The Intersection of Gender-Based Violence and Risky Sexual Behaviour among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study (original) (raw)
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Background: Sexual harassment has posed a tremendous challenge to African women both in the workplace and educational setting, and this problem has impacted women's self-esteem as well as their academic, social, and psychological wellbeing. One in five college women are victims of acquaintance rape during their academic career and less than 5% of college women who are victims of sexual assault report their victimization. However, there is limited data on sexual violence in the context of higher education in Ethiopia particularly in the study setting. This study, therefore, determined the prevalence and its associated factors among female students of Hawassa University in Ethiopia. Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from April to June 2013. A multistage sampling technique was used. A total of 336 female students registered as 2nd year and above were involved in the study. Data was collected using anonymous self-administered structured questionnaire. Results: A total of 336 female students took part in the study. Majority of the study participants (N = 298; 88.7%) were in the age range of 20-34 years. The mean age and standard deviation of the respondents were 21.3 ± 1.7 years. Regarding the marital status of the respondents, 307 (91.4%) of them were single. We found that, while 14.3% reported having experienced completed rape since being admitted to the university, 3% had the experience in the past years. Conclusions: This study showed a high prevalence of sexual violence against female students of Hawassa University in Ethiopia. Interventions are, therefore, required by university authorities and other stakeholders, to create a safe learning environment for female students through primary prevention of sexual violence and rehabilitation programs for the victims.
Sexual Violence and Associated Factors among Female Students of Madawalabu University in Ethiopia
Epidemiology: Open Access, 2015
Background: Worldwide, an estimated one in three women are sexually abused and one in five experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetime. Sexual violence is not only affecting women's health but it is also a serious violation of women's human right. The severity of the problem and scarcity of the information in this area among female university students have prompted the undertaking of the study. Methods: An institutional based cross-sectional study supplemented by qualitative method was conducted using WHO multi-country study questionnaire. The study participants were drawn using simple random sampling technique. Quantitative data were entered into Epi Info version 3.5 and analysed using SPSS version 21.0 software program. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the magnitude of associations between sexual violence and risk factors. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Results: The mean age of participants was 21 years (SD=2). Thirty six percent of the respondents were sexually active at the time of the study. The magnitude of forced sex (rape) was 10.9%. The main mechanisms of forcing to sex were 27.3% hitting and 24.2% making drunken alcohol. Forty four (66.7%) of the victims of forced sex did not share the event to anyone. Only four of the victims sought help from health professionals. Using multiple logistic regression, maternal education was negatively associated with forced sex. Khat chewing, history of mother beaten by partner and having regular boyfriend were positively associated with forced sex. Conclusions: The magnitude of both rape and other forms of sexual violence among the study participants was considerable; even though lower than the findings elsewhere in Ethiopia. The principal correlates are parents' sociodemographic characteristics and substance use status of students. Understanding of the correlates is the first step for designing strategies to prevent multiple risk factors among university female attendees.
BMC Women's Health
Background: There is a high prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) victimization among young Ethiopian women, including in universities, where female enrollment is low but growing. Understanding factors contributing to GBV in this context and students' perspectives on gender, relationships, and interpersonal violence is essential to creating effective interventions to prevent GBV and support female students' rights and wellbeing. Methods: In-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with male and female students (male IDI n = 36, female IDI n = 34, male FGD n = 18, female FGD n = 19) and faculty and staff (FGD n = 19) at two Ethiopian universities. Audio recordings were transcribed and translated into English. Transcripts were coded thematically to identify key factors contributing to GBV and provide narratives of students' experiences. Results: GBV against female students was a salient issue, including narrative accounts of harassment, intimidation, and physical and sexual violence on the university campuses and the towns in which they are located. Reported risks for GBV included receiving academic support from male peers, exercising agency in relationship decisionmaking, having a negative self-concept, belief in stereotypical gender expectations, and engaging in transactional sex and/or substance use. While students recognized these risk factors, they also suggested GBV may be the result of females' "improper" behavior, attire, use of males for personal gain, or personal failure to prevent violence. Conclusions: GBV is a serious issue in these two Ethiopian universities, creating a tenuous learning environment for female students. Programs are needed to address areas of vulnerability and negative attitudes toward female students in order to decrease female victimization.
BMC Women's Health
Background Sexual violence is any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. Several studies were undertaken on sexual violence among students in general. Nevertheless, there is paucity of information about sexual violence among night shift students in particular; even if they are more vulnerable to sexual violence due to the nature of the class time. The government has embraced legal and policy frameworks to discourse the problem of sexual violence in Ethiopia; nevertheless, the problem still is quite pervasive. Objective This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of sexual violence and risk factors among night shift female college students in Hawassa city. Methods Institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from 345 study participants. Systematic ...
