Women's Autonomy Research Articles

Challenging Patriarchal Dominance: Jessie Burton's The House of Fortune and the Female Protagonist's Quest for Autonomy

This study delved into the societal landscape of 18th-century England portrayed in Jessie Burton's novel, The House of Fortune. It explored the challenges faced by women in a male-dominated society by highlighting a determined 18-year-old woman's journey for autonomy. It employed radical feminist theory to critically evaluate the pervasive male dominance prevalent in that era and called for a comprehensive societal restructuring by eliminating men's superiority. This study used qualitative methods and textual analysis to explore the protagonist's encounters with patriarchal barriers and emphasized the necessity of self-empowerment strategies to counter such dominance. It advocated for women's proactive adoption of self-empowerment strategies to challenge patriarchal oppression effectively. Furthermore, it highlighted the protagonist's success in taking control of her destiny by defying societal norms and prioritizing personal values over societal expectations. This investigation significantly contributed to discussions on female empowerment by showcasing the protagonist's resilience and successful defiance of societal norms, ultimately seizing control over her destiny in an era characterized by patriarchal values. Through her struggles, she transcends societal norms, fulfilling her aspiration to marry for love rather than succumbing to financial motives. This study advocated for women's autonomy and underscored the importance of challenging and dismantling patriarchal systems for individual empowerment and societal advancement.

Freedoms and Personal Rights of Women as Part of the Fundamental Rights Recognized by the Constitution

The personal freedoms and rights of women are indispensable and integral to the individual freedoms and rights in a democratic society. National and international legislation safeguards these rights and freedoms, which establish the status, autonomy, and function of women in society. Women's personal freedoms and rights are essential components of individual freedoms and rights as a whole. Ensuring and advocating for these rights enhances the establishment of a fair, impartial, and comprehensive society that encompasses everyone. The Constitution of the Republic of Albania establishes and safeguards the basic rights and liberties of individuals, encompassing the rights of women. The examination of these factors establishes the extent to which women's individual rights and liberties impact their autonomy, worth, and societal position, fostering an environment where women are seen as equals and held in high regard. Essential to achieving these objectives is the implementation and adherence to laws and policies that safeguard and advance these rights. The manifesto addresses several aspects of economic, political, social, and cultural liberties and entitlements.
 
 Received: 2 October 2023 / Accepted: 10 December 2023 / Published: 23 December 2023

Empowering hearts and shaping destinies: unveiling the profound influence of education on women's mate selection in Pakistan - a comprehensive mixed-methods study.

This study investigates the impact of education on women's empowerment in the realm of mate selection within Malakand Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Employing a mixed-method research approach, the study conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with educated women and distributed a Likert Scale questionnaire to 500 women. The qualitative findings reveals that education significantly influences women's perspectives, guiding their priorities, and instilling a desire for compatibility and shared values in their relationships. Educated women also display resilience, confidence, and a readiness to challenge prevailing societal norms and gender stereotypes when selecting a life partner. Quantitative analysis establishes a statistically significant positive correlation between education and women's empowerment in mate selection. These findings underscore the pivotal role of education in enhancing women's agency and autonomy in a critical aspect of their lives. The study's implications extend to policy recommendations advocating for increased access to quality education and the implementation of gender-sensitive curricula in Malakand Division and analogous regions. Recognizing education's potential to empower women in mate selection is vital for fostering a more equitable and inclusive society.

The determinants of postpartum contraceptive use in Nigeria.

Postpartum contraception is vital for maternal and child health, and reduces the risk of infant mortality. The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a widely accepted framework for exploring health behaviors, such as contraceptive use. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the factors influencing postpartum contraceptive use in Nigeria and to contextualize the findings within the framework of the HBM. This study was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected from the Demographic Health Survey conducted in Nigeria (NDHS). In total, 28,041 women were included in this study. Self-reported contraceptive use was the outcome, while the explanatory variables included maternal age, place of residence, region of residence, religion, marital status, educational level, household wealth quintiles, knowledge of the ovulatory cycle, decision-maker for health care, and distance to health care facilities. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were used to summarize and identify factors influencing postpartum contraceptive use. The HBM was used to discuss the main findings. The prevalence of postpartum contraceptive use in Nigeria is 27%. Our findings showed that the odds of using contraceptives during the postpartum period were higher among women who knew their ovulation cycles, lived in urban areas in the southern region, had no distance barriers to health care, and were 25-49 years old. Education, wealth, and marital status also increase the odds of contraceptive use. However, women who lived in the northeast and northwest regions or shared decision-making with their partners had lower odds. This study highlights the need for region-specific and age-focused interventions to increase contraceptive use in Nigeria. Additionally, increasing accessibility and affordability of contraceptives for younger and economically disadvantaged women, along with promoting women's autonomy in decision-making, can further enhance contraceptive use across Nigeria.

