Measuring sexual violence stigma in humanitarian contexts: assessment of scale psychometric properties and validity with female sexual violence survivors from Somalia and Syria

Abstract Background Valid measures of sexual violence stigma that can be readily incorporated into program monitoring and evaluation systems are needed to strengthen gender-based violence (GBV) services in humanitarian emergencies. This study sought to assess the psychometric properties, construct validity, and measurement invariance of sexual violence stigma scales among female Somali GBV survivors in Kenya and Syrian GBV survivors in Jordan to identify an abbreviated scale that could be used across humanitarian contexts. Methods We administered measures of sexual violence stigma to 209 female survivors of sexual violence aged 15 and older in Kenya and Jordan. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the underlying latent structure, and Item Response Theory was used to estimate item difficulty and discrimination parameters to guide efforts to shorten the scales. Differential item functioning (DIF) by site was assessed using Multiple Indicators, Multiple Causes models. Construct validity of the sexual violence stigma scales was assessed by estimating correlations with functional impairment, depression, and disability. Results The sexual violence stigma measure exhibited distinct factor structures among Somali and Syrian GBV survivors. Among Somali survivors, a two-factor model with separate felt (10 items) and enacted (4 items) stigma constructs was identified, with scales for both domains exhibiting good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.93 and 0.88, respectively). In Jordan, a single factor solution was uncovered for a 15-item stigma scale with good internal consistency (alpha = 0.86). The shortened core sexual stigma scale consisting of the 4 items that did not exhibit DIF had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.82 in Kenya and 0.81 in Jordan. The felt stigma scale in Kenya, the full stigma scale in Jordan, and abbreviated core stigma scales in both countries were meaningfully correlated with depression, while correlations with functional impairment were weaker and inconsistent across scales. Conclusions An abbreviated core set of invariant perceived and internalized sexual violence stigma items demonstrated evidence of construct validity in two diverse settings. The ability of this measure to be efficiently administered as a part of routine program monitoring and evaluation activities, with the potential addition of items from a measurement bank to improve contextual relevance, can facilitate improvements in the delivery and quality of gender-based violence programs in humanitarian emergencies.

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Advancing the Agenda of the Confederation of Trade Unions on the Prevention of Sexual Violence in the World of Work in Indonesia

Jurnal Perempuan ◽

10.34309/jp.v26i1.588 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 63

Author(s):

Atnike Nova Sigiro

Keyword(s):

Sexual Violence ◽

Gender Equality ◽

Trade Union ◽

Trade Unions ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

The World ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender ◽

Set Up

<p>This article was formulated based on interviews with 5 (five) trade union confederations from a number of confederations in Indonesia, namely: Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Nasional (KSPN), Konfederasi Sarikat Buruh Muslimin Indonesia (KSarbumusi), Konfederasi Serikat Buruh Seluruh Indonesia (KSBSI), Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia (KSPI), and Konfederasi Kongres Aliansi Serikat Buruh Indonesia (KKASBI). This article seeks to explore the efforts made by the trade union confederation in promoting gender equality - specifically in advancing the agenda for the prevention and elimination of sexual violence in the world of work. This article was compiled based on research with a qualitative approach, with data collection methods through interviews and literature studies. The results of this study found that the confederations interviewed had already set up internal structures that have specific functions on issues related to gender equality, gender-based violence, and women’s empowerment; although still limited and on ad-hoc basis. This research also finds that the role of the trade union confederation is particularly prominent in advocating policies related to sexual violence and gender-based violence in the world of work, such as advocating the Bill on the Elimination of Sexual Violence, and the ratification of the ILO Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment.</p>

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The Comparative Analysis of Sexual Violence and Harassment at the piloting Universities of Cyprus and Lithuania

Informacijos mokslai ◽

10.15388/im.2021.92.53 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 92 ◽

pp. 90-117

Author(s):

Virginija Šidlauskienė ◽

Rasa Pocevičienė

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Focus Group ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Attitudes And Beliefs ◽

The European Union ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

University Environment ◽

University Teachers ◽

Group Interviews ◽

Gender Based

The sociocultural contexts of higher education institutions form the background for gender-based violence in professional structures and environment of academia. The article presents the comparative analysis of sexual violence and the reasons for its (non-)disclosure at the universities in Lithuania and Cyprus. The findings of focus group interviews conducted within the framework of the Ending Sexual Harassment and Violence in Third Level Education (ESHTE) project, co-funded by the European Union, have been summarized in the present research. The focus group participants from each partner university involved university teachers, administrative staff, counselors and university students. The research was conducted during a 3-month period between 2017 and 2018. The main aim was to investigate university staffs’ and students’ experiences in the disclosures of the cases of sexual violence and harassment (SVH) in university environment and campus, as well as their awareness of existing procedures and policies in handling the cases of SVH. Their personal experiences, attitudes and beliefs of SVH, as well as any suggestions they have towards the improvement of disclosures of SVH are discussed in the article.

