Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to identify the cause of gender based violence against female
students and the roles played by religious institutions in Eastern Ethiopian public universities.
Descriptive survey research design was employed. The target population of the study was all
graduating class regular female and male students of Haramaya, Dire Dawa and Jigjiga
Universities. The researcher used simple random sampling technique to select colleges in the
universities; stratified random sampling technique to take the number of students involved in the
study from the selected colleges in these universities. Accordingly, a total of 395 students were
taken as participants of the study. Questionnaire and interview were used as instruments to
gather data. The quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS version 20. The qualitative data
collected from interviewees were analyzed by thematic analysis method. The results of the study
revealed that the status of GBV in the study areas were 79.4% of psychological, 68.7% of sexual
and 57.1% of physical violence. In the present study psychological and sexual violence against
female students were the common type of GBV. As Kruskal Wallis mean rank order test,
watching pornographic film (n=217.07) is greater than in DDU than two. However, what makes
chewing chat (204.39) and negative attitude towards female students (n= 204.32) are greater
than in HU than the two universities. But multi-sexual partners (n=225.85) and watching
pornographic film (n=210.19) are greater than in JJU. The majority (76%) of female
respondents watched pornographic films. About 62.3% of female respondents were experienced
chewing chat. From the total respondents 85.4% used alcohol. Among those watching
pornographic film, smoking shisha and chewing chat were the major causes of GBV in the study
areas. Watching pornographic film, chewing chat and drinking alcohol were significantly and
independently associated with being female students among the present study areas. Eastern
Ethiopian public Universities should create awareness and give training to their students about
substance use related factors associated with GBV. Eastern Ethiopian public Universities
administration should improve the security in the campus compounds to control substances
abuse inside the campuses and take the necessary measures to minimize incidents of GBV in the
campus compounds
