Motivations and Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence in Ghana

Factors associated with non-help-seeking among women victims of physical or sexual intimate partner violence in Peru: Findings from the National Demographic and Family Health Survey, 2017 to 2019

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the factors associated with non-help-seeking in victims of physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) in Peru.

METHODS

This was an analytical cross-sectional study of 3-year data from the Peruvian Demographic and Health Survey. The sample comprised women aged 18 to 49 who had experienced physical or sexual IPV at some time in their lives. The dependent variable was non-help-seeking after suffering physical or sexual IPV. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the factors associated with non-help-seeking. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was carried out in which only women who suffered physical or sexual IPV in the last year were considered.

RESULTS

Data from 15,265 female victims of physical or sexual IPV were analyzed. It was found that 57.4% did not seek help after suffering physical or sexual IPV. The main reasons for non-help-seeking included thinking it was unnecessary (42.3%) and embarrassment (14.9%). Age between 30 and 49 years old (PRa:1.15; 95%CI [1.06, 1.25]) and residing in a rural area (PRa:1.07; 95%CI [1.00, 1.13]) were associated with a higher probability of non-help-seeking. On the other hand, having a secondary education level (PRa:0.91; 95% CI [0.86, 0.97]) or higher (PRa:0.90; 95%CI [0.82, 0.99]), having a partner who drinks alcohol (PRa:0.94; 95%CI [0.89, 0.99]), having experienced physical or sexual IPV during a pregnancy (PRa:0.87; 95%CI [0.80, 0.94]), and having experienced moderate (PRa:0.81; 95%CI [0.76, 0.86]), or severe physical or sexual IPV (PRa:0.74; 95%CI [0.67, 0.82]), were associated with a lower probability of non-help-seeking. These associations were consistent in the sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSION

Half of the women who experience physical or sexual IPV do not seek help. There are sociodemographic factors related to this non-seeking of help that are useful for identifying and prioritizing interventions to reduce IPV and improve the health status of women.

Formal support services and (dis)empowerment of domestic violence victims: perspectives from women survivors in Ghana

BACKGROUND

As part of efforts to prevent violence against women, several countries have institutionalized formal support services including legislations to prevent, protect victims, and deter perpetrators of domestic violence (DV). Prior research on formal support service utilization shows that DV survivors do not get the necessary services they deserve. However, much remains to be known about the experiences of women survivors of DV who accessed a range of formal support services and how their experiences (dis)empowered them. Here, we assessed the experiences of Ghanaian women survivors of DV with formal support services vis-à-vis the provisions of the Ghana DV Act and insights of subject experts.

METHODS

From May to August 2018, we recruited a total of 28 participants: 21 women survivors of DV in Weija-Gbawe Municipality of Ghana, and 7 experts from the police, human rights, and health professions. We used two sets of in-depth interview guides: one to collect data on survivors' experiences, and the second for the insights of experts. We performed summary descriptive statistics on survivors' sociodemographic characteristics and used thematic analysis to assess their experiences of DV; and access to, patronage, and response of formal support services.

RESULTS

Of 21 DV survivors, 19 (90.1%) were aware of the existence of the DV law, however none was well informed of their entitlements. DV survivors have low formal education and are not economically empowered. Some DV survivors are revictimized in the process of accessing formal services. DV survivors expect the government to provide them with shelter, upkeep, medical, and legal aid. All the 21 survivors had at least one contact with a women's rights organization and were knowledgeable of their supporting services namely legal services, temporary shelter, and psychosocial support.

CONCLUSIONS

The experiences of DV survivors do not reflect the legal provisions of Ghana's DV Act. Government under funding of formal services and negative gender norms are disempowering to survivors. NGOs are popular among women survivors of DV in Ghana for the education, legal, and material support they provide. A close collaboration between the government and NGOs could better mitigate DV in Ghana.

Health Providers' Response to Female Adolescent Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Demand Side Barriers in the Utilization of Support Services in Urban Low-Income Communities of Nigeria

Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) are often hindered in their quest to access quality healthcare. This has a significant effect towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal SDG Target 3.7. to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. This study is focused on identifying some of the demand side barriers in accessing health care services, particularly among young girls who are survivors of SGBV within intimate relationships in poor urban areas in Nigeria. The study used an ethnographic approach to solicit information from health providers, adolescents, and young women (AYW) in 10 low-income communities in two major cities in Nigeria, Ibadan and Lagos. Findings showed that there are structural limitations within the primary health care (PHC) system that posed a great challenge for survivors of SGBV to access services. Some of these include non-existing counseling services, a lack of rehabilitation centers, poor referral, and a lack of training for health providers in handling survivors of SGBV. There is also a lack of skills among health service providers that have negative influence on support services to survivors of SGBV. On the demand side, poor knowledge of possible health seeking pathways, a lack of education, and social support are barriers to accessing appropriate services among adolescent and young SGBV survivors. The study concluded that integrated services at the PHC level should include adequate and timely treatment for survivors of SGBV and targeted intervention to upscale skills and knowledge of health care providers.