MANILA, Philippines — The most common perpetrator of physical violence against Filipino women who were ever married is their current or most recent husband or partner, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The PSA's 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) found that 14 percent of Filipino women aged 15 to 49 have ever experienced physical violence since they were 15 years old.
Related Stories
"Violence against women is a pervasive and worldwide problem in almost all societies. It permeates all social, cultural, economic, race and religious sectors," the survey read.
Violence can take many forms such as physical, sexual, emotional, economic and psychological abuse.
According to the poll, 20 percent or one in five women in the Philippines has ever experienced emotional violence from their current or most recent husband or partner.
About 14 percent has experienced physical violence and 5 percent experienced sexual violence from their partners. Around 2 percent of Filipino women have experienced sexual violence within the part year.
The survey also found that women who are divorced, separated or widowed are more likely to experience all forms of violence compared to those who are still married or living together with their partners.
"53 percent of divorced, separated, or widowed women have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence compared with 24 percent of women who are married or living together," the PSA said.
The number of women who have experienced violence varies by region, the survey noted.
In ARMM, only 7 percent of ever-married women have suffered physical, sexual or emotional violence by their last partner while the Caraga region has a higher rate of 52 percent.
"All forms of violence generally decline with increasing household wealth," the survey said.
The Philippines has Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 as one of its initiatives to counter violence against women, which classifies it as a public crime.
Under this act, perpetrators of all forms of abuse within the family and intimate relationships are penalized.
The 2017 NDHS survey is the sixth demographic and health survey in the country since 1993. The survey was conducted from Aug. 14, 2017 to Oct. 27, 2017 among some 25,000 women aged 15 to 49 nationwide.
The survey was funded by the Philippine government while the United States Agency for International Development provided technical assistance and equipment.
"The survey is designed to provide indicators on fertility, fertility preferences, family planning practice, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, knowledge and attitude regarding HIV/AIDS, and violence against women," the PSA said.