ever experienced sexual violence by any perpetrator.
2) Percentage of women age 15-49 who have experienced sexual violence by any perpetrator in the 12 months preceding the survey.
Coverage:
Population base: All women age 15-49 selected and interviewed for the domestic violence
module (v044= 1) (IR file)
Time period: Current status at time of survey
Numerators:
1) Number of women who have ever experienced any form of sexual violence asked about (see variable list below), as a child or as an adult:
a) By any husband/partner ever if ever-married and any intimate partner ever for never-married women who report an intimate partner (any of d105h, i, k in 1:4 or d130b in 1:4), or
b) By anyone other than any husband/partner for ever-married women or any intimate partner for never-married women or by anyone for never-married women with no intimate partner (d125 = 1)
2) Number of women who have experienced any form of sexual violence in the 12 months preceding the survey (any of d105h, i, k in 1:2 or d130b = 1 or d124 = 1)
Denominator: Number of women age 15-49 selected and interviewed for the domestic violence module (v044 = 1)
Variables: IR file.
|
v044 |
Selected for Domestic Violence module |
|
d105h |
Ever been physically forced into unwanted sex by husband/partner |
|
d105i |
Ever been forced into other unwanted sexual acts by husband/partner |
|
d105k |
Ever been physically forced to perform sexual acts respondent didn't want to |
|
d124 |
Ever forced to have sex by anyone other than husband/partner in last 12 months |
|
d125 |
Ever forced to perform unwanted sexual acts |
|
d130b |
Previous husband: physically forced to have sex or to perform sexual acts |
|
d005 |
Women’s sample weight |
Numerator divided by denominator, multiplied by 100.
Women with missing information on sexual violence are included in the denominator but not the numerator.
The number of questions from which information is taken for the numerator varies by the current marital status of women. Ever-married women and never-married women who have ever had an intimate partner are asked more questions about their experience of sexual violence than never-married women because there are several questions on the different types of sexual violence perpetrated by husbands/intimate partners in addition to violence perpetrated by anyone else.
There have been several changes over time to the wording and number of questions on women’s experience of sexual violence. The change that has a significant effect on comparability over time is the following: In some countries, a version of the module that included a question on whether first sex was wanted or not was implemented. The estimate of sexual violence in these surveys included women who said that their first sex was unwanted. This question is no longer included in the DHS domestic violence module. Thus, when examining trends over time for this variable, the user should check to see if the earlier survey(s) included the question on unwanted first sex or not. If it was included, the percentage of women who have experienced sexual violence should be rerun to exclude the question on first sex being unwanted. Only then will the previous survey estimate be comparable to the estimate from the more recent survey.
Additionally, ever-married women now are asked about sexual violence by a non-husband/partner whether or not they reported sexual violence by any husband/partner. In earlier surveys, only ever-married women who had not reported sexual violence by their current or most recent husband/partner were asked about sexual violence by anyone other than their husband/partner.
In about 2010-11, a question was added for women married more than once that asks specifically about their experience of sexual violence by a previous husband/partner. Before this addition, sexual violence by a previous husband/partner could only be reported in response to a more general question on women’s experience of sexual violence by anyone, and “previous husband/partner” was one of several possible answer codes. Additionally, spousal sexual violence by the most recent husband/partner is, since about 2009, being measured through three questions instead of two.
Finally, from 2021, never-married women selected for the domestic violence module who report ever having had an intimate partner are also asked all the same questions on intimate partner violence as ever-married women.
Given these changes, when making comparisons over time of sexual violence, users are strongly advised to check the questions in each survey.
See References for this chapter.
DHS-8 Tabulation plan: Table DV.4
API Indicator IDs:
DV_EXSV_W_EVR, DV_EXSV_W_12M
Experience of Sexual Violence by Non-Intimate Partners
Definition
1) Percentage of women age 15-49 who have ever experienced sexual violence by any person who is not their husband/intimate partner.
2) Percentage of women age 15-49 who have experienced sexual violence by any person who is not their husband/intimate partner in the 12 months preceding the survey.
Coverage:
Population base: All women age 15-49 selected and interviewed for the domestic violence
module (v044= 1) (IR file)
Time period: Current status at time of survey
Numerators:
1) Number of women who have ever experienced sexual violence as a child or as an adult by anyone other than any husband/partner for ever-married women or any intimate partner for never-married women or by anyone for never-married women with no intimate partner (d125 = 1)
2) Number of women who have experienced any form of sexual violence by anyone other than any husband/intimate partner in the 12 months preceding the survey (d124 = 1)
Denominator: Number of women age 15-49 selected and interviewed for the domestic violence module (v044 = 1)
Variables: IR file.
|
v044 |
Selected for Domestic Violence module |
|
d124 |
Ever forced to have sex by anyone other than husband/partner in last 12 months |
|
d125 |
Ever forced to perform unwanted sexual acts |
|
d005 |
Women’s sample weight |
Calculation
Numerator divided by denominator, multiplied by 100.
Handling of Missing Values
Women with missing information on sexual violence are included in the denominator but not the numerator.
Changes over Time
There have been several changes over time to the wording and number of questions on women’s experience of sexual violence. The change that has a significant effect on comparability over time is the following: In some countries, a version of the module that included a question on whether first sex was wanted or not was implemented. The estimate of sexual violence in these surveys included women who said that their first sex was unwanted. This question is no longer included in the DHS domestic violence module. Thus, when examining trends over time for this variable, the user should check to see if the earlier survey(s) included the question on unwanted first sex or not. If it was included, the percentage of women who have experienced sexual violence should be rerun to exclude the question on first sex being unwanted. Only then will the previous survey estimate be comparable to the estimate from the more recent survey.
The question on having ever performed an unwanted sexual act is no longer included in the standard module.
Additionally, ever-married women now are asked about sexual violence by a non-husband/partner whether or not they reported sexual violence by any husband/partner. In earlier surveys, only ever-married women who had not reported sexual violence by their current or most recent husband/partner were asked about sexual violence by anyone other than their husband/partner.
Finally, from 2021, never-married women selected for the domestic violence module who report ever having had an intimate partner are also asked all the same questions on intimate partner violence as ever-married women. In earlier surveys, for never-married women, the answer codes ‘Current boyfriend’ or ‘Former boyfriend’ would have included sexual violence committed by an intimate partner. In other words, till the revisions to the module in 2021, no distinction was made between a boyfriend who was an intimate partner and one who was not.
References
See References for this chapter.
Resources
DHS-8 Tabulation plan: Table DV.6
API Indicator IDs:
DV_EXSV_W_EVR, DV_EXSV_W_12M