The effects of educational attainment on the violence against women across regions in the Philippines
Date
2011-03
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Abstract
Violence against Women (VAW) is defined by the United Nations as "any act of gender-based violence that results, or is likely to result, in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women." In the Philippines, laws such as Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, Anti-Rape Law of 1997, and Anti-Violence Against Women Act of 2004, had been passed and implemented, yet were not able to fully resolve the problem of the growing incidence of VA W. The study examines how educational attainment affects VA W across the different regions in the Philippines. Four models are formulated, which encompass the different types of VAW: psychological, sexual, physical and general. The study utilized the Ecological Theory, where personal, relationship, community, and society variables are used to explain VAW. Using the cross-section data from the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of2008, the study ran four logistic regressions to determine the effects of educational attainment and other variables on the probability of the different kinds of VA W. Results show that educational attainment is negatively correlated to all sorts of VA W in the Philippines, that is, as women reach higher educational level, their chances of being victimized decreases. Given that, educational reforms should be devised to decrease drop-out rate and improve the quality of education. More importantly, primary and secondary education should be focused on, so that women will have an opportunity and a higher chance of reaching college. The government should increase the budget on education, effectively disseminate information about VAW, provide accessible help desks and counseling services, and reevaluate the existing anti-VA W policies, for the protection of women's rights and general welfare.
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Keywords
Violence against women, Educational attainment