Increased risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) has been well documented among women and girls living in conflict zones. However, how residence in a conflict area differentially impacts adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) compared to older women is less understood. This paper examines whether the levels of IPV changed more among AGYW compared to older women in six Boko Haram (BH)-affected States in Nigeria. The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data was used to compare the level of the three types of IPV (emotional, physical, and sexual) among AGYW compared to older women before and during the BH conflict (2008 and 2018). We ran a multiple linear regression model with an interaction term for ever-partnered female respondents living in six Northeast States, adjusting for relevant covariates. A significantly higher proportion of both older and younger women reported experiencing emotional and sexual IPV in 2018 than in 2008, with a higher increase reported among AGYW. Sexual IPV increased by six percentage points more among AGYW compared to older women. AGYW in the BH-affected States are more vulnerable to experiencing sexual IPV relative to older women. This study highlights the need for youth-focused IPV interventions in the BH-affected States.
Keywords: Boko Haram; Nigeria; adolescent girls and young women; conflict setting; intimate partner violence.