Background: Despite the higher risk victimization of young women in Ethiopia, the prevalence of sexual violence and its determinants among college students were scarce, particularly in the study area. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and associated factors of sexual violence among female private college students in Bahir Dar city. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in April 2012 among 541 female college students in Bahir Dar city using multistage sampling technique. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed in bivariate and multi-variate logistic regression analysis with SPSS version 16 soft ware package. Result: The study revealed that the prevalence of sexual violence among female college students was 37.3%. Respondents whose childhood background from rural areas were more than four times likely to have had sexual violence (AOR = 4.51, 95%CI: 1.67-12.16). The odds of sexual violence were higher for those respondents who had a close friend who drank alcohol (AOR = 3.13, 95%CI: 1.09-8.97). Besides, respondents who had never discussed on reproductive health issues with their parents were more than four times
Sexual Violence and Associated Factors among High School Students in Butajira Town, South Ethiopia
General Medicine: Open Access, 2015
Background: Sexual violence is a serious public health problem affecting millions of girls throughout the world. A wide range of sexually violent acts can occur in different circumstances and settings. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of sexual violence and identify associated factors among female high school students in Butajira town, South Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study using quantitative data collection method was carried out in high schools in Butajira town from June 4-6, 2012. A total of 332 study subjects were selected from all female students in Butajira and Mekicho Millennium schools using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using structured self-administered questionnaire. The data were entered into SPSS window version 16.00 and descriptive, binary, and multiple logistic regression analyses were carried out. Result: Three hundred thirty two female students participated in the study. The lifetime and current year prevalence of sexual violence was 109 (32.8%) and 55 (16.6%) respectively. The lifetime prevalence of completed and attempted rape was 4 (1.2%) and 14 (4.2 %) respectively. Life time sexual violence was associated with having boyfriend or husband [AOR (95%CI)=0.15(0.07, 0.30)], family control [AOR (95%CI)=1.92(1.16, 3.17)] and witness about parental violence [AOR (95%CI)=0.49 (0.29, 0.83)]. Unwanted pregnancy, depression, suicidal ideation, poor academic achievement, rejection from family and friends were some of the consequences of sexual violence. Conclusion and recommendation: Sexual violence is a public health problem among female students in the study area. Physical, psychological and social effects of sexual violence were common. Thus, programs should aim to solve the problem among female students involving the men/boys in interventions since most of the perpetrators were males.
Background: Sexual violence is a major concern of society as physical and mental harm endured by women is extremely destructive. However, little is known about sexual violence within the study area. Therefore, current study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of sexual violence among female high school students in Soddo town, Southern Ethiopia. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted using pretested, structured self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS and the presence of association was assessed using bivariate test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control confounding effects and the strength of association was estimated in odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. Results: The prevalence of life time rape among female students was found to be 25.8%. The odds of experiencing life time rape was higher among students who had more than one sexual partner (AOR= 9.11; 5.52, 15.04). Substance abuse is significantly associated with life time rape that the chance of experiencing rape among students who were chewing chat was higher (AOR=6.09; 1.57, 23.69) than their counterparts. Conclusion: High level of rape among female high school students was found in Sodo town. Chewing chat and h aving more than one sexual partner had statistically significant association with life time rape.
2017
DOI: 10.21276/sjams.2017.5.10.29 Abstract: Violence against women is usually targeted at women and girls due to their unequal treatment nature in society. It is considered as one of the major women health problems and further is a major obstacle standing against women’s human rights. Sexual violence in different forms is widespread throughout the world. Although it is largely hidden by the victims, it is estimated that 12 million people around the world face sexual violence every year. In the developing world, where economic imbalances are extreme and literacy rates low, the magnitude and effect of sexual violence is unquestionably high including Ethiopia. To assess the prevalence of sexual violence and its characteristics among female students in Aman high school, south west Ethiopia School based cross sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of sexual violence among female students in Aman high school. A structured selfadministrated questioner was used to collect dat...
BMC Public Health, 2020
Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) often occurs in resource-limited settings such as Ethiopia. It could result in psychological and physical adverse outcomes such as stress, anxiety, depression, unsafe abortion, unwanted pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with gender-based violence among female high school students in Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia. Methods: An institutionally based-cross-sectional study was conducted in Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia. A total of 604 female high school students were recruited through multi-stage stratified sampling techniques. The gender-basedviolence assessment tool, validated by the World Health Organization, was used to assess gender-based-violence and other determinants. The strength of statistical association was measured by adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Statistical significance was declared at p-value < 0.05. Results: The lifetime prevalence of GBV, sexual violence, and physical violence were found to be 63.2, 37.2, and 56.3%, respectively. The prevalence of sexual violence before and after joining the current school as well as in the current academic year were 30.5, 37.2, and 22% respectively. Having regular boyfriends (AOR = 2.02; 95% CI:1.07-3.79), being sexually active (AOR = 6.10; 95% CI: 2.49-14.92), having female or male friends who drink alcohol (AOR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.26-3.77), students witnessed their mothers being beaten by their partners or husband (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI:1.19-3.11) and joining public school (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI:1.11-2.76) were significantly associated with gender-based violence. Conclusion: The prevalence of gender-based-violence was high. This needs a due concern from governmental, nongovernmental and civic organizations as well as other responsible bodies to tackle factors associated with GBV in this study. Further large scale studies incorporating male students are warranted to elucidate the factors associated with GBV in Ethiopia.
Rehabilitation Science, 2019
Worldwide, the range and magnitude of sexual violence have tremendous negative impact for both the individual and society. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of sexual violence and associated factors among female students of preparatory schools in Modjo and Bishoftu towns from September 1 to December 30, 2018. Institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted. A sample of 323 female students was randomly taken from four preparatory schools. The collected data was entered into Epi Info 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Four FGD’s were conducted targeting community representatives and the required sample size was determined based on the saturation of information. The study showed a prevalence of 74% of sexual violence in the study area. Iin the final model, age group of 17 - 18 (AOR: 6.39; 95% of CI: 3.64, 63.12), teacher perpetrator (AOR, 0.37; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.13) and knowledge of ever encountered a person with sexual violence (AOR, 1.21; 95%CI: 1.13, 4.59) was found significant (P<0.05). A significant proportion (74%) of respondent’s experienced sexual violence. Unwelcome touching and ever had sexual intercourse without their consents were the most common types of sexual violence in the study area. Lower age, perpetrator category and knowledge towards sexual violence were associated with sexual violence. There is a need to have systematic and strategic intervention using school based programs to address the full context of female students and others young girl lives, including society, behavioral and environmental factors leading to the problem of sexual violence.