One in four men in Asia-Pacific region admit to committing rape

Nearly a quarter of men in the Asia-Pacific region have admitted to committing rape at least once in their life, according to a new survey, with more than half of those respondents claiming they raped for the first time while in their teens.

The study, covering Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, found that 10 per cent of men admitted to raping at least once a woman who was not their partner, rising to nearly 25 per cent when rape of a partner was included.

Nearly 75 per cent of those who had raped said they did so because they felt sexually entitled; more than half said they did it for entertainment.

The UN-led study on men and violence collected data from more than 10,000 men and 3,000 women aged 18-49 between 2010 and 2013 to understand why men commit violence against women and what can be done to prevent it.

The findings are significant because the Asia-Pacific region is home to over half of the world's population, making the amount and range of information collected "unprecedented and ground-breaking", said Dr Emma Fulu of Partners for Prevention, the joint UN programme that co- ordinated the study. – (Guardian service)