Women’s autonomy in healthcare decision making: a systematic review

ObjectivesAlthough there are calls for women’s empowerment and gender equity globally, there are still large disparities regarding women’s autonomy in healthcare decision making. The autonomy of women is believed to be crucial in improving their health-related outcomes. This review discusses factors that influence autonomy among women in healthcare decision making.DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesPubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched from 2017–2022.Eligibility criteriaThe inclusion criteria include original articles, case studies and reports that has been written in the English Language, while manuscripts with no full article, reviews, newspaper reports, grey literatures, and articles that did not answer the review objectives were excluded.Data extraction and synthesisWe carried out data extraction using a standardized data extraction form, that has been organized using Microsoft Excel. A narrative synthesis was carried out to combine the findings of all included articles.ResultsA total of 70 records were identified and 18 were reviewed, yielding eight articles to be included in the accepted list of studies. All studies were conducted in developing countries and most of the studies were cross sectional. Factors that were associated with women’s autonomy in healthcare decision making were age, women’s education and occupation, husbands’/partners’ education and occupation, residential location or region of residence, household wealth index as well as culture and religion.ConclusionsIdentification of these factors may help stakeholders in improving women’s autonomy in healthcare decision making. Policymakers play a crucial role in healthcare decision making by enacting laws and policies that protect women's rights, promoting gender-sensitive healthcare services, ensuring access to comprehensive information, promoting health education, and supporting vulnerable populations. These efforts ensure women's autonomy including able to access to unbiased and effective healthcare services.

Women's autonomy and fertility in Chad.

Chad's total fertility rate (TFR) is 6.4 children per woman, compared with no more than 5.5 in neighbouring countries: Cameroon and the Central African Republic. Scientific research on the determinants of fertility in Chad should therefore be carried out in order to show decision-makers how they can strengthen their actions in this area. This is the aim of this study, which focuses on the influence of women's autonomy on fertility in Chad. Analyses of data from the Multiple Indicator and Demographic and Health Survey (DHS/MICS) conducted in Chad in 2014/2015 and a qualitative survey conducted in the same country in 2020 show, among other things, that 1) in socio-cultural groups characterised by strong gender inequalities, women's autonomy is positively associated with their desired fertility; 2) in these and other groups characterised by less gender inequality, women's autonomy is negatively associated with their actual fertility, all things being equal; 3) the hypotheses explaining this relationship differ across sociocultural groups: In highly gender- inegalitarian groups, the frequent death of children leads couples in which women have either little or no autonomy to compensate with high fertility, whereas in less gender- inegalitarian groups, the negative association between women's autonomy and fertility is due to late union formation, union dissolution, the fertility-reducing effects of breastfeeding and modern contraception, and other intermediate fertility variables not considered here. These findings highlight both the importance of designing development programmes in Chad that focus on women's empowerment and the need for such programmes to take sufficient account of the socio-cultural contexts in which the populations concerned live.

Women's decision-making power and the adoption of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking in Cameroon

The low-level of women's decision-making power could be the determining cause of the minimal adoption of clean cooking fuel in Africa, needing deep exploration. This study surveys the gendered nature of household adoption of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking in Cameroon. Specifically, it assesses the effect of women's decision-making power in the household on LPG adoption. Using data from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey, we estimated several standard and recursive bivariate probit models. We accounted for the endogeneity of women's autonomy in the LPG adoption model by using women's control over land as an instrument. Our results show that women's participation in household decisions increases the household probability of adopting LPG for cooking. In addition, women's land rights increase women's final say on large household purchases. Therefore, policies enhancing land rights equity have the potential to increase women's decision-making power, therefore increasing adoption of LPG.

