PREVALENCE AND EFFECT OF GENDER BASEDVIOLENCE AMONG FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF JOSEPH SARWUAN TARKA UNIVERSITY, MAKURDI, BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

INTRODUCTION: In societies such as ours, where unequal power relationships exist between the male and female gender, there is a high likelihood of gender based violence being perpetrated. The prevalence and effects of such gender based violence however varies from place to place. OBJECTIVES: This study seeks to determine the prevalence, effects and cause/risk factors of gender based violence amongst female undergraduate students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, Benue State. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based descriptive study involving 400 female undergraduate students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State. Eligible respondents were selected using multistage sampling technique. The data was collected using self administered questionnaire and was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented as tables and chart. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was gotten to be 23 years. Majority of them were Christians (94%) and single (88.5%). The prevalence of Gender Based Violence among the respondents was found to be 64%. The prevalence of the subclasses of GBV were: Physical Violence 25%, Sexual Violence 31.3% and Verbal/Emotional Violence 43.8%. The risk factors were discovered to include individual, relationship and socio-cultural risk factors. GBV was also found to result in academic, social, health and economic effects. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of GBV amongst female undergraduates in our study population. The commonest form of GBV was emotional/verbal violence mainly perpetrated by casual friends and intimate partners. There is also a very low rate of reporting. RECOMMENDATIONS: We recommend health promotion programs to highlight consequences of GBV, enactment and implementation of non-tolerant policies, appropriate x counseling of victims and advocacy for victims to speak up to appropriate authorities whenever they fall prey.