Untold Stories of Women Living in Violence: Lived Realities of Why Women Stay: A Case Study of Ngombe and Kanyama Compounds in Lusaka

ABSTRACT

Situated in Zambia’s capital city – Lusaka, this study aimed to explore the subjective experiences of women on the causes of violence, and the factors that influenced their continued stay in or leaving a violent relationships, as well as explore factors that determined whether they reported their victimization to law enforcement agencies or not. For data, 25 women aged between 20 and 52 years were conveniently sampled and interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Thematic content analysis revealed complex reasons that led to women staying in violent marriages. This included culture, religion, children, fear, hope that the man will change, and lack of family support. Implicitly, the study found that the reasons for women’s stay transcend their perceived need for economic dependence on men. Analysis of narratives also revealed that cultural values and traditions place women in a more difficult situation relative to men, and determine women’s continued stay. The findings underscore the need for experts involved in designing policies to have a thorough understanding of the realities that women living in violence face and how this understanding can be integrated into programmes that are aimed at enhancing their wellbeing.

KEYWORDS:

• Women
• violence
• dependence
• culture
• tradition

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to extend special gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all the women who participated in this study. No amount of words can describe how grateful we are for sharing your lives with us, without whom this paper would not be possible.

Disclosure of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Standards and Informed Consent

Ethical approval for this study was sought from University of Zambia, School of Humanities Ethics Committee. Consent was sought from all participants prior to the interviews.