Shocking violence statistics

IN the midst of a slew of incidents involving intimate partner violence‚ a new Stats SA study indicates that one in five women report experiencing violence at the hands of a partner.

The South African Demographic and Health Survey indicates that 21% of women over 18 reported experiencing violence by a partner.

A further 6% reported experiencing sexual violence by a partner.

Last week‚ the country was rocked by the news of the death of 22-year-old Karabo Mokoena, whose boyfriend has been arrested in connection with the incident.

The study found South Africa’s poorest women to be the most susceptible.

Violence rates were lowest in marriages and highest among women who were divorced or separated.

The Stats SA report‚ which delves into areas of the population’s health, is the first to be published since 2003.

While the data indicates that South Africa’s fertility rate is declining‚ teenage pregnancy remains a problem.

Statistician-general Pali Lehola said that by age 19‚ 28% of girls have started having children.

Among these‚ one third are girls who have not completed primary school. South Africans are still having unprotected sex with multiple partners.

Men were found to have an average of 15 sexual partners in their lifetime‚ while women had four.

However‚ in cases where women had two or more sexual partners in the previous 12 months‚ 58% reported using a condom.

Infant mortality decreased by 20% and child mortality by 28% between 1998 and 2016.

The survey also found that 68% of women in South Africa are obese‚ compared with about one-third of men.

The highest obesity rate is among wealthy women.