Intimate Partner Violence – Results from a National Gender-Based Violence Study in Malawi

This report section details the psychological and physical impacts of intimate partner violence (IPV) on women in Malawi, categorizing the effects by economic, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. It highlights high rates of depression, irritability, and sleep disturbances across all abuse types, with sexual violence identified as having the most profound impact, including specific risks related to pregnancy and STIs.

• Economic abuse in Malawi is associated with significant psychological distress: 73% of victims reported depression, 69% reported anger toward their partner, and 54% reported irritability. Additionally, nearly half of these victims experienced changes in sleeping patterns, and 10% reported thoughts of suicide, while 4% (36 individuals) attempted suicide.
• Emotional abuse frequently results in flashbacks, which were reported by four-fifths of victims, particularly those who experienced public humiliation. Other common impacts include depression (69%) and anger at themselves or the perpetrator (67%), with 8% reporting suicidal thoughts and 3% attempting suicide.
• Physical violence leads to high rates of anger and depression, with 52% of victims reporting irritability and 43% reporting changes in sleeping patterns. Suicide attempts were reported by 4.5% (almost 40 individuals) and suicidal thoughts by 7% of victims.
• Sexual violence is identified as having the most profound impact of all abuse types. Key symptoms include flashbacks (74%), changes in eating patterns (73%), depression (62%), anger (61%), and changes in sleeping patterns (60%). Additionally, 47% reported increased irritability and 23% suffered panic attacks.
• Women experiencing sexual abuse face specific health-related anxieties and consequences. Concerns include pregnancy (33%), STIs (25%), abortion decisions (16.1%), and HIV/AIDS (16.5%). In practice, 39% of sexually abused women fell pregnant as a result of the incident, and less than 10% contracted STIs.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Intimate Partner Violence – Results from a National Gender-Based Violence Study in Malawi. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/INTIMATESEC5.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Intimate Partner Violence – Results from a National Gender-Based Violence Study in Malawi. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/INTIMATESEC5.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Intimate Partner Violence – Results from a National Gender-Based Violence Study in Malawi |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/INTIMATESEC5.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndintimate, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Intimate Partner Violence – Results from a National Gender-Based Violence Study in Malawi}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/INTIMATESEC5.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }