Rural Women New Zealand National President Fiona Gower. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Women who live rurally are more likely to experience domestic violence, says Rural Women New Zealand, but the true number may be even higher.
RWNZ national president Fiona Gower told The Country's Jamie Mackay she believed not all cases were reported.
"Living rurally often you don't want to talk about
these sort of things because you know all your neighbours and you don't want that getting out."
She said isolation, poor connectivity, the pressure of farming life and a reluctance to speak out had resulted in the worrying family violence statistics for rural women.
Statistics show that 39 per cent of rural women will experience domestic violence, compared to 33 per cent of urban women.
