Spatial and Multilevel Analysis on the Determinants of Gender-Based Violence Against Women in Ethiopia

Abstract

Violence against women and girls is a global human rights violation and a substantial development challenge. It affects women in the world and crosses cultural and economic boundaries. This research was designed to explore the distribution and variation of gender-based violence against women aged between 15 to 49 years and to identify the associated determinant factors using the evidence from the 2016 EDHS. In this study, a sample of 5860 women of reproductive age (15-49) years were selected using a two-stage stratified random sampling. The multilevel random coefficient model has a best-fitted model and estimates the variation of women’s violence across the regions and zones of Ethiopia. Further, Spatial analysis was performed to analyze the spatial distribution of women’s violence across the regions and zones of Ethiopia. Accordingly, At the national level, 23% of women have experienced physical violence, 19% have experienced emotional violence, and 10% have experienced sexual violence. The multilevel random coefficient model identified that there is significant evidence of variation among regions and zone clusters in Ethiopia.  Similarly, spatial analysis indicated that the pattern of spatial distribution of women was randomly clustered at regional and zonal levels in Ethiopia. In general, the study indicated that women’s violence is still a public health problem in Ethiopia.  Thus, the government should ensure the legal framework and policies including enforcement of legal punishment for the perpetrators of gender-based violence against women.