Understanding the patterns and drivers of domestic violence against women in Birnin Kebbi Nigeria

Domestic violence against women in Birnin Kebbi remains a persistent social problem, reflecting complex dynamics shaped by power imbalances, patriarchal norms, and family structures. Acts of physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and economic abuse not only harm victims but also undermine social well-being, indicating the urgent need for context-specific preventive strategies and empowerment interventions. This study aims to examine the patterns, causes, and experiences of survivors of domestic violence in Birnin Kebbi, raise public awareness, and promote women’s empowerment, equality, and anti-violence norms. A quantitative survey design with multi-stage sampling was employed, collecting data from 259 married women across diverse wards, residential clusters, streets, and households. Structured questionnaires captured experiences of domestic violence systematically, ensuring reliability, representativeness, cultural appropriateness, and confidentiality. Domestic violence in Birnin Kebbi Metropolis is shaped by high prevalence of physical, emotional, verbal, and economic abuse, social and cultural norms legitimizing male dominance, and structural factors like low education and women’s economic dependency. These dynamics perpetuate power imbalances and multidimensional impacts on women. Effective prevention requires comprehensive interventions targeting behavior, socio-cultural norms, legal awareness, and women’s empowerment. The study implies that Domestic violence prevention must integrate legal, social, and economic strategies, including gender-norm transformation, education access, vocational training, and women’s empowerment, to address structural vulnerabilities, reduce abuse, and effectively disrupt cycles of domestic violence.