Violence Against Women Research Articles

Attitudes towards violence against women among second-generation refugee, migrant and native Swiss adolescents in Zurich, Switzerland

Research on violence against women (VAW) attitudes among adolescent migrant communities is limited. This study examines VAW attitudes in second-generation refugee and migrant adolescents compared to native adolescents in Zurich, Switzerland. Participants completed surveys at ages 15 and 17 as part of a longitudinal study. The research explores differences in VAW attitudes between groups and identifies factors associated with higher support for VAW. Findings show low overall support for VAW across all groups, with second-generation refugee adolescents significantly more likely to support VAW than native adolescents. However, regression analyses controlling for gender, parental education and maternal gender inequality index revealed no direct relationship between migration background and VAW attitudes without interaction terms. Significant interactions were found between refugee background and moral neutralisation of aggression at ages 15 and 17 and with experiencing corporal punishment at age 15. Higher VAW attitudes among second-generation refugees are linked to increased moral neutralisation of aggression and experience of corporal punishment. Interestingly, those with average levels of these factors demonstrate lower VAW attitudes compared to both second-generation migrants and natives, indicating successful assimilation. Overall, while VAW attitudes are generally low among second-generation refugees, targeted interventions addressing moral neutralisation of aggression could mitigate residual higher support during this developmental phase.

Measuring the impact of COVID-19 exposure on reporting of intimate partner violence in India using an intent-to-treat framework

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only posed alarming health challenges but also exacerbated the scenarios of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women globally. While global studies indicate a conspicuous increase in IPV during COVID-19 lockdowns; Indian studies exhibit mixed evidence. This ambiguity in world’s most populous country underscores a greater need to examine the nexus between exposure to COVID-19 and IPV using a large nationally representative sample of India. This study employs an ‘intent-to-treat (ITT) framework’ approach to assess the effect of COVID-19 exposure on IPV for women with “exposure (or cases)” compared to those with “no exposure (or controls)”. Using data from National Family Health Survey-5, the study employs a methodology comprising three stages: first, descriptive and bivariate statistics that characterize the sample population. Second, a multivariable logistic regression model was employed to examine the influence of COVID-19 on IPV reporting. Finally, the study validated its main findings using the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) tool with an ITT framework. The result from multiple statistical approaches indicates a reduction in IPV during COVID-19 — primarily suggesting significant under-reporting of domestic violence cases in the data collected during its exposure period. This underreporting remains consistent across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The study advances that reduction in the incidents of IPV among women surveyed after exposure to COVID-19 compared to their counterparts can be attributable to underreporting or greater socio-emotional cohesion among partners during menaces like COVID-19. While the under-reporting of cases can also be attributed to the lack of accessibility to peer groups and social and community networks, who often help women to identify and report IPV. Further, it can also possible due to the reduction in alcohol consumption and greater dependency of female on male partners due to jobloss during COVID-19 lockdown. This study, thereby, underscores the need for innovative survey tools to capture Violence Against Women (VAW) in general and IPV in particular during an extraordinary situation like COVID-19.

Exploring access to health and social supports for intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors during stressful life events (SLEs)-A scoping review.

Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often face increased incidents of violence during stressful life events (SLEs) such as economic recessions, environmental disasters, and pandemics. These events can diminish the effectiveness of both formal (e.g., health, social, justice, labor, community) and informal (e.g., friends, family, neighbors) support systems. Additionally, SLEs exacerbate existing health and social inequities, making it necessary to understand the accessibility of support services during these times. This scoping review investigates access to services by individuals experiencing IPV during SLEs in high-income countries. A comprehensive search was conducted across several electronic databases including MEDLINE (OVID), Embase (OVID), PsychInfo (OVID), CINAHL (EBSCO), Global Health (EBSCO), Gender Watch (ProQuest), Web of Science, and Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ProQuest), along with the search engine Google Scholar. This search, which imposed no date restrictions, was extended through May 22nd, 2024. Key search terms were developed from prior literature and in consultation with an expert librarian, focusing on 'stressful life events,' 'intimate partner violence,' and 'access to services.'. Each study was screened and extracted by two reviewers and conflicts were resolved through discussion or a third reviewer. The search across eight databases and citation searching resulted in a total of 7396 potentially relevant articles. After removing 1968 duplicates and screening 5428 based on titles and abstracts, 200 articles underwent full abstract review. Ultimately, 74 articles satisfied the inclusion criteria and were selected for further analysis. The analysis focused on barriers and facilitators to access, identifying challenges within Survivors' support systems, redirected resources during crises, and complex control dynamics and marginalization. Over 90% of the literature included covered the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing these challenges requires innovative strategies, sustained funding, and targeted interventions for high-risk subgroups. This scoping review systematically outlined the challenges and enabling factors influencing the availability of support services for Survivors of IPV during SLEs. It underscores the need for robust, culturally sensitive health and social support mechanisms, and policies. Such measures are essential to better protect and assist IPV Survivors and their service providers during these critical times. Furthermore, it is imperative to integrate the insights and expertise of the violence against women (VAW) sector into emergency planning and policy-making to ensure comprehensive and effective responses that address the unique needs of Survivors in crises.

