Port Louis, Mauritius - A survey by a Mauritian non-governmental organisation, SOS Women, has revealed that eight out of 10 Mauritian women are battered by their husbands.
Some 300 women aged between 20 and 50 years were interviewed during the survey.
According to the report released Thursday, domestic violence is a reality that transcends the different communities, religions, social classes and geographic concerns.
"Middle class women usually have recourse to private legal advice whereas women of the popular classes of all ethnic denominations seek help more readily from SOS Women and the Ministry for Women Affairs", the report says.
It also points out that alcohol-consumption, adultery, intervention of in-laws, stress, financial and other psychological problems are not the root cause of domestic violence though they are factors which trigger violent behaviour.
"The research has shown that most of the aggressors are violent only at home. They usually become very weak outside the home", it says.
The survey was conducted by a local journalist, Hamida Mulbocus, and supervised by Nandini Bhautoo-Dewnarain, a lecturer at the University of Mauritius.
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