Date: Jun.19^th, 2019

Time: 14:00

Speaker: Laura McCloskey, Professor of Public Health, Indiana University

Venue: Room 250, Mong Man Wai Building, Zijingang Campus

[Speaker Intro]

Laura McCloskey is a Director at the Center for Research on Health Disparities, Indiana University. Her research area examines the origins and health impact of child and partner abuse.

【Abstract】

Intimate partner violence against women occurs in most countries and societies around the world.  Definitions of intimate partner violence include physical, psychological and sexual abuse.  The average global lifetime prevalence rate is 23% affecting almost one in four women.  Studies of this social problem are fairly recent, and the impact and costs of intimate partner violence have been overlooked.  One dimension of intimate partner violence involves husbands’ financial control over wives and the interference with women’s educational and career development.  Violence exerts severe costs to individual women which may include loss of life or permanent disability, long-term psychological problems, and loss of employment or educational opportunity.  Society also pays a substantial price for intimate partner violence:  In addition to covering the costs for programs, shelters and criminal justice responses, employers and the community lose victims’ participation in the labor force and medical costs are 50% higher for abused than non-abused women. Rates of intimate partner violence appear to be higher in countries with a low gender empowerment index (World Bank), indicating gender equality in the society directly influences violence against women.  The protection and development of women’s potential is critical to economic development worldwide as seen in multiple studies showing the importance of maternal education to future generations.