A scoping review of interventions addressing gender-based violence in West Africa: examining typologies, delivery mechanisms, outcomes, and stakeholder involvement.

backgroundGender-based violence (GBV) remains a significant public health and human rights concern globally, with interventions in West Africa designed to address prevention, response, and survivor support. This scoping review aims to synthesize existing evidence on interventions addressing GBV in West Africa, describing their typologies, delivery mechanisms, and outcomes.

methodsWe used two search strings to identify GBV interventions implemented in West Africa and published between January 2010 and March 2025 across five databases, including PubMed, Zendy, Google Scholar, Medline, and ResearchGate. Two independent reviewers screened the titles, abstracts, and full texts of all identified publications for eligibility and inclusion into the study. A total of 25 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Data were analysed thematically and presented based on typologies and mechanisms, outcomes using the WHO RESPECT framework, and stakeholders' involvement in GBV interventions.

resultsThe majority of the studies (10) were conducted in Ghana, with six in Nigeria and only a few in other countries, including Niger (2), Senegal (1), Guinea (1), Sierra Leone (1), Côte d'Ivoire (2), and Liberia (1). 42% (11) of the articles focused on various forms of GBV that were not limited to intimate partner violence (IPV), while 39% (10 articles) specifically targeted IPV interventions. Only 19% (5) of these articles discussed interventions for physical violence, notably domestic violence and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). The intervention strategies included community-based, facility-based, school-based, and media-technology approaches, aimed at diverse groups such as adolescents, households, pregnant women, men, couples, GBV victims, and healthcare providers. Community-based initiatives, like gender dialogue groups and awareness campaigns, were effective in promoting gender-equitable attitudes; however, maintaining long-term behavioural change proved difficult for the males. Facility-based initiatives, involving sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) and therapeutic counselling, enhanced access to medical and psychological care, although challenges remained in survivor follow-ups and the tertiary level of care.

conclusionOur review findings highlight the importance of integrating multi-pronged approaches, combining community-based initiatives, institutional capacity-building, technological innovations, economic empowerment, and long-term sustainability efforts to comprehensively tackle GBV. Future interventions should prioritize addressing emotional and psychological violence, focus on schools and male engagement, and explore scalable models for institutional integration.