Domestic Violence Among Women and Their Social Development in Rubavu District Rwanda

ABSTRACT Domestic violence has been defined as “the range of sexually, psychologically and physically coercive acts used against women by current or former male intimate partners (Danson, 2005), it’s specific objectives sought to identify the demographic characteristics of the respondents in terms of Age, Educational level and Number of years worked, to determine the level of domestic violence of women in Rubavu District Rwanda, to determine the level of social development in Rubavu District Rwanda and to establish the significant relationship between the levels of domestic violence of women and their social development in Rubavu. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlates of domestic violence of women and their social development in Rubavu District Rwanda, The study used a descriptive correlation design that employed both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The research tool that was applied in this study was devised questionnaires to determine the domestic violence and social development. The findings indicated that domestic violence was generally high with average mean of (2.81), social development generally high (average mean of 2.72) and basing on the results, the null hypothesis was rejected and conclusions made that domestic violence and social development in women in Rubavu District are significantly correlated using pearson where r=(.964) and signific~nt-value (000), yet the results are insignificant above 0.05 level of significance. Therefore, the researcher recommended the following: - there is need to introduce new laws concerning women rights, this will reduce on the high levels of domestic violence on women by the men in Rubavu district, women should be sensitized and mobilized to take leadership position so that they can use their leadership position to advance gender equality, which will reduce on the high levels of domestic violence on women in Rubavu district, The researcher still recommends that there is need to create new jobs majorly for women, encouraging gender balance this vvill improve on the social development of women in Rubavu district, despite of all these challenges, women have been proved to achieve many things through government mobilization in the social development activities. T