Combating gender-based violence tops Africa’s agenda for women’s rights, new Afrobarometer Pan-Africa Profile shows

Gender-based violence (GBV) ranks as the most important women’s-rights issue that Africans  want their government and society to address, according to Afrobarometer’s latest Pan Africa Profile.

On average across 39 countries, almost four in 10 respondents say GBV is common in their  community, though perceptions vary widely by country and demographic group.

The survey findings reveal a mixed picture regarding GBV. While most Africans say that men  are never justified in using physical force to discipline their wives, only half think domestic  violence should be treated as a criminal matter that requires the involvement of law  enforcement, while the other half consider it a private matter to be resolved within the  family. Similarly, while most Africans trust that the police will take reported cases of GBV  seriously, more than half believe that women who report such crimes are likely to face  criticism, harassment, or shaming from their community.

Africans’ perceptions of GBV vary widely by country and demographic group, suggesting  that a woman’s fundamental right to safety depends at least in part on her location and  circumstances.

Key findings 

▪ Africans see gender-based violence (GBV) as the most important women’s-rights related issue that their government and society need to address (cited by 31% of  respondents), ahead of the scarcity of women in positions of power (20%) and  inequalities in education (17%) and the workplace (16%).

Perceptions of GBV as the top priority vary widely by country, ranging from just 5%  in Mauritania to 69% in Cabo Verde.

▪ On average across 39 countries, almost four in 10 citizens (38%) say GBV is “somewhat  common” or “very common” in their community.

In nine countries, at least half of respondents say violence against women is a  common occurrence, led by Angola (62%) and Namibia (57%). Poor citizens are  more likely to report that GBV happens frequently.

▪ More than two-thirds (69%) of Africans say it is “never” justified for a man to use  physical force to discipline his wife.

But 31% consider a husband’s use of force “sometimes” or “always” justified,  including majorities in eight of the 39 surveyed countries. Poor and uneducated  citizens are particularly likely to endorse this form of domestic violence.

▪ Africans are divided on whether domestic violence should be treated as a criminal  matter (50%) or a private matter (48%) to be resolved within the family.

▪ More than half (52%) of respondents say it is “somewhat likely” or “very likely” that  victims of GBV will be criticised, harassed, or shamed by others in the community if  they report to the police.

o However, most citizens (81%) consider it “somewhat likely” or “very likely” that  the police will take cases of GBV seriously.

Afrobarometer surveys 

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable  data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.  Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 9 surveys  (2021/2023) include 54,436 interviews in 39 countries.

Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the  respondent’s choice that yield country-level results with margins of error of +/-2 to +/-3  percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The data are weighted to ensure nationally  representative samples. When reporting multi-country averages, all countries are weighted  equally (rather than in proportion to population size).

Source:norvanreports