Attitudes towards wife-beating among women in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan: An empirical examination using multiple indicator cluster surveys

Intimate partner violence (IPV) violates human rights, specifically, the right to life and bodily integrity. Although considerable knowledge about the prevalence of and risk factors for IPV in developing countries has been amassed, little attention has been paid to the attitudes from which such violence may arise. Attitudes affect the occurrence of IPV, victim help-seeking and family and community response to IPV. This study examined the prevalence and correlates (individual, family and relationship, and community-related) of acceptance of IPV in three Central Asian countries.;Data were drawn from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, nationally-representative household surveys conducted in 2005 and 2006. A total of 8370, 4156, and 6007 currently married women (15–49 years) in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan were asked if they approved of a husband beating his wife in five situations: if she goes out without telling him, neglects children, argues, refuses sex, and burns food. Descriptive statistics, and multiple logistic and linear regressions were used to investigate the correlates of acceptance for each reason, any one reason, and total reasons accepted (0–5). Estimates were weighted at the national level and adjustments were made for design effects.;The acceptance of IPV for any one of five reasons varied from 12.3% in Kazakhstan to 45.3% in Kyrgyzstan and 74.5% in Tajikistan. Going out without telling, arguing, and neglecting children were the most commonly endorsed reasons. Sometimes the acceptance was pervasive. In Tajikistan, among those who accepted at least one of five reasons, 34.1% agreed with every reason. Women who were less educated, of some ethnic groups, had multiple children, lived in middle wealth urban areas and in certain regions were more likely to approve of IPV. Younger women were expected to be less approving of IPV, but the few age differences that emerged indicated that young women were more approving.;High IPV tolerance in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan warrant immediate attention. In addition to socio-economic development, and promotion of higher education and economic and political opportunities for women, proactive efforts are needed to confront attitudes about gender identities and wife-beating. The relatively low prevalence of acceptance in Kazakhstan merits further exploration.