Respectful Maternity Care: A Holistic approach in Promoting Positive Birth Experience

In recent years, the relevance of ethical, psychological, social, and cultural elements of birthing across many groups has led to the promotion of respectful maternity care (RMC). Although the concept of respectful maternity care is to promote woman-centered care, respecting women's beliefs, autonomy, dignity, and preferences to reserve their right to have a companion during childbirth. RMC is a fundamental right of all women. Disrespect and abuse (D&A) are violations of fundamental ethical standards, human rights, and fundamental patient care duties. Intrapartum respectful maternity care can affect the mother’s experiences of childbirth. This article is aimed to determine the status of respectful maternity care and its relationship with childbirth experience among Indian women.

Social Egg Freezing for Single Women in China: Legal and Ethical Controversies.

Social egg freezing is an emerging topic in China, where single women currently face restrictions in accessing this service at medical facilities. Administrative regulations prohibit single women from accessing all forms of assisted reproductive technologies. Both the first lawsuit filed by a single woman seeking to freeze her eggs and a legislative proposal aiming to protect single women's rights to access assisted reproductive technologies were denied. This has sparked controversy and discussion about the reproductive rights of single women and the legitimacy of their access to medical and technical assistance. Laws and family planning policies related to women's reproductive rights in China have undergone dramatic changes in recent years, owing to shifts in population growth trends and societal attitudes toward marriage and childbirth, subsequently leading to a notable enhancement in women's reproductive autonomy. Meanwhile, factors such as marital status and career considerations have led to a delay in childbearing, triggering a growing need and advocacy for fertility preservation among single women. In China, the pursuit of social egg freezing by single women comes into conflict with the strict regulatory restrictions on assisted reproductive technologies. This study delves into the profound impacts of demographic changes, marital trends, fertility culture, and other social factors on female fertility in China. It also discusses the legislative issues and medical-social ethical concerns associated with the application of social egg freezing for single women. Additionally, this study offers regulatory suggestions aimed at enhancing women's reproductive health and autonomy, as well as the avoidance of potential ethical risks.

Genetics Studies on the Agromorphological Parameters of Some Ecotypes of Okra

The nutrient-rich okra, Abelmoschus esculentus, plays an essential role in the nutritional balance of rural populations in Chad, whose diet is based on cereals. Okra is also of considerable economic importance to women. However, Doba growers use traditional varieties which do not meet their acceptance criteria, making it essential to create new cultivars. For this reason, it was necessary to identify local population varieties with important characteristics. To this end, 9 ecotypes with varied agromorphological characteristics were sown in the field using a Fisher block design with 3 replications. Analysis of variance showed that there was considerable variability between the ecotypes used for all the agromorphological parameters studied (p<0.05). The results of the principal component analysis showed that ecotypes 2 and 4, the number of leaves per plant and the number of fruits per plant were positively and significantly correlated with the F1 axis (34.49%). Ecotype 6 and the number of seeds per fruit were strongly correlated with the F2 axis (27.90%). The correlation coefficient showed that number of seeds per fruit and plant height (r = 0.61); number of fruits per plant and number of leaves per plant (r = 0.77); number of fruits per plant and fruit width (r = 0.57); can be improved simultaneously. The integration of these agromorphological characteristics into the genetic improvement program could combat food insecurity and promote financial autonomy for women in Doba.

“Normal in all the rush”: A phenomenological study analyzing midwifery students' views on obstetric violence

IntroductionIn recent years, obstetric violence, which undermines women's dignity and autonomy, has received increased attention worldwide. Considering the importance of midwives in combating violence in the obstetric field and the significance of the discussed issue, the following question arises: How do future midwives view obstetric violence? ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate midwifery students' thoughts about obstetric violence. Design and methodThis study was conducted using a phenomenological qualitative research design. This study, which adopted a descriptive approach and used typical case sampling, was conducted in the midwifery department of the Kutahya Health Sciences University. Sixteen midwifery students studying fourth-year in the 2018–2019 academic year, who had participated in childbirth during their studies, and who agreed to participate in the study were included. All students had the experience of repeated monitoring and presence in labor. They had witnessed births in different institutions. Focus group interviews were conducted using an unstructured interview guide to obtain data for the study. Data were collected through four focus group interviews with groups of four students in the classroom environment. The data were evaluated separately by two researchers using the content analysis method in MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies guidelines were used as a guide in reporting. ResultsAs a result of the analysis, four main themes emerged: defining violence, causes of violence, effects of witnessing violence, and whether can violence be prevented? ConclusionsMidwifery students have an awareness of all visible forms of obstetric violence. However, they were less aware of the invisible structural and policy drivers of obstetric violence. It is invaluable to raise awareness of obstetric violence among midwifery students, who will be the most important defenders of women in childbirth. Studies focused on education and policy will contribute to women receiving quality care at birth.