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Measuring gender-based violence risk mitigation in humanitarian settings: results from a comprehensive desk review and systematic mapping

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050887 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. e050887

Author(s):

Jocelyn TD Kelly ◽

Emily Ausubel ◽

Emma Kenny ◽

Meredith Blake ◽

Christine Heckman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Mitigation ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Monitoring And Evaluation ◽

Sufficient Information ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Systematic Mapping ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Humanitarian Response ◽

Gender Based ◽

The Impact

ObjectivesTo systematically document measurement approaches used in the monitoring and evaluation of gender-based violence (GBV) risk mitigation activities, categorise the types of available literature produced by sector, identify existing tools and measures and identify knowledge gaps within the humanitarian sector.DesignSystematic mapping and in-depth review.Data sources: Pubmed, Global Health, PsychInfo, ReliefWeb, OpenGrey (grey literature), Google Scholar, Web of Science (Social Science Index)Eligibility criteria: a structured search strategy was systematically applied to 17 databases as well as registers, websites and other resources to identify materials published between 1 January 2005 and 15 May 2019.Data extraction and synthesis: Those resources that met the inclusion criteria underwent a comprehensive full-text review. A detailed matrix was developed and key data from each resource were extracted to allow for the assessment of patterns in thematic areas.ResultsA total of 2108 documents were screened. Overall, 145 documents and 112 tools were reviewed, representing 10 different humanitarian sectors. While numerous resources exist, many lack sufficient information on how to monitor outputs or outcomes of GBV risk mitigation activities. There is also limited guidance on how to integrate the measurement of GBV risk mitigation into existing monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Those reports that aimed to measure GBV risk mitigation activities mostly employed qualitative methods and few measured the impact of a GBV risk mitigation with robust research designs.ConclusionsRecent efforts to adapt humanitarian response to COVID-19 have highlighted new and existing challenges for GBV risk mitigation. There is a significant gap in the evidence base around the effectiveness of GBV risk mitigation across all sectors. Understanding and strengthening measurement approaches in GBV risk mitigation remains a critical task for humanitarian response.

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Commentary: Women’s Empowerment and Addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the DRC

Allons-y: Journal of Children, Peace and Security ◽

10.15273/allons-y.v3i0.10061 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 44-47

Author(s):

Eileen Alma

Keyword(s):

United Nations ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

National Elections ◽

Republic Of The Congo ◽

State Actors ◽

The United Nations ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender ◽

National Police

In the last two years, ethnically motivated sexual and gender-based violence rose in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country marked with ethnic-based tensions and conflict over the control of its extractive industries over decades. According to the 2018 Report of the United Nations Secretary General to the United Nations, sexualized violence cases emerged and spread in several provinces in 2017 with at least 804 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in this period, affecting 507 women, 265 girls, 30 men and 2 boys. Despite progress by the international community actors to end these abhorrent practices, this marks a significant increase from the previous year and the delay in national elections has exacerbated conflict. Both non-state actors and state actors are identified perpetrators of sexual violence, including the Congolese National Police.

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Effectiveness of the Communities Care programme on change in social norms associated with gender-based violence (GBV) with residents in intervention compared with control districts in Mogadishu, Somalia

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023819 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. e023819 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nancy Glass ◽

Nancy Perrin ◽

Mendy Marsh ◽

Amber Clough ◽

Amelie Desgroppes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Norms ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Effect Size ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Community Members ◽

Care Programme ◽

Provision Of Services ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Control ◽

Intervention District

ObjectiveDetermine the effectiveness of the Communities Care programme (CCP) on change in harmful social norms associated with gender-based violence (GBV) and confidence in provision of services with residents in intervention compared with control district. We hypothesised that residents in the intervention district would report a decrease in support for harmful social norms and increase in confidence in services in comparison with control district.SettingThe study was conducted in Mogadishu, Somalia.ParticipantsIn the intervention district, 192 community members (50% women) completed baseline surveys with 163 (84.9%) retained at endline. In the control district, 195 community members (50% women) completed baseline surveys with 167 (85.6%) retained at endline.InterventionCCP uses facilitated dialogues with community members to catalyse GBV prevention actions and provides training to diverse sectors to strengthen response services for GBV survivors.ResultsResidents in the intervention district had significantly greater improvement in change in social norms: (1) response to sexual violence (b=−0.214, p=0.041); (2) protecting family honour (b=−0.558, p<0.001); and (3) husband’s right to use violence (b=−0.309, p=0.003) compared with control district participants. The greatest change was seen in the norm of ‘protecting family honour’ with a Cohen’s d effect size (ES) of 0.70, followed by the norm ‘husband’s right to use violence’ (ES=0.38), and then the norm of ‘response to sexual violence’ (ES=0.28). Residents in intervention district had a significantly greater increase in confidence in provision of GBV services across diverse sectors than the control district (b=0.318, p<0.001) with an associated effect size of 0.67. There were no significant differences between residents in intervention and control districts on change in personal beliefs on the norms.ConclusionThe evaluation showed the promise of CCP in changing harmful social norms associated with GBV and increasing confidence in provision of services in a complex humanitarian setting.

