By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune NEws Editor
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
AN academic survey found that one in four married Bahamian women knew their partner was adulterous.
The study by University of the Bahamas professors Dr Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean, William Fielding and Virginia C Ballance also found that 13.8 per cent of married Bahamian women surveyed reported having sex against their will while 8.3 per cent said they were raped by their husbands.
Additionally, 15.3 per cent of married women reported being physically harmed by their husbands, compared with 10.9 per cent of unmarried women.
The report, which will be published in the International Journal of Bahamian Studies in November, said: “While 46.7 per cent of married women definitely indicated that their husband was not having sex with another woman, as many as 53.3 per cent of husbands may have been committing adultery as some married women were ‘not sure.’ Almost one in four married women knew that their partner was adulterous.
“Of the single women, 5.4 per cent reported having a relationship with a man whom they knew was married, and another 1.8 per cent were not sure.
Researchers used an internet-based survey for their study, asking respondents about their marital status and certain behaviours of their husband/male partner.
UB students used their social media networks to contact potential respondents, leading to a snowball sample. Ultimately, the study included 1,728 respondents, 26.9 of whom were married. The rest were either single or engaged. The overall median age was 28.8 years. The modal educational level was some college/technical vocational training, and the “modal length of time of participants’ being in this intimate relationship was between one and five years”.
Researchers acknowledged potential bias from using internet-based study but noted their findings mirror previous research on violence Bahamian women in relationships experience.
“Experience of physical harm was also linked with unwanted sex,” researchers said. “Being a victim of physical harm elevated the chance of the woman being subject to non-consensual sexual intercourse.”
“In the case of women who suffered non-consensual sex, they were more likely to have also suffered physical harm from their husbands than wives who were not subject to non-consensual sex.”
“Even when married women were not subjected to physical harm, they were 3.07 times more likely to have non-consensual sex than single women.”
“Overall, 38.2 per cent of 60 married women who had non-consensual sex indicated that they would leave the relationship if they could, compared to 11.5 per cent of 357 married women who had not experienced non-consensual sex.”
Researchers noted that women are more likely to admit to non-consensual sex rather than rape.
Comments
Observer 1 year, 2 months ago
Let us have the study of the men who know that their spouse cheated, to balance things.
Sickened 1 year, 2 months ago
I can safely say that the real percentage of woman who KNOW their husbands don't cheat is 0%. Now I can accept that 46.7% of woman BELIEVE that their husbands aren't cheating, but nobody knows for sure unless they keep their husband locked up in the cellar.
Sickened 1 year, 2 months ago
It is not clear from this whether or not the woman who experienced non-consensual sex, if they experienced it with their husband or with another man. I would really like to see how the questions were worded.
Apostle 1 year, 2 months ago
This report is biased and leave much questions to be answered.
I am no genius, but these are a few questions that need to be answered to balance this debate. For the record, I do not support abuse of any kind in a relationship. If you want to talk about abuse, then talk about abuse because there is this insatiable appetite for men in our country to be locked up on allegation of 'marital rape', whatever that is. At the very core of marriage is sex as all sex outside of marriage is unlawful, whether forced or consensual. We get married so we can have sex without a guilty conscience.
Now we have the various first Human Rights, organizations, then, 'Women's Right', then 'Equal Right' then 'Gender Neutrality Rights', 'Gay Right's', 'Lesbian Right's', now we have the 'LGBTQ and LGBTQI and God knows what else we can expect. The sanctity of marriage will be lost and so does the value for the selfish ambition of a few over the many.
So they get what they want, then we have civil unions, where any two people, mam and man, woman and woman, man and woman and I guess LGBTQ and LGBTQ or I, can agree to be spouse and may live together and seek recognition from the masses of us. Then they will want insurance rights, benefits and pension rights, banking rights and rights to have or adopt other children to be brought up in their lifestyles.
So what is the true reason for this urgent call marital rape legislation, when many of those who are calling for it are not married themselves. The research is flawed and the premise for the requested legislation is flawed.
The Bahamas signed on to the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which was adopted by the United Nations in 1981 and ratified by The Bahamas in 1993.
Perhaps the spirit of the CDAW convention needs to be revisited, because every time this discussion is held it seems, one faction over another wants to reign supreme. I contend that although the research by UB seems to focused primarily on the abuse of married women by their spouse, perhaps a holistic review of the issues affecting the abuse or mistreatment of men by their girlfriends, husbands by their wives, or those in LGBTQ relationships have not been adequately addressed or perhaps are lost at sea.
John 1 year, 2 months ago
Why does The Tribune continue to publish these garbage juice, non/scientific but self serving and clearly to support marital rape laws? FIRSTLY, the sample size of married women who took part in the survey was 60. Does this or can this accurately represent the diverse cross section of married women in The BaHAMAS, representing different cultural, economic and social backgrounds? . . SECONDLY the report says 2 in every four married Bahamian woman KNEW that their husbands cheated/were cheating. What false inaccurate garbage. If one in four married women knew their husbands were cheating, then what percentage of Bahamian men cheat? ALL ay? International surveys say between 15 and 30 percent of marriage partners cheat. That includes husbands and wives. AND less than Fifty percent, less than fifty percent of married individuals know that their spouse had cheated. Less than half of the 15-20 percent of the spouses of married individuals who cheat know about the affair. And many find out, when the cheating spouse confessed, sometimes years and even decades later. This article is clearly not just about mischief making but is purely an insult to married Bahamian women, and married Bahamian men, who are portrayed as violent spousal rapists. So how many Bahamian men are raped or cheated on. How many Bahamians have a decent or even good marriage, according to your numbers? Not many. If ANY! Immigration should yuck the work permits from these people who are doing the devils work and escort them to the airport never to return to the Bahamas.
Porcupine 1 year, 2 months ago
We need a diversion from the realities that our country is failing on every other metric.
John 1 year, 2 months ago
Typo: International surveys say between 25 and 30 percent of married men cheat, not 40 percent. Also the garbage juice survey said 2 in every 4 or 35 percent of (Bahamian) married women,knew their husbands cheated. UB needs to redeem its credibility by firing these research clowns. Forthwith.
John 1 year, 2 months ago
25 percent… correction again.
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