scholarly journals Researching violence against women and girls in South Sudan: ethical and safety considerations and strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Contreras-Urbina ◽  
Alexandra Blackwell ◽  
Maureen Murphy ◽  
Mary Ellsberg
Keyword(s):  
Violence Against Women ◽  
South Sudan ◽  
World Health ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Ethical Guidelines ◽  
Local Networks ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Safety Considerations

Abstract Background Globally, it is estimated that at least one out of every three women experiences violence by an intimate partner and/or non-partner throughout their lifetime. Women and girls are at even higher risk of violence in conflict and humanitarian crises. Although effort has expanded to build rigorous evidence and research on violence against women and girls (VAWG) among conflict-affected populations, methodological and ethical challenges remain. Basic ethical research practices are more challenging in conflict-affected populations and therefore require supplementary protections. While it is important to follow international ethical guidelines, in practice it is sometimes difficult depending on the setting. The aim of this paper is to present the main ethical challenges that occur when conducting research on VAWG in conflict and humanitarian settings, as well as potential strategies to address these challenges, based on a recent study carried out in South Sudan in 2016. Case presentation This paper provides an analysis utilizing the World Health Organization guidelines on doing research on VAWG and in conflict and humanitarian settings. The paper analyses four main components: the first component is a risk-benefit assessment, which includes identifying the research gap and evaluating feasibility with local stakeholders. The second component is a methodological and conceptual approach, which involves both local stakeholders and external experts in order to develop flexible methods that can be used in a volatile conflict setting. The third component is safety considerations, which emphasizes the importance of collaborating with a partner with strong local networks. The last component is analysis and research uptake. This component describes the importance of developing different research products, and disseminating them in a way to ensure they would be relevant and minimize any risks to the participants. Conclusions The study in South Sudan provided an excellent opportunity to put into practice the international ethical guidelines to carry out research on VAWG in conflict and humanitarian settings. The study enabled the research team to reflect on the guidelines and develop strategies to cope with new methodological and ethical challenges that arose in this complex setting, adapting the guidelines, as necessary. It demonstrated the necessity of developing a strong yet adaptable methodology with multiple alternative plans to solve any safety or ethical issues that occur throughout the entirety of the study. It also revealed the importance of collaborating with an implementing partner and gathering input from both local and international stakeholders on research design, analysis and uptake. Most importantly, the study in South Sudan emphasized that this type of complex research requires significant planning, in addition to substantial financial and human resources. Donor buy-in and flexibility is therefore essential.

scholarly journals Cultural Impact and an Intimate Partner aggression in African Societies: A comparison of Rwanda and South Sudan

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 170
Author(s):  
Owen Ndoromo
Keyword(s):  
Violence Against Women ◽  
South Sudan ◽  
Partner Aggression ◽  
Cultural Impact ◽  
Cultural Violence ◽  
South Sudanese ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Intimate Partner Aggression

The study investigated the role of cultural impact on South Sudanese and Rwandan women who nowadays reside in the diaspora in Finland and Belgium. It explores the cultural violence against women before and after the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis, and after the independency of South Sudan. This argument is presented through an analysis of existing literature and documents; and through interviews with 341 respondents (166 men and 175 women) belonging to the Rwandan diaspora in Belgium and in Finland; and 420 participants (302 females and 118 males) married, divorced, single mothers in South Sudan. The results show that women and girls in South Sudan continue to be at risk of violence from cultural impact more than Rwandan women. Poverty, education, and insecurity play a huge role in promoting aggression against South Sudanese women.

