Domestic violence or abuse has increasingly become one of the prevailing forms of violence that manifests within a relational context with dire consequences for the victims and their families. This study investigated redress opportunities and challenges rural women undergoing domestic violence face. The sample size consisted of 420 consenting rural women in Kono district who have been domestically abused. The findings of the study revealed that cases of domestic violence reported to relatives, traditional chiefs, and friends were rarely resolved satisfactorily. Although the women were generally not stigmatised for reporting incidents of domestic violence, they also did not receive advice or encouragement to leave their abusive husbands. The study further found that the major barriers preventing women from addressing domestic violence were that it was seen as personal and family-related. Many feared losing their children; they believed that reporting abuse would negatively impact or destroy their marriages, and therefore were accustomed to violence as part of their marriage. In view of the findings of the study, the following recommendations were suggested for future addressing of the situation: there is a need to sensitise the public to the challenges of women who suffer domestic violence, particularly in rural communities, as well as coordinated action to enhance their economic livelihoods and wellbeing.
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Rural Women, challenges in domestic violence, redress opportunities
