Partner Physical Abuse Against Women in Colombia

Abstract

Partner physical abuse against women is a social problem of alarming levels in Colombia. Figures for 2005 indicate that at least 33% of women who have ever lived with a male partner experienced some kind of physical abuse. This paper uses the 2005 Colombia Demographic and Health Survey to analyze the national and regional prevalence of physical partner abuse in Colombia. I find that there are regional differences in physical abuse rates even after controlling for both partners’ characteristics and the characteristics of the household (Bogotá showing the highest rates). When comparing the Caribbean region to Bogotá, I also find differences in the association between the probability of experiencing partner abuse and its associated factors. The higher the household’s wealth, the lower the probability of a woman experiencing partner physical abuse in Bogotá (and in Colombia) but not in the Caribbean region.