Research on Social Medias Empowerment of Womens Childbirth Rights -Taking Bilibili Platforms Female Childbirth Videos as an Example

Womens empowerment has become an important communication objective for womens rights protection globally, and the development of social media platforms has broadened the avenues for womens discourse on a larger scale. This study explores how the media empowers women through a qualitative and quantitative approach that combines content analysis and discourse analysis, using the Chinese video platform Bilibili as a case study of womens childbirth videos, with the aim of exploring the impact of the media on the dissemination of womens issues, the return of womens autonomy and the construction of womens communities. The study found that Bilibili, as a public video-sharing platform, has provided a channel for women in marriage to express their voices, through which women video uploaders have empowered themselves in terms of their female identity, while womens audiences have expressed their mutual support power to bring female bodies and emotions into the limelight, building a solid female emotion community and further expanding the space for womens public discourse.

Women's Sexual Autonomy and Short Birth Interval in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multilevel Analysis of Demographic and Health Survey Data.

Sexual autonomy is an inalienable human right to protect and maintain an informed decision over one's body, sexuality, and sexual experience. With the increased attention to women's empowerment and gender equality all over the world, it is surprising that previous research has overlooked the relationship between women's sexual autonomy and short birth intervals. This study examined the association between women's sexual autonomy and short birth intervals in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data were sourced from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 29 sub-Saharan African countries conducted from 2010 to 2019. A total of 222,940 women were included in this study. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between sexual autonomy and short birth interval. The results were presented as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and significance level was set at p < .05. The overall proportions of sexual autonomy and short birth interval among women in SSA were 75.1% and 13.3%, respectively. Women who reported having sexual autonomy had lower odds of short birth interval [aOR = 0.94; CI = 0.91, 0.96]. The likelihood of short birth interval among women increased with increasing maternal and partner's age but reduced with increasing level of education and wealth index. Given that short birth intervals could have negative maternal and child health outcomes, public health authorities in sub-Saharan African countries should endeavor to promote health interventions and social programs to empower women with low sexual autonomy.

Sex on Camera: A Postmodern Feminist Critique on Pornography

Pornography has been a topic of ongoing debate, particularly among feminist thinkers, regarding its implications for women's subjugation and oppression versus its potential as a means for women to express their sexuality, empower themselves, and exercise autonomy. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of pornography from diverse cultural, religious, and legal perspectives. Additionally, it explores the divergent feminist viewpoints on pornography, examining their respective issues and inconsistencies. On one side, anti-pornography feminists argue that pornography inherently serves as an oppressive tool that degrades and subjugates women. On the other side, pro-pornography feminists assert that pornography can empower women and facilitate the exploration and appreciation of their own sexuality. By employing these feminist perspectives, the study offers a critical analysis of pornography through a postmodern lens. Postmodernism emphasizes the importance of considering diverse perspectives based on varying experiences and conflicting narratives of women involved in pornography. In this study, the researcher distinguishes between the concept of pornography and its associated industry. As a concept, pornography is regarded as a catalyst for women's self-actualization and the free expression of their sexuality, thus representing a form of sexual liberation. However, as an industry, pornography can give rise to problems such as sex trafficking and exploitation, with women often being the victims. Consequently, the study emphasizes the need for certain boundaries or standards that prioritize women's autonomy, safety, and well-being. These limitations or standards are considered essential in enabling women to find meaning in their pursuit of self-actualization and the expression of their own sexuality.

