Gender based violence among married women in Pokhara metropolitan city, Nepal: a cross-sectional study

Introduction Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a sociological and public health concern associated with gender inequality and social norms. Despite policy reforms in Nepal, evidence from rapidly urbanizing settings such as Pokhara remains limited. Addressing this issue requires understanding how women’s characteristics and awareness levels shaped their vulnerability. This study assessed GBV prevalence and associated socio-demographic and knowledge-related factors associated with its different forms among married women aged 20–49 years in Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal. Methodology A community-based cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among 303 married women selected through multistage sampling. Data were collected via a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire after obtaining ethical approval from the IRC-PU. Descriptive statistics estimated GBV prevalence, while Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to assessed associations between GBV and selected independent variables. Findings Overall, 71.91% reported at least one form of GBV after marriage, while verbal abuse being most prevalent and physical violence least reported, and 41.9% reported incidents within the last 12 months. Age at marriage was significantly associated with physical violence, while educational attainment and, limited GBV knowledge increased vulnerability to different forms of violence. Conclusion The study concluded GBV was highly prevalent among married women in Pokhara, with nearly three-fourths of respondents reporting experiences after marriage, emphasizing the important role of socio-demographic and awareness-related factors in influencing women’s vulnerability to GBV.