| Domestic violence is a global phenomenon that affects millions of women annually. It is a social problem has universally reached a critical point. According to Human Rights Watch, it "has been one of the principal causes of female injury in almost every country in the world”. But domestic violence is also a hidden problem because of the dearth of reliable information. The reasons for this include: the inability or disinclination of victims to report violence; refusal or failure of authorities to document reports or make reports publicly available; and official and/or social acceptance of certain forms and degrees of violence. |