Abstract
BackgroundIntimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women is a major public health and human rights problem worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has one of the highest prevalence of IPV against women in the world. This study used meta-analysis to obtain pooled rural–urban and education attainment differences in the prevalence of IPV among ever-partnered women in SSA, and assessed whether the differences in IPV depended on the SSA region or period or women’s age.MethodsWe analysed IPV data on 233,585 ever-partnered women aged 15–49 years from 44 demographic and health surveys conducted between 2000 and 2018 in 29 SSA countries. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to estimate overall rural–urban residence and educational differences in IPV rates among the women in SSA. Subgroup analyses were also done to investigate the sources of heterogeneity in the overall meta-analysis findings.ResultsThe pooled prevalence of intimate partner violence was estimated to be 41.3% (37.4–45.2%). Regionally, the highest prevalence of IPV was in Middle Africa (49. 3%; 40.32–58.45), followed by East Africa (44.13%; 36.62–51.67), Southern Africa (39.36%; 34.23–44.49), and West Africa (34.30%; 27.38–41.22). The risks of experiencing IPV were significantly higher if the women had less than secondary education (RR = 1.12; 95% CI 1.07–1.22) compared to those with at least a secondary education. Generally, women who resided in a rural area had their risks of experiencing IPV increased (RR = 1.02; CI 0.96–1.06) compared to those who resided in urban areas, but the IPV increases were only significant in East Africa (RR = 1.13; CI 1.07–1.22).ConclusionIn sub-Saharan Africa, intimate partner violence against women is widespread, but the levels are much higher among women with lower levels of education and residing in rural areas. Our findings have provided additional support to policies aimed at achieving SDG goals on the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. For example, policies that advocate improved educational attainment, especially among women and communities in rural areas.
Highlights
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women is a major public health and human rights problem worldwide
Shown are the total number of the women interviewed on IPV as well as IPV experience disaggregated by educational attainment and rural–urban residence
Our findings revealed that women living in rural areas were more likely to have experienced higher rates of IPV compared to women residing in urban areas, but the association was only significant in the Eastern African region
Summary
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women is a major public health and human rights problem worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has one of the highest prevalence of IPV against women in the world. Women’s experience of IPV is widespread throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) [1]. At 36.6%, the WHO African Region (mostly SSA countries) is one of the three WHO regions with the highest prevalence of physical or sexual intimate partner violence among the ever-partnered women. The other two regions being WHO South-East Asia (37.7%) and Eastern Mediterranean (37.0%) These three WHO regions account for 37% of all ever-partnered women who experience intimate partner violence, far exceeding the global average (30%) [2]. East Africa bears the highest burden of IPV against women
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