Restorative Justice as a Tool to Address Violence Against Women? An Assessment of the Italian Case in Light of the Practice of International Monitoring Bodies

Abstract This article examines the use of restorative justice (RJ) as an alternative to traditional retributive justice in addressing violence against women (VAW) in the Italian legal system. Amidst a broad crisis of retributive justice characterised by its abstract conceptualisation of retribution, restorative justice offers a personalised approach to repairing the harm between victim and offender. However, the implementation of RJ in VAW cases poses significant risks, including secondary victimisation, exposure to physical and psychological harm, and potential manipulation by offenders seeking to exploit RJ processes. This debate has been particularly pronounced in Italy following the adoption of the “Cartabia reform”, and previous legislation on mediation in family law. Against this background, the first part of the article analyses how international bodies such as the CEDAW Committee and GREVIO have assessed Italy’s international obligations under CEDAW and the Istanbul Convention in relation to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. After providing an overview of VAW in Italy and the country’s interactions with international monitoring bodies, the article discusses the concept of RJ in the context of VAW, followed by a comparative analysis of GREVIO’s interpretation of the concept of “mandatory mediation”. The second part of the article focuses on Italian alternative dispute resolution methods and the “Cartabia reform”. The authors argue that, while RJ measures may be beneficial in some contexts, in the specific case of VAW they could worsen the situation if not properly managed. In particular, mandatory RJ could mislead society into seeing women as mere participants in solving the problem thus ignoring their victimhood and leading to their secondary victimisation. Rather, response to VAW in Italy should include risk analysis, funding for anti-violence centres, appropriate training for the judiciary and police, and educational policies to challenge gender stereotypes and foster cultural change.

LOW CONVICTION RATES IN CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN: ANALYZING PAKISTAN’S INVESTIGATIVE CHALLENGES

Objective: This study examines the low conviction rates in Violence Against Women (VAW) cases in Pakistan, highlighting systemic, social, and legal challenges undermining justice delivery. Method: A qualitative approach was used to analyze legal, social, and institutional factors affecting conviction rates. Fieldwork conducted in Gujranwala, Pakistan (January–April 2023), gathered insights from law enforcement, prosecutors, and victims to capture the complexities of the criminal justice process. Results: The findings reveal systemic flaws, including outdated investigation protocols, insufficient forensic tools, and pervasive corruption. Patriarchal norms, judicial delays, and limited victim protection services exacerbate the issue. Institutional inefficiencies, such as untrained police officers and inadequate coordination among stakeholders, weaken prosecutions, while legal loopholes in Qisas and Diyat laws allow offenders to evade justice. Novelty: This study underscores the interplay between cultural norms and institutional inadequacies in perpetuating low conviction rates for VAW in Pakistan. It provides comparative insights with neighboring countries and proposes reforms to modernize investigation procedures and strengthen victim support mechanisms.

Differences in the psychological preparedness of emergency nurses for caring for victims of violence against women according to nurse gender: a nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire survey in Japan.

With the increasing incidence of violence against women (VAW), emergency department (ED) nurses should be trained to respond appropriately to victims of VAW (VVAW). However, the psychological preparedness of nurses caring for VVAW and its relationship to nurse gender remains unclear in Japan. A nationwide self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 430 randomly selected certified emergency nurses. The questionnaire was a Japanese translation of the evaluation tools from the World Health Organization (WHO) curriculum "Caring for women subjected to violence: a WHO curriculum for training healthcare providers." The final sample included 104 participants, and the effective response rate was 24.2%. More than 60% of nurses had experience in caring for VVAW; however, only 10% had received training concerning VAW. The mean number of VVAW cared for by these nurses was 6.2 (standard deviation, 6.1) with no significant difference in nurse gender (P=0.52, effect size [ES]=0.09). Male nurses had a higher mean score of psychological preparedness than female nurses (22.6 vs. 20.4; P=0.03, ES=0.22); moreover, female nurses scored lower than male nurses on all items of the psychological preparedness evaluation. Less than half of the participants reported having institutional support systems. Establishing an education program for all emergency nurses, providing support to ensure the psychological preparedness of female emergency nurses, and ensuring improvement of facilities nationwide are essential for enhancing nursing care for VVAW in Japanese EDs.