Navigating Gendered Landscape: The Power of Female Agency in Anuradha Roy’s The Folded Earth

Women’s agency refers to the faculty of women to make independent choices and take actions based on their own desires, beliefs, and values. However, women's agency is not a uniform experience, as it can be influenced by factors such as race, class, ethnicity, culture, and socio-economic status. Various forms of discrimination and societal barriers can limit women's agency, requiring efforts to address systemic inequalities and create inclusive environments that promote women's autonomy and empowerment. Set in the remote Himalayan town of Ranikhet, Anuradha Roy’s The Folded Earth is an evocative tale that offers a sneak peek into the lives and experiences of the people living in the hills and explores their struggles and challenges. The story is narrated by its protagonist, Maya, a young woman who abandons her family to unite with the love of her life, only to lose him to a snowstorm. She moves to Ranikhet to begin a new life and closely witness the predicaments of the people, particularly women. The novel explores the diverse strands of love, memory, loss, ecological imbalance and its repercussions, capitalist greed, power politics, the patriarchal oppression of women, and the emergence of dynamic women who refuse to be subjugated. The proposed paper seeks to delve deeper into an array of issues faced by women that contribute to their subjugation and explores how the female characters battle the oppression and make a strong comeback by asserting their agency and autonomy, and even acting as an agent in uplifting others.

Women's autonomy and completion of continuum of care in maternal healthcare

Abstract Background In low- and middle-income countries, interventions to improve maternal health services throughout pregnancy, during labor, and after delivery are often targeted independently. For health optimization, it is important to adopt a more comprehensive approach and identify factors that hinder women's continuum of care (CoC) in maternal health services. This study aimed to assess the association between women's autonomy and completion of CoC in maternal health services in India. Methods Using the fifth National Family Health Survey, 25,515 women aged 15-49 years who had births in the past five years were analyzed. Women's autonomy was determined based on their control over decision-making (either by themselves or jointly with husband/partner) about healthcare utilization, large purchases, visits to family/relatives, and spending of money. Women were considered as having completed CoC in maternal health services if they received at least eight antenatal care visits, gave birth in health facility with skilled birth attendants, and received postnatal care within 24 hours of birth. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed. Results Overall, 64.55% of women were identified as having autonomy and 13.68% had completed CoC in maternal health services. Women's autonomy was associated with significantly increased odds of completing CoC in maternal health services (AORs: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05-1.36), after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic covariates. Conclusions Despite substantial progress made on maternal health services, completion of CoC remains low in India. Fostering a social climate to promote women's autonomy should be considered in comprehensive interventions to ensure completion of CoC for healthy pregnancy. Key messages • In India, the percentage of women who received full completion of care (CoC) in maternal healthcare services remained low. • Women's autonomy was significantly associated with higher CoC in maternal health services, highlighting the significance of women's participation in the household decision-making process.

Why Pakistani Women Do Not Use Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Misconceptions.

This review explores barriers limiting the adoption of Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCDs) in Pakistan, focusing exclusively on local articles. As Pakistan's high population calls for widespread contraception, we aim to pinpoint obstacles hindering IUCD utilization, irrespective of parity. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, PakMedinet, and Wiley Online Library for English-language primary studies published between 2000 and 2022, reporting on IUCD utilization in Pakistan. Our analysis reveals multiple barriers impeding IUCD use in Pakistan. These encompass patriarchal social norms, male dominance, low education, socioeconomic status, and unemployment. Post-insertion health concerns, inadequate counseling, government commitment, and awareness were also identified barriers. Provider confidence, client trust, women's autonomy, social constraints, and limited male partner involvement hindered IUCD adoption. A desire for larger families and male offspring, vague religious beliefs, fear, and misconceptions further restricted usage. Accessibility and high service costs also posed challenges. This review highlights prevailing impediments to IUCD adoption in Pakistan, encompassing knowledge gaps, motivation deficits, resistance from husbands and in-laws, cultural and religious beliefs, limited access, and communication barriers. To promote IUCDs as a modern contraceptive method, it is essential to raise awareness among both men and women. Active involvement of religious leaders and community stakeholders is crucial in addressing these social factors hindering IUCD utilization.

Reproductive Interconception Care Among Women Recently Pregnant and Homeless: A Qualitative Analysis.

