Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse: Addressing Gender-based Violence within the Context of HIV
There is no routine screening for gender-based violence (GBV) by health providers in Swaziland to provide statistical data relating to the incidence or prevalence of GBV. However, a national population-based household study on violence against children (mostly girls) and young women, for which SWAGAA was a key stakeholder in implementing, revealed an epidemic of sexual assault against girls. The study, which included data from more than 1,200 girls and women aged 13 to 24, found that approximately one in three females experienced sexual violence as a child and more than half of these incidents are not reported to anyone, notably because most of those interviewed said they did not know the violence was wrong.
In addition to sexual violence, 1 in 4 reported thatthey experienced physical violence and 3 in 10 were emotionally abused as a child (United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF] 2007). Further results ofthe study demonstrated significantly increased risks for health-related issues for girls who experienced sexual abuse before age 18, including depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, unwanted and complicated pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, sleep disorders, and smoking and alcohol use (Reza et al. 2009).