Exploring Intra-Household Gender Dynamics and Domestic Violence Impacts of Covid-19 in Mauritius

 
Webinar: Social Implications of Covid-19 in Mauritius
 
Intra-Household Gender
Dynamics
 
By Dr Aveeraj Peedoly
Mauritius Research and Innovation Council
Webinar: 21Jan 2021
 
Outline of Presentation:
Focus on Gender Relations within
the HH
 
2 specific Themes:
i. Incidence of DV – more
specifically Intimate
Partner Violence
ii. Distribution of care and
domestic responsibilities by
gender
 
The Data Sets
Key findings
 and Insights
Reflections & Pointers
towards areas that
require further
research.
 
Quantitative
SEIA National
Household Survey
Instrument (
n=400)
SEIA Households in
Extreme Poverty
Survey Instrument
(
n=70)
Enabled Capture of
Prevalence/scale
 
 
Qualitative
FGDs and Semi-directive Interviews with diverse
stakeholders and opinion leaders
(Enabled Complementarity/Further insights/Sense-
making
 
Modules on:
Domestic Violence
Time Use including
self-reported
distribution of
domestic
responsibilities
 
 
Ministry of
Gender Equality
Police
Statistics
Mauritius
 
KEY FINDINGS & INSIGHTS
 
 
 
Findings on extent of  Domestic
Violence 
during Lockdown
 
Violence onto female respondent by
her relationship with perpetrator
 
The Chart 
based on data from SEIA
National HH Survey 
shows a breakdown
of the perpetrators of violence against
the female respondents highlighting that
while Intimate Partner Violence
accounted for 73% of domestic violence
as a classic gender-based phenomenon,
in no less than 27% of cases, violence has
been perpetrated by grand-children
(13%); children (7%); mother-in-law (7%).
 
Failure to report: Tip of the
Iceberg?
 
Victims, particularly the
majority of female victims,
did not report to the
authorities
, in part due to
the feeling of shame and
fear of reprisals from the
abuser.
 
Majority (62.5%) informed
other people within the
community including close
relatives and neighbours,
and  37.5% did not inform
anyone.
 
(comparable for both
surveys)
 
Official Statistics
 
Situation Necessitated interventions:
 
‘Harmonious Families’ Sensitisation Campaign by Min of GE
Television Campaign by NGOs and Opinion Leaders to denounce
DV
 
During the lockdown
period 20 March to
30 May 2020, a total
number of 520 cases
were officially
reported of which
some 93% were
female victims.
111 female survivors
even had to leave
the conjugal roof
during the
lockdown.
 
Causes/Profile – Avenues for
further research
 
Some insights from qualitative
approach
 
Home under lockdown is like
a pressure cooker, with all
the ingredients for violence
to erupt anytime…
’ –
Anonymous Police woman
Stretching of Emotional,
economic and social coping
abilities
Cluster of risk factors and
triggers – e.g: Loss of
revenue/
depletion of
savings/restrictions of
movement.
 
Some of the cases reported
at the PFPU were not new to
the system
Many in the lower-income
groups where the pressure of
coping was even higher.
However, there were also
many new cases including
among civil servants
 
Findings:
Distribution of Care and Domestic
Responsibilities
 
The lockdown set in
motion, several
transitional behaviors and
practices to adjust to
confinement.
 
Generally, both women
and men reported
spending 
more time than
usual 
on domestic and
care responsibilities,
leisure and personal
and/or household
activities
.
 
However, several
traditional gendered roles
mainly domestic chores
remained skewed
towards women
.
 
 
Salient Points
 
A majority of respondents (an average of some 72%
for both males and females) have stated that they have
spent more or significantly more 
household quality
time
, although some 24% of women stated that
arguing in household was more (including 9%
significantly more).
 
W
o
m
e
n
:
 
H
e
a
l
t
h
i
e
r
 
L
i
f
e
s
t
y
l
e
s
 
d
u
r
i
n
g
c
o
n
f
i
n
e
m
e
n
t
?
 
43% of women report that
they have engaged more in
exercises than prior to lockdown.
This compares favourably with
only 32% for their spouses.
 
Unhealthy practices such as
drinking alcohol and smoking
cigarettes were also more
pronounced among men.
Only 6 % of female
respondents stated that they
have consumed more alcohol
than their male counterparts
(20% including 7%
significantly more).
Likewise, increases in cigarette
smoking among women have
been marginal as opposed to
men as it is reported that 19%
of males have spent more time
smoking.
 
W
o
m
e
n
 
a
n
d
 
M
e
n
:
 
S
i
m
i
l
a
r
 
T
i
m
e
 
u
s
e
 
o
n
p
e
r
s
o
n
a
l
 
a
c
t
i
v
i
t
i
e
s
?
 
