Articlegold2016

Perceptions and Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Sara J. Shuman · Kathryn Falb · Lauren Cardoso · Heather Cole · Denise Olga Kpebo · Jhumka Gupta

37 citations0/0 files storedPLoS ONE

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Intimate Partner and Family Violence Elder Abuse and Neglect Gender, Violence, Rights in Latin America

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Men and women's perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV) within crisis-affected populations are not well understood. This mixed-methods study examined the frequency of IPV against women in urban Cote d'Ivoire, and qualitatively explored how men and women perceive the impact of various forms of IPV on health, everyday activities, and feelings of shame. METHODS: A survey was administered to Ivorian women (N = 80) to measure the frequency of IPV, and ten focus group discussions were conducted with women (n = 46) and men (n = 45) to explore perceptions of different forms of IPV, including its impacts on disruptions to health, everyday activities, and experiences of shame. RESULTS: Half of all surveyed women (53.6%) reported past year exposure to physical, sexual, or emotional IPV. Of the multiple types of violence, emotional IPV was most common (46.4%), followed by sexual IPV (21.7%) and physical IPV (17.4%). Focus group participants identified additional forms of violence including economic IPV and community discrimination. Lack of financial resources and unemployment were common problems among crisis-affected women and were described as an underlying source of IPV. Both women and men reported that shame and stigma play a large role in how women experience the repercussions of IPV, regardless of the form of violence, with public episodes of IPV almost always seen as more detrimental than private episodes of IPV. CONCLUSIONS: These results underscore the need for increased social support mechanisms for women to reduce the shame, stigma, and isolation associated with their experiences. The creation of safe and supportive spaces for women to talk about and challenge social norms may be an important first step in reducing community shaming and the secrecy that often surrounds IPV. Safe spaces along with broader societal outreach, including challenging men's social positions and creating opportunities for increasing economic resources can, in turn potentially decrease the frequency of IPV and its deleterious impacts on a woman's well-being.

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References

2013Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence.2005WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women: Initial Results on Prevalence, Health Outcomes and Women's Responses 2006Intimate Partner Violence 2008Grounded theory as an emergent method.2014Findings from the SASA! Study: a cluster randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of a community mobilization intervention to prevent violence against women and reduce HIV risk in Kampala, Uganda 2011A Systematic Review of Prevalence Studies of Gender-Based Violence in Complex Emergencies 2013Gender norms and economic empowerment intervention to reduce intimate partner violence against women in rural Côte d’Ivoire: a randomized controlled pilot study 2009The risk of return: Intimate partner violence in Northern Uganda's armed conflict

Cited by

2021Mental health of women and children experiencing family violence in conflict settings: a mixed methods systematic review 2023A Systematic Review of Public Stigmatization Toward Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries 2023Sexual violence stigma experiences among refugee adolescents and youth in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, Uganda: Qualitative insights informed by the stigma power process framework

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