By Kalifa Clyne From T&T Guardian

One of every seven men in T&T say it is acceptable to beat their wives if they are unfaithful. This was revealed by a 2013 public opinion survey commissioned by the joint United Nations programme on HIV and Aids (UNAIDS) Caribbean Regional Support Team. The survey found that almost all people consider domestic violence to be an issue in T&T.

In a release last week, UNAIDS presented results which showed relatively high levels of knowledge about recent cases of domestic violence and that a significant proportion of people think wife-beating is justified in certain circumstances. The study was done by Caribbean Development Research Services (Cadres). The survey showed that 92 per cent of Trinidadians think domestic violence is a problem and three-quarters said it was a “major problem.”

Additionally, about three in 10 respondents say they know of a family member or close friend who experienced domestic violence in the last 12 months (29 per cent). “This is about crime. In most cases it is women who are victims of violence, beatings, rape and murder by their partners,” said UNAIDS Caribbean Support Team Director, Dr Ernest Massiah. “Too many women suffer this abuse in silence and fear.”

Representative for the UN Women Multi-Country Office—Caribbean, Christine Arab, said gender-based violence was one of the most pervasive forms of violence in the Caribbean and is a threat to citizen security. “Violence in the home is as destructive as street or “public” crime to the individual, the family and the community. There must be recognition and promotion of the critical role of prevention as a systemic response to eliminating violence at all levels of society,” Arab said.

Violence endemic
The release said other findings gave insight into the nature of T&T’s challenges surrounding gender, relationships and abuse. Respondents were asked whether wife-beating is justified in six scenarios.

“Although the majority of people said ‘no’, a minority thought domestic violence was reasonable in all instances. Significantly, one in seven people (14 per cent) think wife-beating is an appropriate response if a woman sleeps with another man. Another telling statistic is that half of the respondents think that a woman who dresses provocatively could encourage a man to rape her (51 per cent).

“The results of the study demonstrate the perplexing parallel whereby most people generally regard domestic or intimate partner violence as a crime and yet when confronted with it in their communities, believe there is some justification when it occurs. UN Women continues to stress that violence against women and girls is endemic and gender based. As such, violence against women and girls because they are women and girls is unacceptable.”

About the poll
The poll findings were based on a sample of 1,176 face to face interviews conducted in T&T in October 2013 with randomly-selected adults across 29 locations. The sample was nationally representative and the study has a +/- 5 per cent margin of error.

For more on this story go to: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-02-02/new-un-study-finds-one-seven-men-says-it’s-okay-beat-your-wife
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