Community-based Action Teams - Reduced Women's Experiences of IPV, Depression, and Partner Controlling Behaviour

Strategy researched

A community-based intervention that sought to address violence against women and support victims of violence through action teams that are nominated by the community to carry out awareness of VAW, change gender norms, and create referral systems for victims

Impact achieved

During the past year, based on a difference between levels before and after the intervention, women experienced significant reduction of 9.3% less sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) in communities where the intervention happened compared to communities without the intervention. Other significant results from the difference between intervention and nonintervention communities include a 4.75% reduction in the rates of reported depression for women, 2.66% reduction in women reporting partner-controlling behaviour, and a 15% reduction in the reported prevalence of men's perpetration of emotional IPV.

Country of study

Ghana

Research methodology

RCT (3,280 participants with 1,640 per trial arm)

Journal

Global Health Action; August 2020

Journal paper title and link

Evaluation of the rural response system intervention to prevent violence against women: findings from a community-randomised controlled trial in the Central Region of Ghana

Excerpt from Abstract

"...the RRS intervention reduced women's experiences of IPV, depression, and partner controlling behaviour and some evidence of men's reported reductions in the perpetration of IPV. The RRS intervention warrants careful scale-up in Ghana and further research."

Summary at this link