Determining factors of sexual violence

Sexual violence includes some form of sexual abuse such as unwanted sexual comments and unwanted sexual touching. Domestic sexual violence is that perpetrated by intimate partners and by other family members. Violence against women takes various forms. The incidences of violence against women in Africa include domestic violence, rape, forced and early marriages, human trafficking, prostitution and female genital mutilation. According to Ganny (1996), violence against women is a violation of women's basic human rights and serves as a barrier to achieving gender equality, development and peace. Okereke (2006:6), argues that many countries in Africa have set the age at which young girls can be married at 15 and 21 years of age under both Islamic and customary laws. The objectives of the study are to identify the factors influencing sexual violence in Africa and also to understand the consequences of sexual violence.