Looking at such aspects as ‘me-time’ by gender of
respondent, at first sight there seem to be no major
differences to report.
Such activities as : use of social media, talking
online/phone, watching TV, indulging in hobby,
show that both men and women have spent more
time in these activities and there are rather similar
levels of indulgence by gender.
 
D
o
m
e
s
t
i
c
 
C
h
o
r
e
s
 
a
n
d
 
P
r
e
p
a
r
i
n
g
M
e
a
l
s
 
T
raditional roles of
domestic chores and meal
preparation have fallen
disproportionately on
women.
58% of married female respondents
state that they have spent 
more
(37%)
 or 
significantly more (21%)
on household chores
 
as compared to
40% for their husbands.
62% of married female respondents
for instance state that during
lockdown they have spent 
more
 time
in preparing meals including 20%
who have stated 
significantly more.
 
These same respondents state
that their spouses spent
comparatively less time on this
task.  In effect, only 8% state
that their husbands spent
‘significantly more’ time
preparing meals and 30% state
that their husbands spent ‘more’
time on this task.
 
C
a
r
i
n
g
 
f
o
r
 
d
e
p
e
n
d
e
n
t
s
 
Rather similarly 36% of
female respondents state
that they have spent more
time on care responsibilities
compared to 26% for their
husbands.
 
S
u
p
p
o
r
t
 
t
o
w
a
r
d
s
 
c
h
i
l
d
r
e
n
s
 
e
d
u
c
a
t
i
o
n
 
F
emale respondents have
tended to outdo their
husbands in helping the kids in
their education.  38 % of
female respondents have spent
more (23%) or significantly
more (15%) time with their
kids education.
 
In comparison, only 8% of
their husbands have spent
significantly more time with
their kids education while 17%
had spent more time.
 
In many ways, these
inequalities in the distribution
of household tasks are not
surprising.  Latest time use
survey data from Statistics
Mauritius Living Conditions
Survey 2019, indicate that
women spend on average 2.2
hours more than men on
domestic tasks on a daily basis.
 
 
Reflections and Pointers towards
further areas of research
 
Limitations  of the data
Methodological – RSA
V/S customized
questionnaire
Reference Period –
Lockdown in retrospect but
in many households the
impacts may be lasting
longer
 
Gender Implications on
HH where there have
been job losses
 
Whole Agenda for Academic and
Applied Research in context of
COVID
 
 
Thank you
 
Q&A
Slide Note
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Delve into the social implications of Covid-19 on gender dynamics within households in Mauritius through a webinar by Dr. Aveeraj Peedoly. The presentation focuses on two main themes: the incidence of domestic violence and the distribution of care and domestic responsibilities by gender. Key findings reveal insights on the extent of domestic violence during lockdown, highlighting the various perpetrators of violence against female respondents. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data sets, this research sheds light on critical areas that necessitate further investigation.


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  1. Webinar: Social Implications of Covid-19 in Mauritius Intra-Household Gender Dynamics By Dr Aveeraj Peedoly Mauritius Research and Innovation Council Webinar: 21Jan 2021

  2. Outline of Presentation: Focus on Gender Relations within the HH 2 specific Themes: The Data Sets i. Incidence of DV more specifically Intimate Partner Violence Key findings and Insights Reflections & Pointers towards areas that require further research. ii. Distribution of care and domestic responsibilities by gender

  3. Modules on: Quantitative SEIA National Household Survey Instrument (n=400) SEIA Households in Extreme Poverty Survey Instrument (n=70) Enabled Capture of Prevalence/scale Domestic Violence Time Use including self-reported distribution of domestic responsibilities Data Sets Quantitative Qualitative Qualitative FGDs and Semi-directive Interviews with diverse stakeholders and opinion leaders Official Statistics (Enabled Complementarity/Further insights/Sense- making Ministry of Gender Equality Police Statistics Mauritius

  4. KEY FINDINGS & INSIGHTS

  5. Findings on extent of Domestic Violence during Lockdown SEIA National HH Survey SEIA HH in extreme poverty (DV during lockdown) Indicative Baseline for comparative purposes MRC/UNDP (2010) Question (DV during lockdown) (DV over last Reference year) 3.9% Experience of Some sort of violence at home Experience of physical assault by female respondents Experience of some sort of violence by male respondents 4.5% 9% 7.4% 9% 5.9% 1.5% - 1.9%

  6. Violence onto female respondent by her relationship with perpetrator The Chart based on data from SEIA National HH Survey shows a breakdown of the perpetrators of violence against the female respondents highlighting that while Intimate Partner Violence accounted for 73% of domestic violence as a classic gender-based phenomenon, in no less than 27% of cases, violence has been perpetrated by grand-children (13%); children (7%); mother-in-law (7%). Spouse Grand child Living partner Mother in law Son/daughters 7% 7% 13% 60% 13%

