VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE: AFRICAN WOMEN AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF WAR, AN APRAISAL OF VIOLENCE IN THE SIERRA LEONE CIVIL WAR
ABSTRACT 
Women in all ages and in different countries have been victims of violence, particularly violence emanating from wars. In Africa, women have had to contend with rape, loneliness, shame and rejection among others. The Sierra Leone Civil War brought to the attention of the world man’s inhumanity to man. Although it affected all members of the Sierra Leonean society, its effects on women were more devastating. This paper examines the violation of the rights of women in the Sierra Leone Civil War; the role played by the rebel movement, government forces and civil defence corps in gender related abuses; and find out why women are more vulnerable to rights violation in armed conflicts particularly in Sierra Leone. The methodology adopted was based on secondary sources. Our findings are that women were raped, brutalized and murdered and in some cases abducted and used as sex slaves. The study recommended that perpetrators of war crimes particularly against women should be severely punished to deter others.
Violence against women in Sierra Leone: frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence and forced sexual intercourse.
Violence against women is a significant public health problem which impacts women, men, and children. Little is known about the frequency or correlates of violence against women in Africa. In this cross-sectional study, we found that 66.7% of 144 women surveyed in a study of AIDS knowledge, attitude, and behaviours, report being beaten by an intimate male partner and 50.7% report having ever been forced to have sexual intercourse; 76.6% of women report either forced sex or intimate partner violence. Circumcised women were most likely to report intimate partner violence and forced sexual intercourse. To improve the health of women worldwide, violence against women must be addressed.
Factors associated with domestic violence in south-east Nigeria
Summary A cross-sectional survey was carried out at two tertiary health institutions in south-east Nigeria from 1 January 2005 to 31 March 2005 to determine the factors associated with domestic violence (DV). The study group comprised of 600 consecutive men seen at the General Outpatient department of the two hospitals during the study period. More than two-thirds (70%) of respondents reported abuse in their family, with 92% (n = 385) of the victims being female partners and the remaining 8% (n = 35) male. DV was significantly associated with lower social class, alcohol consumption, increasing age disparity between couples and spouse unemployment (p < 0.05). The male victims of DV are associated with financial disparity in favour of the female, influential in-laws, educated women and couples within the same age group. The most common form of abuse was shouting at partner (93%), slapping or pushing (77%) and punching or kicking (46%). A total of 348 (83%) respondents reported physical abuse. Only one-fifth (21%) of the abuse occurred during pregnancy and financial constraints was the major reason. There was gross under-reporting (8.1%) of DV because of cultural factors, embarrassment and the repercussions that follow such reports.