Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence and Help-Seeking Constraints in Urban Post-Conflict Angola

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 241–248

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001278

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence and Help-Seeking Constraints in Urban Post-Conflict Angola

Names of Authors: Dr. Ana-Maria J. Santos¹, Prof. Manuel B. Da Costa²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Faculty of Social Sciences, Agostinho Neto University, Luanda, Angola; ²Center for Human Rights, Catholic University of Angola, Luanda, Angola

Abstract:
This study investigates the prevalence, psychosocial predictors, and legal barriers related to intimate partner violence (IPV) in urban post-conflict Luanda, Angola. Utilizing a mixed-methods structural equation design, data were gathered from a randomized household sample of 540 women living in informal settlements. The quantitative metrics reveal that 58% of the surveyed women experienced physical, psychological, or economic abuse within the past 12 months. Women who lack an independent personal income face an 82% higher probability of experiencing regular spousal violence (p < 0.01). The historical legacy of the decades-long civil conflict has institutionalized aggressive militarized masculinities, which directly manifest as domestic control. Qualitative narratives illuminate a disturbing economic feedback loop: women who attempt to launch informal micro-enterprises are frequently subjected to retaliatory violence from husbands who perceive financial autonomy as a threat to their traditional authority. Consequently, 38% of female entrepreneurs abandoned their businesses due to spousal sabotage. The institutional response is weak, with local police treating IPV cases as private family matters rather than criminal offenses. The study argues that economic empowerment initiatives for women in post-conflict zones must be integrated with behavioral change workshops for male partners. It recommends establishing protected banking products for female merchants and specialized domestic violence police desks nationwide.

Keywords: Intimate Partner Violence, Economic Dependency, Post-Conflict Masculinities, Luanda, Financial Agency, Angola

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 12, 2026; Revised: July 15, 2026; Accepted: August 11, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Santos, A. J., & Da Costa, M. B. (2026). Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence and Help-Seeking Constraints in Urban Post-Conflict Angola. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 241–248. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001278

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