Some Countries Spend More On Domestic Violence Costs Than On Primary Education: Report

A report out this week from the World Bank Group examined some of the challenges facing women around the world and uncovered some unequivocally devastating finds. As shown in the map below, a significant share of women, especially in Africa and South Asia, have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner during their lifetime.

But, as the report explains, high rates of intimate partner violence (abbreviated IPV in the report) -- defined as “all acts of physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence that occur within the family or domestic unit or between former or current spouses” -- not only have an impact on individuals and families, but also affect countries’ economies.

Estimates of the costs of violence against women are so high that a lower percentage of some countries' Gross Domestic Product is spent on primary education than on domestic violence costs. According to the report, the costs of intimate partner violence are driven up by factors like lost income and productivity, health care and police services.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/16/world-bank-group-women-report_n_5338940.html