Citation

Apatinga GA, Tenkorang EY. Sex. Abuse 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1079063220910728

PMID

32116110

Abstract

Some evidence suggests that in sub-Saharan Africa, sexual violence is commonplace among married women, yet this problem is underresearched. Using qualitative methods and applying Heise's social-ecological model, this study examined the experiences of 15 Ghanaian women suffering sexual violence in their marriages.

RESULTS from the thematic analysis indicate several determinants of sexual violence. Whereas some participants identified macro-level and exosystem factors, including poverty, others pointed to micro-level and ontogenic factors, such as husbands' substance abuse. The results corroborate the core idea of Heise's framework, namely, that structural- and individual-level factors make women vulnerable to violence. The study concludes that Ghanaian legal and policy frameworks must be enforced and strengthened to address the etiology of sexual violence and abuse.

Language: en

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Region; Ghana; married women; sexual violence; violence