Violence against women encompasses any form of violence that causes sexual, emotional, or bodily pain or suffering to women, including threats, coercion, or arbitrary denial of liberty, and occurs in their life. Domestic violence remains a widespread and frequently under-reported issue in Malaysia, despite legal and community attempts to eradicate it. This study seeks to investigate the meaning of domestic violence and its causes via the experiences of female victims who are safeguarded in shelter houses. To analyse the data, the study used a qualitative technique, namely thematic analysis. There were five participants who were battered women who received protection from a shelter house registered with Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat in Selangor. This study defined domestic violence based on the women's experiences, which included physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and denial of freedom. This study also discovered that four major causes of domestic violence, including economic status, the husband’s negative attitude, poor communication skills, and husband infidelity, all contributed to the problem. This study suggests that society be educated to combat domestic violence, that the government and non-governmental organizations collaborate, and that marital education be mandated in order to reduce domestic violence against women.