Abstract:
Gender-based violence is one of the major public health problems in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the perception and
attitude of the community towards gender-based violence among married women in Northwest Ethiopia. A qualitative study was
conducted using the purposive sampling technique for the three focus group discussions and ten in-depth interviews among
married women. Data was analyzed thematically using version 3.4 of the Open Code Software. Most of the participants perceived
that gender-based violence was acceptable in the community, violent acts needed to be considerably tolerated rather than
condemned. Additionally, participants perceived that the consequences of gender-based violence were mild, and its elimination
was difficult. Domestic violence was found to be common, marital rape was not clearly understood, and there was no tendency to
disapprove it. This study revealed that the attitude of people and traditional norms played the major role in determining the
acceptability of gender-based violence on married women. Increasing awareness on the consequences of gender-based violence,
strengthening of women empowerment, involving different stakeholders on the provision of education, amending and enforcing
the existing laws, and providing professional help to stop or reduce violence against women are recommended. (Afr J Reprod
Health 2017; 21[4]: 102-109).