{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T04:52:05Z","timestamp":1791348725712,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791331200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Glob. Women\u2019s Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a major public health and human rights concern in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study examined the association between multidimensional empowerment and IPV among married or cohabiting women using the Survey-based Women's Empowerment (SWPER) Global Index.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methodology<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the most recent Demographic and Health Survey data collected between 2010 and 2023 in 21 Sub-Saharan African countries. The study included 90,807 married or cohabiting women aged 15\u201349 years. Women's empowerment was measured using the three SWPER Global domains. Survey-weighted bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine associations with IPV, with adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals reported.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Pooled IPV prevalence was 12.4% (2.0% in Mauritania to 30.8% in Sierra Leone). High empowerment in the attitudes-towards-violence domain (aOR\u2009=\u20090.59; 95% CI: 0.55\u20130.63) and social-independence domain (aOR\u2009=\u20090.84; 95% CI: 0.77\u20130.92) was associated with lower odds of IPV. Decision-making empowerment was not independently associated with IPV (high vs. low: aOR\u2009=\u20091.05; 95% CI: 0.98\u20131.13). Primary education was associated with slightly higher odds of IPV (aOR\u2009=\u20091.08; 95% CI: 1.00\u20131.16), and higher education was associated with lower odds (aOR\u2009=\u20090.75; 95% CI: 0.61\u20130.93). Older age (aORs\u2009=\u20091.37\u20131.96), cohabitation (aOR\u2009=\u20091.11; 95% CI: 1.04\u20131.19), primary education (aOR\u2009=\u20091.08; 95% CI: 1.00\u20131.16), parity of two or more (aORs\u2009=\u20091.39\u20131.52), several occupational groups (aORs\u2009=\u20091.17\u20131.45), and partner's secondary education (aOR\u2009=\u20091.23; 95% CI: 1.13\u20131.34) were associated with higher odds of IPV. In contrast, Islamic affiliation (aOR\u2009=\u20090.88; 95% CI: 0.82\u20130.96), richer or richest wealth status (aORs\u2009=\u20090.91 and 0.81) were associated with lower odds.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Women's empowerment is associated with IPV in a multidimensional manner. Prevention efforts should support women's agency while also addressing unequal power within relationships, norms that tolerate violence, and barriers to survivor-centered services.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fgwh.2026.1929589","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T04:46:25Z","timestamp":1791348385000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Women's empowerment and its association with intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa: a study using recent demographic and health surveys"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"John","family":"Mugisha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ministry of Education","place":["Kigali, Rwanda"]},{"name":"Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]},{"name":"Rwanda Implementation Science and Health Systems Labs","place":["Kigali, Rwanda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Theophile","family":"Dushimirimana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Munawar Harun","family":"Koray","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]},{"name":"Upper West Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service","place":["Wa, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1685","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(14)61830-4","article-title":"Addressing violence against women: a call to action","volume":"385","author":"Garc\u00eda-Moreno","year":"2015","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1412788","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1412788","article-title":"Intimate partner violence, prevalence and its consequences: a community-based study in Gambella, Ethiopia","volume":"12","author":"Gedefa","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"Np11066","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260521991304","article-title":"The effects of husbands\u2019 alcohol consumption and women\u2019s empowerment on intimate partner violence in India","volume":"37","author":"Parekh","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Interpers Violence"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1188718","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1188718","article-title":"Mapping the disparities in intimate partner violence prevalence and determinants across sub-Saharan Africa","volume":"11","author":"Mossie","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"262","DOI":"10.1177\/1077801298004003002","article-title":"Violence against women: an integrated, ecological framework","volume":"4","author":"Heise","year":"1998","journal-title":"Violence Against Women"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e007704","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2021-007704","article-title":"Risk factors for violence against women in high-prevalence settings: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-synthesis","volume":"7","author":"Mannell","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e001837","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjph-2024-001837","article-title":"Does domestic violence legislation reduce permissive attitudes about intimate partner violence? 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