Reducing Domestic Violence Helps All Of Haiti
Domestic violence is a human rights issue, a public health issue and an economic development issue.
In Haiti, evidence from confidential surveys suggests that domestic violence is a serious problem: it appears that around 273,200 women suffer from severe physical and/or sexual violence per year. This adds up to 9.4 percent of the population of 14- to 49-year-old women.
Domestic violence has considerable consequences. It not only causes pain and suffering for the victims but creates costs for society. Victims are more likely to commit suicide, have more unwanted pregnancies, are less likely to complete education, are less likely to seek employment, are more likely to have underweight babies, and are more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.