UN Research: 22% of Georgian Women, 31% of Men Approve of Wife Beating

Recent research conducted by the United Nations (UN) Women Organization revealed that violence against women in Georgia is still considered to be quite acceptable: with almost one-fourth (22%) of women and one-third of men (31%) believing that beating their wife is justified in certain circumstances.

Furthermore, nearly one-quarter of women (23%) and nearly half of men (42%) believe that the wife should obey her husband even if she disagrees with him.

At least one out of seven women have experienced domestic violence, 9% of women have become victims of child sexual abuse and one out of five says they have experienced sexual harassment.

In addition, the study for the first time examined the spread of sexual harassment and stalking.

2.7% of interviewed women aged 15-64 say they have experienced sexual harassment from their non-partners or spouses at least once.

The survey also reads that around 15000 women admitted they been physically abused at least once during pregnancy. Out of these women, 37% say they have been hit in their stomach during pregnancy while 64% of women who reported of beating during pregnancy say that the beating was part of the cycle of violence carried out by one and the same person. In adition, 6% of women said that violence was intensified during pregnancy.

The survey was conducted by the UN Women's Organization, National Statistics Office of Georgia and the European Union.  

The process of national research was carried out in 2017 and contained quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Around 6,006 women aged 15-64 and 1,601 men of 15-64 were interviewed across the country.

By Thea Morrison