  7. Failure to report: Tip of the Iceberg? Victims, particularly the majority of female victims, did not report to the authorities, in part due to the feeling of shame and fear of reprisals from the abuser. Majority (62.5%) informed other people within the community including close relatives and neighbours, and 37.5% did not inform anyone. (comparable for both surveys)

  8. Official Statistics During the lockdown period 20 March to 30 May 2020, a total number of 520 cases were officially reported of which some 93% were female victims. 111 female survivors even had to leave the conjugal roof during the lockdown. 300 280 250 203 212 219 231 217 212 211 209 200 193 190 187 187 165 174 179 177 171 168 171 177 170 160 155 152 150 140 140 136 109 100 50 - May-18 Jun-18 May-19 Jun-19 May-20 Nov-18 Nov-19 Mar-18 Jul-18 Aug-18 Sep-18 Mar-19 Jul-19 Aug-19 Sep-19 Mar-20 Jan-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Dec-19 Jan-20 Feb-18 Feb-19 Feb-20 Apr-18 Apr-19 Apr-20 Oct-18 Oct-19 Situation Necessitated interventions: Harmonious Families Sensitisation Campaign by Min of GE Television Campaign by NGOs and Opinion Leaders to denounce DV

  9. Causes/Profile Avenues for further research Some insights from qualitative approach Some of the cases reported at the PFPU were not new to the system Many in the lower-income groups where the pressure of coping was even higher. However, there were also many new cases including among civil servants Home under lockdown is like a pressure cooker, with all the ingredients for violence to erupt anytime Anonymous Police woman Stretching of Emotional, economic and social coping abilities Cluster of risk factors and triggers e.g: Loss of revenue/depletion of savings/restrictions of movement.

  10. Findings: Distribution of Care and Domestic Responsibilities The lockdown set in motion, several transitional behaviors and practices to adjust to confinement. Generally, both women and men reported spending more time than usual on domestic and care responsibilities, leisure and personal and/or household activities. However, several traditional gendered roles mainly domestic chores remained skewed towards women.

  11. Salient Points A majority of respondents (an average of some 72% for both males and females) have stated that they have spent more or significantly more household quality time, although some 24% of women stated that arguing in household was more (including 9% significantly more).

  12. Women: Healthier Lifestyles during Women: Healthier Lifestyles during confinement? confinement? Unhealthy practices such as drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes were also more pronounced among men. Only 6 % of female respondents stated that they have consumed more alcohol than their male counterparts (20% including 7% significantly more). 43% of women report that they have engaged more in exercises than prior to lockdown. This compares favourably with only 32% for their spouses. Likewise, increases in cigarette smoking among women have been marginal as opposed to men as it is reported that 19% of males have spent more time smoking.

  13. Women and Men: Similar Time use on Women and Men: Similar Time use on personal activities? personal activities? Looking at such aspects as me-time by gender of respondent, at first sight there seem to be no major differences to report. Such activities as : use of social media, talking online/phone, watching TV, indulging in hobby, show that both men and women have spent more time in these activities and there are rather similar levels of indulgence by gender.

  14. Domestic Chores and Preparing Meals These same respondents state that their spouses spent comparatively less time on this task. In effect, only 8% state that their husbands spent significantly more time preparing meals and 30% state that their husbands spent more time on this task. Traditional domestic chores and meal preparation disproportionately women. 58% of married female respondents state that they have spent more (37%) or significantly more (21%) on household chores as compared to 40% for their husbands. 62% of married female respondents for instance state lockdown they have spent more time in preparing meals including 20% who have stated significantly more. roles of have fallen on that during

  15. Caring for dependents Caring for dependents Rather similarly 36% of female respondents that they have spent more time on care responsibilities compared to 26% for their husbands. state

  16. Support towards childrens education Support towards children s education Female tended husbands in helping the kids in their education. 38 % of female respondents have spent more (23%) or significantly more (15%) time with their kids education. respondents to outdo have their In inequalities in the distribution of household tasks are not surprising. Latest time use survey data from Statistics Mauritius Living Conditions Survey 2019, indicate that women spend on average 2.2 hours more than men on domestic tasks on a daily basis. many ways, these In comparison, only 8% of their husbands have spent significantly more time with their kids education while 17% had spent more time.

  17. Reflections and Pointers towards further areas of research Limitations of the data Gender Implications on HH where there have been job losses Methodological RSA V/S customized questionnaire Reference Period Lockdown in retrospect but in many households the impacts may be lasting longer

  18. Whole Agenda for Academic and Applied Research in context of COVID Access and Control over HH resources by Gender/ Feminisation of Poverty Household as a site of cooperation and conflict Differential Coping and Livelihood Strategies by Gender Impacts on Boys v/s Girls in HH Affected by Job loss of income earners Challenges of tackling domestic violence Work from Home and Gender Implications

  19. Thank you Q&A

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