Domestic violence in Africa: a glance through the DHS survey

Abstract

Recent data states that 33 per cent of women in Sub-Saharan Africa are survivors of domestic violence. This work aims at assessing the association between women’s characteristics, their environment, and their history of violence in fifteen African countries. Three kinds of violence were explored: physical, emotional and sexual, each one exerted by the current partner. The data are from Demographic and Health Survey, in which a special module assessed domestic violence in female respondents. Using three independent logistic regression models, we found that witnessing violence of any kind has an effect on having a violent relationship, and while female empowerment is not protective, partners with high education are less likely to be violent.