Intimate Partner Violence in Africa: A Decade of Evidence From 2013 to 2023.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a critical public health and human rights issue in Africa, with far-reaching physical, psychological, and societal consequences. Despite the growing body of literature on partner abuse worldwide, comprehensive reviews of IPV in African contexts remain limited. This systematic review examines 352 quantitative studies on IPV conducted across African countries between 2013 and 2023. Using the analytical framework established by Esquivel-Santoveña et al. (2013), this review explores seven core themes: prevalence, gender differences, impact on victims and families, risk factors, the role of national development, women's status, and relationship dominance. Results indicate high rates of IPV across the continent, especially physical and sexual violence, with significant gendered dimensions and diverse cultural patterns. Alcohol abuse, poverty, and patriarchal norms emerged as key risk factors. The findings underscore the need to conceptualize IPV not solely as a gendered phenomenon but as a multifactorial human problem shaped by intersecting structural, interpersonal, and cultural dynamics. Implications for research, policy, and culturally grounded interventions are discussed.