Association of Women Empowerment with Intimate Partner Violence in Saudi Arabia

The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is higher among women with lower social and economic status. Moreover, empowerment-focused interventions might not protect them from domestic abuse. This study assessed Saudi women's empowerment and its usefulness as a stand-alone IPV predictor.

400 married women, ages 19 to 65, who visited the outpatient clinics of PHC centers in Riyadh were interviewed using the Women's Empowerment module and the previously Arabic-validated version of the WHO multi-country instrument on Violence Against Women (VAW) to learn more about the beliefs of women regarding IPV and women's empowerment (in the decision-making process and the freedom to move). Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the IPV predictors. At p<0.05, significance was established.

In terms of physical (18.5%), emotional (25.5%), sexual (19.2%), and economic (25.3%) violence, the lifetime overall IPV prevalence was 44.8%. 19.5% of all women said they had a negative attitude towards IPV. From 41.8% of women who reported a positive attitude towards violence to 45% and 56.8% among those who reported neutral and negative attitudes, respectively, the prevalence of IPV rose significantly (χ2_LT = 4.35, p = 0.037). Roughly one-third of women had no authority to make decisions (33%) or the freedom to move about (40.1%). When comparing empowered to non-empowered women, it was found that IPV was significantly less common in the decision-making process (30.1% versus 77%, χ2=74.91, p<0.001) and in the freedom to move (16.2% versus 27.7%, χ2=5.77, p=0.016). After adjusting for relevant confounders, women's empowerment was an independent predictor of IPV (OR=0.734, 95% CI: 0.63-0.85).

Women's empowerment is a strong predictor of IPV. Women who lack social and economic authority should receive assistance from the government. Advocacy initiatives that emphasize transforming cultural perceptions of violence and enabling women to participate in decision-making processes should be supported.