Violence against women continues to be one of Africa’s most pressing and under addressed human rights challenges. According to the latest WHO report, Sub-Saharan Africa records a 17% prevalence of intimate partner violence in the past 12 months among women aged 15 and older. This highlights a deeply entrenched problem that has changed very little over the past two decades.
The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey shows that over 40% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives. The survey also found that 41.1% of women aged 15 to 49 reported experiencing some form of intimate partner violence, including emotional, physical, sexual, and economic abuse.
The Scale and Impact of the Problem
Across Africa, millions of women experience physical or sexual violence from partners or non partners. Adolescents are especially vulnerable. In the past year alone, many girls aged 15 to 19 suffered abuse from intimate partners. Sexual violence by non-partners is even more under-reported due to stigma and fear.
Research in Kenya highlights the key factors driving this violence. A 2025 study using KDHS data found that 10.4 percent of women aged 15 to 49 reported sexual violence from an intimate partner. Risk factors included lower education levels, partner alcohol use, cultural attitudes that justify forced sex, and prior exposure to domestic violence.
In Nairobi’s informal settlements, a study reported extremely high rates of abuse, with verbal abuse affecting 93.9%, physical abuse 92.5%, and sexual abuse 88.6 percent of women. In Busia District, 66.5% of married adolescent girls experienced physical or sexual violence from their spouses in the past year. Survivors face lifelong consequences, including higher risks of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, depression, and other mental health challenges. Many women lack access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, and only a minority report abuse due to fear or social pressure.
The crisis is worst in vulnerable communities. Poor neighborhoods, informal settlements, and areas with entrenched gender norms or high alcohol consumption experience disproportionately high rates of violence. The Kenyan National Crime Research Centre reports that 45% of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence, with 21%suffering sexual violence, mostly from known perpetrators.
A Call for Action
The WHO report and Kenyan data send a clear message: urgent action is needed. Governments across Africa, especially in Kenya, must expand prevention programs, strengthen survivor-centered health, legal, and social services, invest in data systems, and enforce laws protecting women and girls. Addressing the issue requires not only policy but also community interventions, such as reducing alcohol abuse, challenging harmful gender norms, and improving economic and educational opportunities for women.
Ending violence against women in Africa demands courage, commitment, and collective action. Empowering women and girls is essential for peace, development, and public health. Without urgent intervention, millions will continue to live in fear, limiting their potential and harming society as a whole.
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