Non-partner violence (NPV) refers to violence that occurs outside of intimate relationships, including psychological, physical, sexual, and disability-based violence perpetrated by caregivers, family members, friends, colleagues, healthcare providers, or strangers 1,2 . Disability-based violence (DBV), or disability-related violence (DRV), refers to violence linked to a person's disability and the stigma associated with it. This form of violence includes neglect, physical abuse, emotional exploitation, and sexual violence, often rooted in societal attitudes that view women with disabilities as burdens or incapable of self-protection.3,4 Women with disabilities globally face disproportionately high rates of violence, with studies showing they are three to four times more likely to experience abuse compared to their non-disabled peers.5

The rationale for focusing on NPV—rather than intimate partner violence (IPV)—in this study stems from the unique risks faced by women with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Egypt. Women with disabilities in Egypt often face multiple layers of exclusion including limited access to education, employment, and social services. These factors, coupled with patriarchal norms that normalize or overlook violence, increase their vulnerability to abuse, particularly NPV 6,7. The intersection of sociocultural and disability-related factors significantly increases the vulnerability of women with disabilities to NPV. Economic dependency, limited mobility, and social isolation compound these risks, preventing these women from seeking help and accessing support systems.8, 9, 10

While intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant issue for women with disabilities in Egypt,11,12 NPV remains underexplored. Women face violence both in intimate relationships and from broader family and caregiving environments—contexts where NPV, often perpetrated by family members, caregivers, or even strangers, remains inadequately studied, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Egypt. This study builds on prior work that analyzed IPV among poor women with disabilities in Egypt using data from the 2020 Violence Against Women With Disability Survey.11 That research emphasized the urgent need to examine the full spectrum of violence these women face. In this context, focusing on NPV allows for a deeper understanding of the unique forms of violence experienced by women with disabilities, particularly within broader family and caregiving environments.

Despite the high global prevalence of NPV among women with disabilities, especially in LMICs, research on its impact in the MENA region, and Egypt in particular, remains sparse.13 This knowledge gap is critical because GBV is often underreported due to cultural taboos surrounding disability and abuse. In many LMICs, particularly in Egypt, cultural taboos and disability stigma contribute to the invisibility of women with disabilities who are victims of violence. The fear of social ostracization or cultural backlash often prevents these women from reporting violence or seeking support.14,15 This study addresses this knowledge gap, contributing to the formulation of disability-sensitive interventions aligned with SDG Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequality). This study addresses the critical lack of research on NPV among poor women with disabilities in Egypt by examining its prevalence and determinants. It seeks to answer the question: How do sociocultural and disability-related factors increase the vulnerability of women with disabilities to NPV, and what role do these factors play in exacerbating broader social inequalities?