Wife battering : an exploration of the abuse of African women in Johannesburg

M.A.Wife battering is one of the most pervasive forms of violence used against any individual in south Africa. The problem of battered women only came into the limelight in the early 1970's in the United States, its progression into public awareness corresponding with the growth of the women's movement. In South Africa, concern about wife battering started in the early 1980's. Inspired by the actions of overseas movements, South African feminists began to mobilise around violence against women. People Opposing Women Abuse opened the first shelter for battered women in Johannesburg in the eighties, followed by Rape crises in Cape Town. This study is anchored by a commitment to document battered women's experiences of marital violence in order that appropriate actions may be taken to ameliorate their situations. In undertaking this research, the intention is to learn from battered women about the context of their daily lives, exploring their educational and employment statuses, to describe the development and nature of their relationships with men who abuse them, establish the type of abuse they experience, and most importantly, to find out why they stay in such relationships. Data for this study is derived from questionnaires with fourteen abused women from two shelters (People Opposing Women Abuse, and NISSA Institute for Women Development)