Women, walking with what possesions they can carry, arrive in a steady trickle at an IDP camp erected next to an AMISOM military base near the town of Jowhar, Somalia, on November 12. Heavy rains in Somalia, coupled with recent disputes between clans, has resulted in over four thousand IDPs seeking shelter at an AMISOM military base near the town of Jowhar, with more arriving daily. AU UN IST Photo / Tobin Jones. Original public domain image from Flickr

Experiences of gender-based violence among women in sub-Saharan Africa: identifying evidence for intervention and public health priorities

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Background

Gender-based violence (GBV) poses a significant global threat to human rights, public health and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. There is a growing emphasis on researching to identify issues and understand the experiences of women relative to GBV. The increasing demand for policymakers and public health practitioners to adopt evidence-based approaches in addressing GBV highlights the need for research prioritization on experiences of GBV among women in resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa. This paper explored GBV among women in 25 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to identify and present key intervention priority areas for addressing GBV in these settings.

Methods

The study involved a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative dataset from the Demographic and Health Survey of 25 SSA African countries. Data was analyzed descriptively and inferentially using the Pearson chi-square (X2) at a p < 0.05.

Results

Findings revealed that women aged 25–29, living in rural areas and with primary education were at a significant risk of experiencing GBV across 25 SSA countries. A notable 44.94% of women reported experiencing at least one form of GBV, with the prevalence varying by country. Women in Comoros had the lowest reported prevalence (10.76%), while Sierra Leone women had the highest (60.27%), followed by Uganda (56.92%). Emotional and physical violence were most prevalent in Sierra Leone, while sexual violence was most common in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Discussion

This study highlights the urgent need for targeted …

Scholar articles

Experiences of gender-based violence among women in sub-Saharan Africa: identifying evidence for intervention and public health priorities

LN Katende-Kyenda, JI Ani – Frontiers in Public Health, 2025

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Gender-based violence

Experiences of gender-based violence among women in sub-Saharan Africa: identifying evidence for Intervention and public health priorities

by with No Comment Publications

Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) poses a significant global threat to human rights, public health and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. There is a growing emphasis on researching to identify issues and understand the experiences of women relative to GBV. The increasing demand for policymakers and public health practitioners to adopt evidence-based approaches in addressing GBV highlights the need for research prioritization on experiences of GBV among women in resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa. This paper explored GBV among women in 25 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to identify and present key intervention priority areas for addressing GBV in these settings.

Methods: The study involved a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative dataset from the Demographic and Health Survey of 25 SSA African countries. Data was analyzed descriptively and inferentially using the Pearson chi-square (X2) at a p< 0.05.

Results: Findings revealed that women aged 25–29, living in rural areas and with primary education were at a significant risk of experiencing GBV across 25 SSA countries. A notable 44.94% of women reported experiencing at least one form of GBV, with the prevalence varying by country. Women in Comoros had the lowest reported prevalence (10.76%), while Sierra Leone women had the highest (60.27%), followed by Uganda (56.92%). Emotional and physical violence were most prevalent in Sierra Leone, while sexual violence was most common in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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