Determinants of Sexual Violence Against Married Women: Qualitative Evidence From Ghana

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 107906322091072
Author(s):  
Gervin A. Apatinga ◽  
Eric Y Tenkorang
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Core Idea ◽  
Ghanaian Women

Some evidence suggests that in sub-Saharan Africa, sexual violence is commonplace among married women, yet this problem is underresearched. Using qualitative methods and applying Heise’s social-ecological model, this study examined the experiences of 15 Ghanaian women suffering sexual violence in their marriages. Results from the thematic analysis indicate several determinants of sexual violence. Whereas some participants identified macro-level and exosystem factors, including poverty, others pointed to micro-level and ontogenic factors, such as husbands’ substance abuse. The results corroborate the core idea of Heise’s framework, namely, that structural- and individual-level factors make women vulnerable to violence. The study concludes that Ghanaian legal and policy frameworks must be enforced and strengthened to address the etiology of sexual violence and abuse.

Kin Group Affiliation and Marital Violence Against Women in Ghana

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Pearl Sedziafa ◽  
Eric Y. Tenkorang
Keyword(s):  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Marital Violence ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Group Affiliation ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ghanaian Women

The socialization of men and women in Ghana often confers either patrilineal or matrilineal rights, privileges, and responsibilities. Yet, previous studies that explored domestic and marital violence in sub-Saharan Africa, and Ghana, paid less attention to kin group affiliation and how the power dynamics within such groups affect marital violence. Using the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and applying ordinary least squares (OLS) techniques, this study examined what influences physical, sexual, and emotional violence among matrilineal and patrilineal kin groups. Results indicate significant differences among matrilineal and patrilineal kin groups regarding marital violence. Socioeconomic variables that capture feminist and power theories were significantly related to sexual and emotional violence in matrilineal societies. Also, variables that tap both cultural and life course epistemologies of domestic violence were strongly related to physical, sexual, and emotional violence among married women in patrilineal kin groups. Policymakers must pay attention to kin group affiliation in designing policies aimed at reducing marital violence among Ghanaian women.

Socioeconomic Factors and Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence among Ever-Married Women in Uganda: Pathways and Actions for Multicomponent Violence Prevention Strategies

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110219
Author(s):  
Moses Okumu ◽  
Evalyne Orwenyo ◽  
Thabani Nyoni ◽  
Cecilia Mengo ◽  
Jordan J. Steiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Reference Category

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a severe public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with harmful effects on the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic wellbeing of survivors and their families. In SSA, IPV is associated with mental health disorders, high-risk behaviors, and HIV vulnerability, especially among women. In Uganda, poor socioeconomic status increases women’s vulnerability to IPV. Yet there is limited evidence on the association between socioeconomic factors and IPV severity in Uganda. Our study used population-based data to (a) establish different patterns describing the severity of IPV experiences, (b) explore associations between socioeconomic factors and severity of IPV experiences among Ugandan ever-married women, and (c) examine direct and indirect pathways from socioeconomic factors to severity of IPV experiences. Data were drawn from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey’s sample of 7,536 ever-married women aged 15–49 years. A latent class analysis examined distinct patterns of IPV severity among this sample, yielding a four-class solution: low violence ( n = 5,059; 67.1%); high physical violence, low sexual violence ( n = 1,501; 19.9%); high sexual violence, moderate physical violence ( n = 535; 7.1%); and high sexual and severe physical violence ( n = 441; 5.9%). Using the low violence group as the reference category, we conducted a multinomial logistic regression that found significant associations between secondary education (a OR 2.35, 95% CI: [1.06, 5.24]), poorest on the wealth index (a OR 2.00, 95% CI: [1.13, 3.54]), and severe IPV experiences. Decision-making (a OR 0.81, 95% CI: [0.68, 0.96]) played a protective role against membership in the high sexual and physical violence class compared to the reference category. Using path analysis, we found that labor force participation partially mediated the path from wealth index and education to IPV severity. Findings indicate the need for interventions that aim to keep girls in school and target schools, communities, and media platforms to address gender norms, economic vulnerability, and comprehensive screening for multiple forms of violence.

Applying the Social Ecological Model to Explore HIV-Related Stigma in the Southeastern United States: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica L Richards ◽  
Renessa Williams ◽  
Nichole E Stetten ◽  
Shantrel S Canidate ◽  
Angel Algarin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Model ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Social Ecological Model ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
The Social ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Individual Knowledge

Abstract Background: Although evidence suggests HIV-related stigma directly affects health and behaviors, we have a limited understanding of stigma’s influence beyond the individual-level. We aimed to describe HIV-related stigma and strategies to reduce it in the Southeastern U.S. within the context of the social ecological model (SEM). Methods: Qualitative surveys were distributed in-person at community events, conferences, and via email to persons affected by HIV periodically over 8 months. The final sample size included 87 participants (33 persons living with HIV, 54 without HIV). A directed content analysis was used to code responses into five levels of the SEM (individual, interpersonal, community, institutional, and structural). Results: Multiple themes emerged within each level: Individual – knowledge, fear, internalization; Interpersonal – social network; Community – judgements, discrimination, community organizations, norms; Institutional – competent providers, healthcare services; and Structural – systemic barriers, language, education. Conclusions: The findings exemplify the need for a multi-level approach to intervene and reduce HIV-related stigma. Based on the experiences and suggestions of people affected by HIV, future interventions should include substantial consideration from persons affected by HIV.

scholarly journals The Household and Individual‐Level Productive Impacts of Cash Transfer Programs in Sub‐Saharan Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 1401-1431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvio Daidone ◽  
Benjamin Davis ◽  
Sudhanshu Handa ◽  
Paul Winters
Keyword(s):  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Transfer Programs ◽  
Sub Saharan

scholarly journals Infant mortality among native-born children of immigrants in France, 2008–17: results from a socio-demographic panel survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Wallace ◽  
Myriam Khlat ◽  
Michel Guillot
Keyword(s):  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Children Of Immigrants ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Infant Deaths ◽  
Western Africa ◽  
National Public Health ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background Within Europe, France stands out as a major country that lacks recent and reliable evidence on how infant mortality levels vary among the native-born children of immigrants compared with the native-born children of two parents born in France. Methods We used a nationally representative socio-demographic panel consisting of 296 400 births and 980 infant deaths for the period 2008–17. Children of immigrants were defined as being born to at least one parent born abroad and their infant mortality was compared with that of children born to two parents born in France. We first calculated infant mortality rates per 1000 live births. Then, using multi-level logit models, we calculated odds ratios of infant mortality in a series of models adjusting progressively for parental origins (M1), core demographic factors (M2), father's socio-professional category (M3) and area-level urbanicity and deprivation score (M4). Results We documented a substantial amount of excess infant mortality among those children born to at least one parent from Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, Western Africa, Other Sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas, with variation among specific origin countries belonging to these groups. In most of these cases, the excess infant mortality levels persisted after adjusting for all individual-level and area-level factors. Conclusions Our findings, which can directly inform national public health policy, reaffirm the persistence of longstanding inequality in infant mortality according to parental origins in France and add to a growing body of evidence documenting excess infant mortality among the children of immigrants in Europe.

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