Preventing and responding to violence against women: A case study from Vietnam

Violence against women (VAW) has significant detrimental effects on the daily lives of women and the overall development of society. Addressing VAW poses a considerable challenge for nations striving to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). Vietnamese society, deeply influenced by Confucianism and Buddhism, continues to perpetuate male preferences. The persistence of gender stereotypes and discrimination shaped by societal norms serves as an underlying cause of VAW in Vietnam. Despite the Vietnamese government’s efforts since 2010 to implement prevention and response programs for gender-based violence, the alarming reality is that nearly 63% of women report experiencing at least one form of violence in their lives. However, various obstacles prevent many of these women from seeking legal protection. These obstacles include inadequate support services, burdensome proof requirements, and fear of re-victimization. Thus, the crucial question of how to effectively eliminate VAW in Vietnam remains a major concern, influencing the nation’s progress toward achieving the SDGs and upholding its commitment as a member country of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. This paper analyzes the obstacles Vietnam faces in its efforts to prevent and respond to VAW, aiming to safeguard women’s rights and advance gender equality.

Midwife students' attitudes towards violence against women: A pilot study.

The United Nations define violence against women (VAW) as any gender-based violence that causes mental, physical, or economic harm and restricts freedom. The topic has not been studied before in the context of the midwifery curriculum in Estonia. The purpose of the study is to investigate the attitudes of midwife students towards VAW. This pilot study followed a mixed-methods approach. The study population consisted of 77 midwifery students at Tallinn Health Care College from 2022-2023. The online survey was distributed to all Tallinn Health Care College midwifery students. The pilot study is used to validate the questionnaire and obtain initial information. The results show that the midwife students of this study have personal experiences and exposures to different types of violence, and some midwife students had sociocultural misconceptions about VAW. Midwife students have limited knowledge of the impact of violence on women's health and the legislation regarding violence. Midwife students stated that they would not be able to properly help the woman as a victim, as they lack knowledge, skills, and experience, which is an unfortunate factor. The present pilot study showed that midwife students' attitudes towards VAW need improvement. The study raises the need to investigate midwife students' attitudes towards VAW with a larger sample, better-designed method, and validated questionnaire. Topics related to violence should be included in the midwifery curriculum, along with developing practical skills.

Lessons Learned from the Experiences of Domestic Violence Service Providers in Times of Crisis: Insights from a Central Asian Country.

Domestic violence is a widespread problem in both stable and crisis contexts. During crisis-driven periods, such as environmental, economic, political, and health emergencies, existing gender inequalities are exacerbated, and the risks of violence against women (VAW) are amplified. This qualitative study explores the experiences of professionals working in VAW organisations in a Central Asian country during the COVID-19 pandemic. By interviewing 45 professionals from social care organisations in Kazakhstan, this study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the ability of VAW organisations to assist victims of domestic violence and comprehend the adjustments they made to support victims. The findings shed light on the challenges faced by VAW organisations, including reduced capacity, increased service demand, the shift to remote services, and funding cuts. The study highlights the critical role of these organisations in crises and urges the consideration of lessons learned to prevent VAW in emergency and non-emergency situations. In the Central Asian region, where domestic violence is persistent, this research offers valuable insights for interventions during and after crises. The study offers effective strategies for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5.2, which aims to eliminate violence against women, and SDG 3.8, ensuring access to healthcare, psychological support, and safe environments.

Feminist Perspectives on Conflict, Disaster, and Violence against Women: Introduction to the Special Issue

Violence against women (VAW) is widely recognized as a pervasive, global problem that is associated with poor health and economic outcomes for women and children. Women are disproportionately exposed to physical, sexual, and psychological violence during volent conflicts and political upheavals. Similarly, research on disasters indicates a disproportionate impact of such events on women and girls, with an increase in physical and sexual VAW, specific deprivations, and child marriage. This special issue is focused on providing a feminist understanding of the economic drivers and impacts of conflict and disaster on VAW, both within and outside the home. The introduction provides an overview of the contributions and interventions in this special issue, highlighting the complex links between conflict or disaster with VAW. This collection of articles also points to the large gaps in terms of integrating feminist perspectives into the international architecture for post-conflict or post-disaster aid and reconstruction. HIGHLIGHTS VAW is a persistent feature of disruptions due to conflicts and disasters. Disruptions provide opportunities for women to resist and transcend existing gender norms. Robust gender-sensitive risk-reduction strategies mediate negative impacts of disasters. International humanitarian response because of war or disaster does little to reduce risk of VAW. Funding for VAW services reaching survivors remains inadequate within global humanitarian aid.