Reproductive interconception care provided at maternal postpartum visits may help reduce unintended pregnancies and elongate birth intervals for women experiencing homelessness. To improve interconception care uptake, this qualitative study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to reproductive interconception care from the perspectives of women who were recently pregnant and homeless. A semi-structured interview guide and demographic survey were developed based on epidemiological findings, Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skill framework components, and a review by community health workers for content validity. After conducting 12 interviews with women recently pregnant and homeless in a local continuum of care in 2022, audio-recorded interviews were transcribed, iteratively coded using a priori and emerging codes, and thematically analyzed. Key themes were identified to determine implications and next steps to improving reproductive interconception care uptake. Interrelated themes focused on information (e.g., knowledge and misconceptions about pregnancy, birth intervals, contraception), motivation (e.g., attitudes about interconception care experiences, perinatal social influences), behavioral skills (e.g., objective ability to obtain interconception care and perceived self-efficacy related to attending maternal postpartum visits and increasing birth intervals), and macro-level factors (e.g., obtaining housing, contextualizing socioeconomic factors, navigating COVID-19). The findings suggest the need for flexible, streamlined, and personalized interconception care delivery that acknowledges pressing housing and relationship considerations and supports women's autonomy. Improvements to reproductive interconception care may reduce future unintended pregnancies, increase birth intervals, and improve birth outcomes among women experiencing homelessness.

Perinatal complications of the maternal-Fetal dyad in primiparous women subjected to vaginal delivery versus elective cesarean section: A retrospective study of clinical results associated with bioethical precepts.

The obstetrics field is undergoing transformation and committing to ensuring the autonomy of pregnant women in decisions related to birth based on scientific information. The physiological process of birth typically results in vaginal delivery, but medicine has evolved to include obstetric surgeries that are safe and result in few perioperative complications, especially when cesarean section is performed from 39 weeks of gestational age. Thus, the question is whether clinicians should interfere with pregnant women's freedom to choose their mode of delivery by trying to persuade them to choose vaginal delivery. The objective was to analyze the perinatal complications of the maternal-fetal dyad in primiparous women subjected to vaginal delivery versus elective cesarean section with respect to the bioethical precepts of autonomy, beneficence and nonmaleficence. In total, 2,507 women, including 1,807 (72.1%) with vaginal deliveries and 700 (27.9%) with cesarean deliveries, were analyzed between 2017 and 2020. There was no difference between the types of delivery in maternal readmission, death, admission to the intensive care unit, an Apgar score <7 in the 5th minute of life, maternal blood transfusion or comorbidities of the mothers or newborns. The elective cesarean section group showed less need for therapeutic uterotonics. In primigravidae, it was observed that elective cesarean section did not present a higher risk of complications than vaginal delivery. Therefore, this guarantees the autonomy and right of the individual to choose the mode of delivery.

Ending violence against women: Help-seeking behaviour of women exposed to intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa.

Intimate partner violence is a serious public health problem that transcends cultural boundaries in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies have reported that violence characteristics and perception are strong predictors of help-seeking among women. We assessed the prevalence and factors associated with help-seeking among female survivors of intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa. We pooled data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of eighteen sub-Saharan African countries. The data were extracted from the women's files in countries with datasets from 2014 to 2021. A weighted sample of 33,837 women in sexual relationships: married or cohabiting who had ever experienced intimate partner violence within the five years preceding the survey were included in the analysis. Percentages with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to present the results of the prevalence of help-seeking for intimate partner violence. We used a multilevel binary logistic regression analysis to examine the factors associated with help-seeking among survivors of intimate partner violence. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with their respective 95% CI. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Out of the 33,837 women who had ever experienced intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa, only 38.77% (95% CI = 38.26-39.28) of them sought help. Ethiopia had the lowest prevalence of women who sought help after experiencing intimate partner violence (19.75%; 95% CI = 17.58-21.92) and Tanzania had the highest prevalence (57.56%; 95% CI = 55.86-59.26). Marital status, educational level, current working status, parity, exposure to interparental violence, women's autonomy in household decision-making, mass media exposure, intimate partner violence justification, wealth index, and place of residence were associated with help-seeking behaviour of intimate partner violence survivors. The low prevalence of help seeking among women who have experienced intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa calls for the intensification of formal and informal sources of assistance. Education can play a critical role in empowering girls, which may increase future help-seeking rates. Through media efforts aimed at parental awareness, the long-term benefits of females enrolling in school could be achieved. However, concentrating solely on individual measures to strengthen women's empowerment may not bring a significant rise in help-seeking as far as patriarchal attitudes that permit violence continue to exist. Consequently, it is critical to address intimate partner violence from the dimensions of both the individual and violence-related norms and attitudes. Based on the findings, there should be public awareness creation on the consequences of intimate partner violence. Respective governments must increase their coverage of formal support services to intimate partner violence survivors especially those in rural communities.