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Accountability for Sexual and Gender-based Violence During Mass Repression and in Conflict

Journal of International Criminal Justice ◽

10.1093/jicj/mqaa025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 307-324

Author(s):

Daniela Kravetz

Keyword(s):

Sexual Violence ◽

Criminal Law ◽

International Criminal ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

International Criminal Law ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

National Courts ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender ◽

Domestic Level

Abstract This article examines how national courts in Argentina and Guatemala are applying the international criminal law framework to address sexual violence perpetrated during mass repression and in conflict. It focuses on the emerging domestic jurisprudence in both countries and explores the challenges to prosecuting sexual and gender-based violence at the domestic level and the lessons learned from these experiences.

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Globalizing Justice, Homogenizing Sexual Violence: The Legacy of the ICTY and ICTR in terms of Sexual Violence

AJIL Unbound ◽

10.1017/s2398772300009053 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 110 ◽

pp. 214-219

Author(s):

Kelly-Jo Bluen

Keyword(s):

Sexual Violence ◽

Criminal Law ◽

International Criminal ◽

Critical Role ◽

International Criminal Tribunal ◽

International Criminal Law ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender ◽

The One

In their contribution to the AJIL Symposium, Robinson and MacNeil remark that a prolific legacy of the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is that “it is now commonsense that rape is and must be a war crime.” This line distills the complexity of the legacies of the tribunals regarding sexual and gender-based violence. On the one hand, it articulates the critical role of the tribunals in cementing the idea that sexual violence, hitherto largely relegated to indifference in international criminal law and policy frameworks, is worthy of international attention. Simultaneously, it encapsulates the ways in which the tribunals’ jurisprudence has been received globally to narrate a narrow conception of conflict-related sexual violence as a “weapon of war” or committed as part of “strategic” conflict-related goals. In fact, there is little that constitutes common sense about sexual violence in conflict, nor is it always, or even most predominantly, committed as a war crime, crime against humanity,or in pursuit of genocide as envisaged by international criminal law. Various studies suggest that sexual violence in war takes many forms and causalities with differentiation across and within conflict contexts.

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Work-related mobility and experiences of gender-based violence among female sex workers in Iringa, Tanzania: a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from Project Shikamana

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022621 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (9) ◽

pp. e022621 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Zoé Mistrale Hendrickson ◽

Anna M Leddy ◽

Noya Galai ◽

Jessie K Mbwambo ◽

Samuel Likindikoki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Relative Risk ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Sex Work ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Female Sex Workers ◽

Recent Experience ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Work Related ◽

Gender Based

ObjectivesTo examine how work-related mobility among female sex workers (FSWs) is associated with gender-based violence (GBV) in Iringa, Tanzania.DesignCross-sectional analyses were conducted on baseline data gathered between October 2015 and April 2016 from FSWs participating in Project Shikamana, a community empowerment-based combination HIV prevention intervention.SettingParticipants were recruited for the baseline study using venue-based time-location sampling in two communities in Iringa, Tanzania.ParticipantsFSWs were eligible for participation if they were 18 years or older and had exchanged sex for money within the past month. Four-hundred ninety-six FSWs participated in the baseline survey.Primary and secondary outcome measuresAny recent experience of GBV was examined by recent work-related mobility among FSWs. Any recent experience of GBV was also disaggregated by severity for analyses. All bivariate and multivariate binary and multinomial logistic regressions adjusted for intraclass correlations among women recruited from the same venues.ResultsForty per cent of participants experienced recent physical or sexual violence, and 30% recently experienced severe physical or sexual violence. Thirty-three per cent of participants recently exchanged sex for money outside of their district or region, and 12% were both intraregionally and inter-regionally mobile for sex work. Intraregionally and inter-regionally mobile FSWs had 1.9 times greater odds of reporting recent GBV (adjusted OR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.06 to 3.38; p=0.031) compared with non-mobile FSWs and a 2.5 times higher relative risk for recent experience of severe GBV relative to no recent GBV (relative risk ratio: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.33 to 4.74; p=0.005).ConclusionsMobility for sex work may increase FSWs’ exposure to GBV, particularly more severe GBV. The vulnerability of mobile FSWs to violence, particularly severe forms, demands inclusive services that are accessible to mobile FSWs.

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Introduction: some reflections in these promising and challenging times

Gender Based Violence in University Communities ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781447336570.003.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Sundari Anitha ◽

Ruth Lewis

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Domestic Violence ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Service Provision ◽

Power Relations ◽

Sexual Objectification ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Prevention Education ◽

University Communities ◽

Gender Based

This introduction discusses the context and contours of some of the recent and emerging debates on gender based violence (GBV) in university communities. It begins by defining GBV as ‘behaviour or attitudes underpinned by inequitable power relations that hurt, threaten or undermine people because of their (perceived) gender or sexuality’. GBV encompasses a continuum of behaviours and attitudes such as domestic violence, sexual violence, and expressions on social media which normalise sexism and sexual objectification. This introduction explains the nature of the problem associated with GBV, how to understand and respond to the possibilities and challenges that it presents, and how gender as a lens is increasingly becoming obscured when considering the causes and consequences of GBV. It also argues that we need to rethink the punitive responses, service provision and prevention education used to address GBV in universities. Finally, it provides an overview of the chapters that follow.

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