Does Natural Disaster-Induced Male Unemployment Increase Violence Against Women? Empirical Evidence from India

Violence against women (VAW) in India has increased with the rising frequency of natural disasters. This article uses district panel data between 2004 and 2019 for India to study the association between VAW and domestic violence (DV) with occurrences of droughts and cyclones. Results suggest that a rise in droughts-induced male unemployment significantly increases DV and VAW by 14 and 20.2 percent, respectively. The mediation analysis shows that the effect mediated by male unemployment on VAW is 3.4 and 2 percent of the total effect for droughts and cyclones, respectively. This indicates an emergent need for gender-based policy initiatives to prevent VAW. Furthermore, institutional policies such as alcohol sales prohibition, setting up of women-only police stations, and improving women’s political representation help prevent VAW. Besides reducing fatalities, disaster risk-management policies should focus on employment generation and promote gender-responsive budgeting to reduce women’s vulnerability to disasters. HIGHLIGHTS Women bear the burden of disasters with higher fatalities and increased violence within and outside the household. Loss of male employment causes financial and psychological stress, increasing VAW at the time of disasters. Disasters lead to reinstated patriarchal and masculine norms contributing to women’s poor socioeconomic status. Women-only police stations and greater political representation of women are critical to preventing VAW after disasters.

Underreporting of violence against women: an analysis of two data sources.

This article aims to estimate the underreporting of violence against women (VAW) in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), based on data from the National Survey of Health (NSH), in Brazil and subnational units (SU). This work was an ecological study using SINAN and NSH, both from 2019. In SINAN, reports of sexual, physical, and psychological VAW, aged 18 years or older, were selected. In the NSH, women of the same age group who reported psychological, physical, or sexual violence, and who had sought health care due to consequences of the violence were selected. SINAN underreporting was calculated in reference to the NSH's estimated population, for Brazil and each SU. Underreporting of VAW in Brazil was 98.5%, 75.9%, and 89.4% for psychological, physical, and sexual violence, respectively. The North and Northeast states presented the lowest reporting rates among the states. VAW in Brazil is highly underreported by the health sector, showing the need for adequate training of health professionals to recognize situations of violence and raise awareness of the importance of reporting.

Regional Refugee Response Plans and Violence Against Women: A Comparative Analysis of the Humanitarian Situations in Ukraine and Venezuela

Regional Refugee Response Plans (RRPs) have emerged as key protection frameworks in the context of displacement. In line with the UNHCR Refugee Coordination Model (RCM), RRPs involve multi-partner and multi-sector response strategies for priority areas established based on region-specific needs. Across RRPs, violence against women (VAW) constitutes a priority area within operational and funding structures on gender-based violence (GBV). The operational and funding structures on GBV in the response plans for the humanitarian situations in Ukraine and Venezuela reveal important insights for economic mechanisms and impacts of displacement on VAW, especially when examined through feminist economics discourse. To shed light on this, this article analyzes sectoral infrastructures and partnerships as indicative operational structures, and funding streams and funding recipients as indicative funding structures. The analysis focuses on high-risk GBV spaces reflective of prevailing challenges in the implementation of the response plans. HIGHLIGHTS Economic–political power relations inform discrepancies in global migration governance. Flexibility in responses to humanitarian situations leads to incoherent mechanisms and impacts in addressing VAW. Discrepancies are particularly problematic in high-risk GBV settings, as in the cases of Ukraine and Venezuela.

Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Violence against Women among Myanmar Migrant Women in Thailand

Introduction: Violence against women (VAW) is a serious human rights violation with significant implications for public health. VAW affects the well-being of women, children, and families. This study aims to develop and validate a scale specifically designed for identifying and assisting migrant women who have experienced violence. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using stratified sampling was conducted among 295 Myanmar migrant women in Thailand. Violence among these women was assessed using self-administered questionnaires with data collection taking 15–20 min per participant between September and December 2023. The construct validity of the Violence against Migrant Women Scale (VAMWS) was confirmed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) estimated by weighted least squares means and variance with Geomin rotation in Mplus software. Results: The EFA revealed a 13-item scale with a four-factor structure that fit the data exceptionally well, as indicated by the high comparative fit index of 0.99 and low root mean square error of approximation value of 0.02. Communalities ranged from 0.58 to 0.99 and rotated factor correlations between 0.36 and 0.53. The four dimensions were as follows: F1 – physical (4 items, loadings 0.51–0.73), F2 – sexual (2 items, loadings 0.66–0.99), F3 – psychological (3 items, loadings 0.57–0.73), and F4 – economic (3 items, loadings 0.50–0.78). VAMWS had Cronbach’s alpha of 0.90 and corrected item–total correlation values from 0.53 to 0.74. Physical violence, experienced by 50% of respondents, was most common, primarily by spouses, then siblings, acquaintances, employers, parents, and friends. Conclusion: VAMWS is applicable for assessing violence prevalence across multiple sectors, including health care, social services, law enforcement, and future research endeavors.

‘Mostly women's issues’ – Gender differences in community responses to a large-scale NGO programme to prevent violence against women in urban India

Despite striking gender differences in men's and women's engagement in past prevention programmes to stop violence against women (VAW), few empirical studies have determined why such gender differences arise. We did a grounded theory study of a large-scale NGO programme in informal settlements in Mumbai, India, aiming to analyse how gender affects participation in community action to address VAW. We did 27 focus group discussions and 31 semi-structured interviews with 77 women and 36 men, as well as with 9 NGO staff. We supplemented qualitative data with quantitative monitoring data on referrals to NGO counselling centres. We found that male participants in the NGO programme not only reported violence to the NGO at lower rates but took less intensive action to support survivors. When they did engage, they more often defended perpetrators or asked survivors to accommodate them than female participants. These differences could be explained by a greater (1) affective response to VAW (2) perceived stake in addressing VAW (3) sense of empowerment from taking action, and (4) perceived NGO support for self among women compared to men. Differences were evident even between male and female participants who had taken part in NGO activities for years. We theorise that these differences ultimately stem from men and women's structurally different position in a gender unequal society. Our findings identify key motivational barriers to address to improve the effectiveness of programmes to prevent VAW. Given the greater barriers to men's community action compared to women's community action, it may be useful to recognize the value of prevention programmes with differing levels of male engagement, including women-only programmes and programmes in which male community participants play a secondary role and are not expected to be as active as female participants.

New perspectives on fighting violence against women.

Gender-based violence (GBV) and, more specifically, violence against women (VAW) are commonly considered a consequence of a patriarchal structure-a social system granting the senior male absolute authority over the family and the community as a whole. Anthropologists have documented that human male dominance is rooted in evolution, with male violent behavior observed among the great apes. Given that evolution is a continuous process, human progress over millennia has modified pre-existing behavior, demonstrating that humans can move beyond ancestral ways of life over time. Precisely because of the imperative to change and improve, at the global international level as well as in individual countries, strong movements are in action to eliminate GBV/VAW. FIGO has been and continues to be at the forefront of the battle for equality, with initiatives that cover many aspects of this, including the imperative to involve men, who-in the majority of cases-are the perpetrators. Since men are often the root of the problem, they must also be at the forefront of the battle to eradicate it. GBV/VAW comprises many facets, including selective female abortion, infanticide, femicide, honor killing, female genital mutilation, and child marriage. These deeply rooted forms of violence continue to perpetuate gender inequalities, remain major obstacles to health and societal progress, and violate the most basic human rights.

The mental health of staff at violence against women organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a mixed-methods study of service providers in Canada’s largest city

ObjectivesStaff at violence against women (VAW) organizations provide essential services for survivors of violence. The increase in VAW during the COVID-19 pandemic placed additional pressures on VAW staff. We investigated the impacts of the pandemic on the mental health of VAW staff in the Greater Toronto Area to inform recommendations for policy and practice.MethodsWe conducted a community-based, mixed-methods study on the processes, experiences, and outcomes of adapting VAW programming during the pandemic using a sequential explanatory approach. Throughout 2021, we conducted a survey of direct support and leadership staff who worked on VAW services (“VAW staff”) followed by semi-structured interviews with VAW staff purposively sampled from the survey. We descriptively analyzed quantitative survey data on the mental health of 127 VAW staff. We then applied thematic analysis to qualitative data from 18 interviews with VAW staff. We used the qualitative data to support interpretation and enrich the quantitative findings regarding staff mental health.ResultsIn the survey, 81% of leadership and 61% of direct support staff indicated that their work was more distressing during the pandemic. Participants reported moderate symptoms of vicarious trauma and mild symptoms of anxiety and depression. We generated three themes from the qualitative data to help explain these findings: (1) challenges related to changing work environments; (2) distress over not meeting client needs; and (3) difficulties in adapting self-care strategies in response to pandemic stressors.ConclusionVAW organizations require increased resources and flexible funding to hire and retain more staff to respond to higher and more complex caseloads during public health emergencies. With more structural supports in place, VAW organizations could create more time and space to develop their trauma-informed organizational practices: for example, establishing a culture of connection and learning among staff virtually and in-person and facilitating a range of self-care opportunities.

