Namandian Traore*, Thierno Mamadou Cherif Diallo, Ousmane Camara, Sia Marie Ouendeno, Ousmane Soumah, Djenabou BAH, Aly Badara Camara, Sambou Oulare, Marie Rose Lamah and Idiatou Balde
Introduction: Violence against women constitutes a major public health and criminal justice issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the contributing factors through a multidimensional approach that integrates individual, relational, community, and societal levels is essential for guiding prevention and response strategies.
Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study conducted from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025, at the Forensic Medicine Department of the Regional Hospital of Conakry. The study included 3,427 victims of violence. Data were collected from forensic medical and judicial records. The variables examined included socio-demographic characteristics, individual factors related to alleged perpetrators, relational, community, and societal factors, as well as forensic and judicial data. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed, with Odds Ratios (ORs) and Chi-square (χ²) tests calculated. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Victims were predominantly young (≤ 25 years: 81.62%), single (54.10%), and poorly educated (49.31% with no formal schooling). Alleged perpetrators were mainly young men (71.48%), often unemployed (38.09%), and frequently had a history of violence (72.83%). Violence occurred predominantly within intimate relationships (56.38%), with high frequencies of marital conflict (80.95%), jealousy (58.91%), and economic dependency (92.56%). Incidents mainly took place in public spaces (41.67%) and during daytime hours (54.04%), with a predominance in suburban areas (67.81%). Societal factors were characterized by a high level of social acceptance of violence (81.70%) and a family history of violence (90.95%). Physical violence was the most common form (54.55%), frequently involving injuries to the upper limbs (41.40%) and the use of blunt objects (45.67%). Most victims sought medical consultation between 24 and 72 hours after the incident (47.21%), and 99.21% had filed a complaint. Significant associations were found between the studied factors and the occurrence of violence, particularly alcohol use (OR=1.95), drug use (OR=1.43), jealousy (OR=2.06), and economic dependency (OR=155.0) (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Violence against women in Conakry results from a complex interaction of individual, relational, community, and societal factors. The findings highlight the central role of intimate relationships, economic inequalities, and social norms in the occurrence of violence. A comprehensive approach integrating social prevention, women’s economic empowerment, and the strengthening of forensic and judicial systems appears essential for reducing this phenomenon.
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