ZAMBIA has recorded a 39 percent reduction in the number of women who agree that a husband is justified to hit or beat his wife for at least one specified reason. According to the 2018 Demographic Health Survey, 46 percent of women in Zambia agree that a husband is in order to beat his wife. Reasons for beating wives include burning food, arguing with the husband, going out without permission, neglecting children, refusing to have sexual intercourse, and making major household purchases without the husband’s knowledge. This is against the 85 percent of women who agreed to ‘justified beating’ in 2002.

The report indicates that the decline in the number of women agreeing to the beatings is as a result of increased education and household wealth. Further, the findings indicate that 60 percent of women who are employed but do not earn enough money agree that a husband is justified to beat his wife for at least one specified reason. Women in rural areas are more likely to agree that a husband should beat his wife than those in urban areas. And 50 percent of women who are married or living together with a man also agree that a husband is justified to hit or beat the wife than 44 percent of the divorced, separated or widowed women, as well as 40 percent of women who have never been married.

Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) Western Province regional coordinator Sandra Maputa said the advocacy campaign being conducted in communities with other non-governmental organisations is yielding positive results. Ms Maputa said the campaign has contributed to a significant reduction in the number of women agreeing to beatings from their husbands. She said more needs to be done to reach out to the 46 percent of the women who feel that a man is justified to beat his wife. “This also calls for social classification, but once we address this, we will bring