Graduation Term

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of Sociology and Anthropology: Sociology

Committee Chair

Winfred Avogo

Committee Member

Michael L. Dougherty

Committee Member

Thomas Burr

Abstract

Despite growing policy attention and legal reforms, Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a persistent public health and human rights concern in Nigeria. This study examines the socio-cultural influences on the prevalence of gender-based violence among ever-married women in Nigeria using data from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Drawing on a nationally representative sample of 19,863 women aged 15 to 49, the research investigates how geopolitical zone, internalized gender norms, religious affiliation, educational attainment, and household wealth shape women’s experiences of physical, sexual, and emotional IPV. Guided by social norms theory and the ecological model of violence, the study employs survey-weighted binary logistic regression to analyze the independent and combined effects of these predictors. The findings show that regional disparities remain significant, with women in the South South and South East geopolitical zones facing higher levels of IPV compared with those in the North West and North East. Internalized gender norms that justify wife beating emerge as one of the strongest predictors of victimization across all three forms of IPV. Religious affiliation, education, and wealth status also demonstrate significant associations with IPV risk, while the relationship between education and violence appears nonlinear, reflecting the education paradox documented in some low and middle-income contexts. The study highlights the continued importance of socio-cultural contexts in shaping women’s vulnerability to violence and underscores the limitations of legal and institutional responses that fail to address entrenched gender norms and regional inequalities. It concludes that effective strategies for reducing IPV in Nigeria must combine legal protections with interventions that transform gender norms, engage religious and community institutions, and address the structural conditions that sustain violence against women.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

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