Gender-based Violence: Its Prevalence, Forms, Causes and Consequences

In the first section of this paper, the author briefly discussed the prevalence of violence against women, which is as old as time itself and is pervasively perpetrated by men on women worldwide, regardless of their sociocultural, political, religious, or economic status. No nation in the world is immune to it. Nonetheless, severity varies. In contrast to developed nations, women in African nations are more likely to be abused. It is shockingly accepted and considered normal in this region of the world. The lack of data from victims is one of the greatest obstacles to assessing the full impact of gender-based violence in African societies. When this information is available, it is not always sufficient.

Using the ecological model, the author attempts to classify the various forms of violence into four major categories, including physical, economic, psychological/emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as the factors responsible for them, including individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. On both the individual and societal levels, the negative consequences of violence were emphasized, and appropriate recommendations were made.