scholarly journals Risk and protective factors for GBV among women and girls living in humanitarian setting: systematic review protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Murphy ◽  
Mary Ellsberg ◽  
Aminat Balogun ◽  
Claudia Garcia-Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
World Health ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
The World ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Background While one in three women around the world are estimated to have experienced intimate partner or sexual violence, these rates are often exacerbated during conflict and humanitarian crisis. This systematic review seeks to provide an overview of existing research on risk and protective factors associated with gender-based violence (GBV) in conflict and humanitarian settings. Methods Studies will be searched from the following databases: PubMed (Medline); PsycINFO; Scopus; Global Health; and Cochrane Center trials registrar. In addition, targeted searches of the internet repositories for GBV will be conducted. We will include studies that are published between January 1995 and December 2020 and document risk or protective factors for gender-based violence against women and girls in conflict or humanitarian settings. Two reviewers will independently screen and extract data for the review, with a third reviewer arbitrating disputes and ensuring quality. A quality assessment of the included studies will be undertaken using a modified GRADE system. Narrative synthesis will be utilized to analyze the data. Discussion The results of this study will inform the design and delivery of GBV prevention programs in conflict and humanitarian settings as well as contribute to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 5. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be utilized at the World Health Organization to inform efforts to prevent GBV in conflict and humanitarian settings. Systematic review registration The protocol has been registered with PROSEPERO (CRD42020198695).

scholarly journals “If You Are Born a Girl in This Crisis, You Are Born a Problem”: Patterns and Drivers of Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict-Affected South Sudan

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122199646
Author(s):  
Mary Ellsberg ◽  
Maureen Murphy ◽  
Alexandra Blackwell ◽  
Mairi Macrae ◽  
Dashakti Reddy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
South Sudan ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Bride Price ◽  
Forms Of Violence

This article presents the results of a qualitative study on the context and different forms of violence committed against women and girls in South Sudan. The study documents many forms of sexual and physical violence against women and girls in South Sudan, including conflict-related sexual violence, intimate partner violence, nonpartner sexual violence, child and forced marriage, and abduction. Violence occurred during three overarching contexts: armed conflict, gender inequality, and the economic crisis. The custom of bride price, combined with the economic crisis, is a key driver of many other forms of violence.

Trouble in Paradigm: “Gender Transformative” Programming in Violence Prevention

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (14) ◽  
pp. 1635-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa D. Brush ◽  
Elizabeth Miller
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
World Health ◽  
Gendered Violence ◽  
The Social ◽  
Homophobic Bullying ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gendered Patterns ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Exposure To Trauma

The World Health Organization encourages a “gender transformative” paradigm for preventing violence against women and girls. Gender transformative interventions engage men and boys to reflect critically on—and then to challenge and change—gender-inequitable attitudes and behaviors. To interpret the mixed findings of research evaluating such programs, we review the “social norms” model that informs the paradigm. We bolster the paradigmatic conceptualization of social norms through insights about how exposure to trauma shapes gendered patterns of victimization and perpetration, about gendered violence from research on homophobic bullying, and about transforming local regimes of gender accountability.

scholarly journals Remote evaluations of violence against women and girls interventions: a rapid scoping review of tools, ethics and safety

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. e006780
Author(s):  
Ilana Seff ◽  
Luissa Vahedi ◽  
Samantha McNelly ◽  
Elfriede Kormawa ◽  
Lindsay Stark
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Surveys ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Women And Girls

Although programmes and policies targeting violence against women and girls (VAWG) have increased in the past decade, there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions. To expand this evidence base, researchers increasingly employ remote data collection (RDC)—including online surveys, mobile applications and telephone interviews—in their evaluations. Although RDC allows for evaluations without in-person interactions—which are restricted during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic— information about these methods is necessary to understand their potential usefulness and limitations. This scoping review examines remote evaluations of VAWG interventions to describe the landscape of RDC methods, reflect on safety and ethical considerations, and offer best practices for RDC in VAWG research. Fourteen studies met eligibility criteria, with seven, five, and two studies employing telephone interviews, online surveys, and mobile applications, respectively. Studies commonly stated that participants were asked to use a safe email or device, but the method for verifying such safety was rarely specified. Best practices around safety included creating a ‘quick escape’ button for online data collection to use when another individual was present, explaining to participants how to erase browsing history and application purchases, and asking participants to specify a safe time for researchers to call. Only eight studies established referral pathways for respondents as per best practice. None of the eligible studies took place in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) or humanitarian settings, likely reflecting the additional challenges to using RDC methods in lower resource settings. Findings were used to create a best practice checklist for programme evaluators and Institutional Review Boards using RDC for VAWG interventions. The authors found that opportunities exist for researchers to safely and effectively use RDC methodologies to gather VAWG data, but that further study is needed to gauge the feasibility of these methods in LMICs and humanitarian settings.

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