Constructing, Deconstructing or Abolishing? Discourses on Masculinities in Violence Against Women Prevention by Stakeholders in Spain.

In the field of violence against women (VAW) prevention, one of the current questions at stake is how to address men's role and masculinities, but it is still an emerging field in Spain. The aim of this study was to analyze the up-to-date discourses on masculinity among stakeholders in the field of VAW prevention and gender equity in Spain. We used a qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews, conducted between October 2019 and February 2020 in Madrid and Alicante (Spain), with 23 key stakeholders from different areas: in governmental (public health and VAW prevention/intervention, and institutional and policy positioning) and nongovernmental organizations (anti-violence masculinities workers, youth education workers, and feminist and LGBT associations). A discourse analysis was performed with the data collected. Our findings showed that discourses around masculinities among Spanish stakeholders in VAW prevention and gender equity were diverse and presented different layers of critique. Despite a general agreement on the importance of transforming sexist men's practices toward more gender equitable relations, three main interpretive repertoires were identified: "Constructing positive/new masculinities" discourse, focused on promoting men's engagement and egalitarian practices; "Deconstructing hegemonic masculinity" discourse, intended to critically identify and question harmful masculinities norms; and "Abolishing gender" discourse, which aims at dismantling masculinity, and gender in general, as a social structure that generates oppression in itself, advocating for its abolition. Those interpretive repertoires were not mutually exclusive and sometimes stakeholders incorporate in their work more than one approach. The study findings shed light on this current emerging and urgent debate and contributes more broadly to the critical assessment of the concepts used and their implications for VAW prevention.

Perspectives on Survivors of Violence Against Women Among Staff in Women’s Shelters

Violence against women (VAW) or domestic violence (DV) is a serious violation of human rights and is a major global health issue. Nearly 1 in 3 women globally have been subjected to physical and sexual violence by an intimate partner. VAW is a considerable issue in Turkey, as evidenced by one study showing that 43.4% of Turkish women surveyed had experienced at least one type of violence in their lifetime. Healthcare professionals and other practitioners are often the first point of contact for VAW survivors and can play an essential role in the recognition and intervention process. This descriptive, cross-sectional study examines the perspectives of women shelter staff on survivors of VAW in Turkey, considering how demographic factors influence these staff members’ views of VAW survivors. Seventy-nine women completed the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) revealing a significant association between the education levels of the participants and their AWS score. In addition, married women held more stigmatizing attitudes toward VAW survivors than single women. This study can serve as a valuable for researchers, professionals, and policymakers to learn and understand how culture and family values influence gender-based biases and tolerance levels.

Views On Gender-Based Violence And Femicide: Implications For Policy And Practice Interventions

As an initial step toward developing a responsive and adequate service delivery to the victims of GBVF, this exploratory formative research was conducted to examine perspectives of GBVF among the South African Police Service (SAPS) and community members in the Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) policing area. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was used for a bigger study, to evaluate a comprehensive case-management intervention in the KZN. This paper offers only the results of a quantitative method. Descriptive research was followed to present the opinions of the respondents. A self-administered survey design was deemed appropriate as the strategy enhances honesty in responses, especially when dealing with sensitive matters such as GBVF. The sampling strategy amounted to the purposive selection of two police stations as a sample (n=131). The findings highlighted that the SAPS is gradually making inroads towards responding to the scourge of GBVF in the policing area. Concerning the seemingly slow response to perceptions of, and response to, reported cases, the findings indicated that the SAPS has introduced the use of technology to promptly respond to assist the victims of GBVF. This study was conducted in one province and findings cannot be generalized to the other eight provinces. There is a need for a paradigm shift to address past structural inequities that have created a climate conducive to violence against women (VAW), especially in rural settings. Based on the findings, there is a need for the two stations to be installed with a victim-friendly room where victims of those crimes should be assisted.