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Background <p>Gender-based violence (GBV) is a collective term for abuse against a person with underlying issues of unequal power dynamics between men and women. In Ethiopia, the pooled prevalence of GBV among women is 51.34%. Awareness of GBV remains limited, with just over half of women in rural areas having good knowledge of intimate partner violence. This study aims to investigate GBV prevalence, help-seeking behaviors, and knowledge of GBV support services in Ziway, Ethiopia, to inform targeted interventions.</p> Methods <p>A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Melka Shallo kebele within Ziway, Oromia region, Ethiopia, on women aged 15–49 years from September 2022 to December 2022 to assess the prevalence of GBV, factors associated with GBV, help-seeking behavior, and awareness of GBV support services. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of the independent variables with two separate outcomes: experience of GBV and knowledge of GBV support services.</p> Results <p>A total of 270 women aged 15–49 years were included, and 34.4% reported having experienced some form of GBV, with emotional violence being reported as the commonest (41.9%), followed by physical (33.3%) and sexual (24.7%) violence. Approximately 75.6% had heard of the term GBV. Women who were more economically secure (&gt; 2000 ETB income per month) were more likely to have experienced GBV (AOR = 2.09). Among those who had experienced GBV, 56.9% sought help, while the rest did not report the incident for many reasons, such as fear of stigma, belief that nothing could be done, or normalization of violence. In addition, 58.5% were aware of health services for GBV survivors, such as HIV screening, post-exposure prophylaxis, emergency contraceptives, and psychological support. Moreover, higher-income women were 3.5 times more likely to know about GBV services.</p> Conclusion <p>Our study revealed that more than one-third of women in Ziway, Ethiopia, encountered various forms of GBV. Legal systems and health services should be available to victims. Regular awareness campaigns and destigmatization by community leaders should be strengthened.</p>

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Gender-Based Violence and Access to Support Services Among Women in Ziway, Rural Ethiopia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月29日

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  • Laltu Megerssa Negasa,
  • Abigael Abiy Mesfin,
  • Hanan Wehab,
  • Hlina Hagos,
  • Israel Teklemariam,
  • Mary Chala,
  • Liya Tena,
  • Kebron Aweke

摘要

Background

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a collective term for abuse against a person with underlying issues of unequal power dynamics between men and women. In Ethiopia, the pooled prevalence of GBV among women is 51.34%. Awareness of GBV remains limited, with just over half of women in rural areas having good knowledge of intimate partner violence. This study aims to investigate GBV prevalence, help-seeking behaviors, and knowledge of GBV support services in Ziway, Ethiopia, to inform targeted interventions.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Melka Shallo kebele within Ziway, Oromia region, Ethiopia, on women aged 15–49 years from September 2022 to December 2022 to assess the prevalence of GBV, factors associated with GBV, help-seeking behavior, and awareness of GBV support services. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of the independent variables with two separate outcomes: experience of GBV and knowledge of GBV support services.

Results

A total of 270 women aged 15–49 years were included, and 34.4% reported having experienced some form of GBV, with emotional violence being reported as the commonest (41.9%), followed by physical (33.3%) and sexual (24.7%) violence. Approximately 75.6% had heard of the term GBV. Women who were more economically secure (> 2000 ETB income per month) were more likely to have experienced GBV (AOR = 2.09). Among those who had experienced GBV, 56.9% sought help, while the rest did not report the incident for many reasons, such as fear of stigma, belief that nothing could be done, or normalization of violence. In addition, 58.5% were aware of health services for GBV survivors, such as HIV screening, post-exposure prophylaxis, emergency contraceptives, and psychological support. Moreover, higher-income women were 3.5 times more likely to know about GBV services.

Conclusion

Our study revealed that more than one-third of women in Ziway, Ethiopia, encountered various forms of GBV. Legal systems and health services should be available to victims. Regular awareness campaigns and destigmatization by community leaders should be strengthened.