Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: A Study on Working Women

Abstract

People have been experiencing different types of challenges intensely due to the profound impacts of the corona pandemic. Domestic violence is one of the challenges that women are confronting deeply in multifarious sectors. However, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is one of the most alarming and escalating violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore the current scenario of IPV on working women in Bangladesh during COVID-19. Therefore, the general objective has been elaborated in three specific objectives respectively; to identify the nature of IPV on working women, to analyze the major factors of IPV on working women, and to suggest the mitigation process of IPV on working women. A mixed-methodology was followed to accomplish this study. To gather the required data, the study area included Dhaka, Mymensingh, Chittagong, and Rangpur. This cross-sectional study has found that the rates of IPV against working women increased 65% to 74.40% where about 75.50% are psychologically, 55% physically, 26% economically, and 21.30% are sexually abused by their intimate partners. However, 31.60% of women never express their abusive conditions to others. This study contributes in the academic area, especially for women that can enhance women's empowerment, and play a vital role in the national policy of respective states.