Domestic violence against single, never-married women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Abstract

This study examines the association between decision-making power, with other background variables, and domestic violence against single, never-married women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Secondary analysis using data from a 2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics domestic violence survey revealed that decision-making power and age were significant predictors of physical and psychological abuse. Relation to household head, refugee status, education, employment, and locality were not significant; region was only significant for psychological abuse. Further studies are needed to understand what factors allow single, never-married women to exercise decision-making power in the household and its association with domestic violence.

Keywords: Palestinian single women; autonomy; decision-making power; determinants of violence.