This dissertation addresses gendered vulnerabilities after the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda. It consists of three essays, each focusing on the experience of women in a particular aspect of post-conflict development. The first essay analyzes trends in poverty and inequality in Rwanda from 2000 to 2005. The chapter identifies four important correlates of consumption income: gender, human capital, assets, and geography, and examines their salience in determining the poverty of a household and its position in the income distribution. The second essay is an econometric examination of an important health insurance scheme initiated in post-conflict Rwanda. Employing logistic regression techniques, I find systematically lower membership among female-headed households in the community-based health insurance scheme in Rwanda. This finding contravenes other empirical studies on community-based health insurance in Africa that found higher uptake by female-headed households. Female-headed households are just as likely to access health care, implying greater out-of-pocket expenditures on health. They report worse health status compared to their male counterparts. The third essay examines the prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence, based on household-level data from the Demographic and Health Survey conducted in Rwanda in 2005. Three results stand out. First, there are significant differences in the prevalence of three different types of gendered violence: physical, emotional and sexual violence. Second, women who are employed but whose husbands are not experience more sexual violence, not less, as would be expected in conventional household bargaining models. This can be interpreted as reflecting `male backlash' as gender norms are destabilized. Finally, there is a strong inter-district correlation between the post-conflict prevalence of sexual violence and the intensity of political violence during the genocide. The findings of the dissertation support its underlying premise: that looking at economic processes through a gendered lens, and recognizing that women face social, historical and institutional constraints that are ignored in much standard economic theorizing, affords important insights into social processes and development outcomes.

Little or nothing is really known about a man’s victimization in a domestic violence situation. Generally domestic violence is viewed from the lens of a women with the typical idea that women are the victim while men, the perpetrators of violence. Overtime, this societal perception is beginning to subside as researchers have proven that men are also victims of domestic violence (Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz,1980). Despite this revelation, not much is known about male victimization as most men prefer not to report their victimization. This study seeks to examine the reasons for not reporting victimization and the effect of this decision on men. The study does so by employing a cross sectional research carried out in 1994-1996, that was designed to assess the prevalence and impact of violence and threat of violence on women and men across the United States.

Men’s violence against women is a common social problem affecting many women worldwide. How the problems are described will influence social work, thus making it important to grasp the discourse regarding men’s violence against women. Therefore, this study aims to examine the Swedish political discourse regarding men’s violence against women in order to understand the social conditions relating to violence against women. The political parties being studied are Sverigedemokraterna, Moderaterna, Kristdemokraterna and Liberalerna, since these parties hold the parliamentary majority. Political programs and websites of the parties were studied, as well as public radio and television programs and political speeches featuring the leaders of the political parties. The material was analyzed by using two theoretical perspectives, Connell's theory of masculinity and Butler's theory of grievability. The results of the study drew attention to several tendencies within the Swedish political discourse related to men's violence against women. Three forms of violence were commonly recurrent, such as sexual violence, intimate partner violence and honor-related violence. The violence was often interpreted in the political discourse as a result of culture and values related to people with foreign backgrounds. Furthermore, the study indicates that the parties rarely name violence against women as men’s violence against women and often exclusively refers to intimate partner violence. In addition, the violence is mostly described through gender neutral terms, which ultimately conceals the fact that women more often are victims to violence and that men usually are perpetrators of violence.

No description available.

Bakgrund Våld mot kvinnor i nära relationer orsakar stort lidande hos individen samt deras familj. Våldsutsatta kvinnor har behov av stöd och förståelse från hälso- och sjukvården. Våldet som orsakas mot kvinnorna leder till behov av akutsjukvård och därmed krävs rätt beredskap hos sjuksköterskor som arbetar på akutmottagning. Syfte Syftet med litteraturöversikten är att sammanställa aktuell forskning kring sjuksköterskans erfarenheter av att möta kvinnor på akutmottagning som utsatts för våld i nära relationer. Metod Detta är en strukturerad litteraturöversikt med inslag av den metod som används i systematiska översikter. Denna litteraturöversikt baseras på kvalitativa och kvantitativa studier som analyserats och likheter har kategoriserats vilket medförde till resultatet. Resultat Huvudkategorier identifierades; Förutsättningar hos sjuksköterskor samt Faktorer som påverkar sjuksköterskans bemötande med tillhörande underkategorier. Sammantaget påvisades en brist på kunskap, riktlinjer, rutiner samt tid hos sjuksköterskorna på akutmottagningarna vid omvårdnad av kvinnor som blivit utsatt för våld i nära relation. Sjuksköterskorna hade behov av vidare utbildning samt resurser för att kunna ge adekvathjälp. Slutsats Utbildning och organisatoriska förändringar som rutiner samt riktlinjer bör införas för att sjuksköterskor ska få adekvat kompetens och resurser för att identifiera samt möta våldsutsatta kvinnor och kunna ge god omvårdnad. / Background Intimate partner violence against women causes great suffering for the individual and their family. Women exposed to violence need support and understanding from the healthcare system. The violence that is caused against women leads to the need for emergency medical care, which requires adequate preparedness from nurses who work in the emergency department. Aim The aim of the literature review is to compile current research on the nurse's experiences of meeting women in the emergency department who have been exposed to intimate partner violence. Method This is a structured literature review with elements of the methodology used in it systematic reviews. This literature review is based on qualitative and quantitative studies that were analysed and similarities between these have been categorized which led to theresult. Results Main categories were identified; Presumptions for nurses and Factors that affect the nurse’s response with associated subcategories. Overall, there was a lack of nurses’ knowledge, time, guidelines, and routines in the emergency departments when caring for women who have been exposed to intimate partner violence. The nurses needed further education and resources to be able to provide adequate help. Conclusions Education and organizational changes such as routines and guidelines should be established so that nurses will have adequate skills and resources to identify and meet abused women and be able to provide good care.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) includes physical, emotional, psychological and sexual abuse. The impact of IPV has become increasingly accepted as a significant public health problem worldwide. This manuscript thesis has two chapters which attempts to address the current gaps in IPV research in India. The first chapter compares people’s attitudes about IPV based on their gender, age, income and exposure to IPV. In order to better understand and compare men and women’s attitudes about IPV, 204 self-administered surveys were collected from the in- and out-patient clinics of the Sancheti Institute for Othopedics and Rehabilitation (SIOR), a hospital in Pune, India. The results of these surveys showed that men and older generations were more likely to agree that wife-slapping was a justified response to least one of the presented scenarios, and to support normatively prescribed rights of Indian husbands to have excessive power in a marriage. Income level and experience being a victim of IPV were not associated with attitudes towards IPV or husbands’ rights. The second chapter explores the use of the Woman’s Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) in a sample of 62 males. Results from the WAST indicated a 16% IPV prevalence rate. These two papers shed light on different aspects of IPV. Results from the first paper suggest that men and older generations should be targeted for educational initiatives aimed at reducing IPV. The second paper provides a much-needed estimation of IPV prevalence among Indian males. Together, these findings help close existing gaps in the literature regarding IPV in India. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

There are well-established links between early exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and negative developmental outcomes for young children. Emerging evidence suggests that early care and education (ECE), an existing and widely used resource within children’s communities, may be a promising means to support and address the needs of young children experiencing adversity. However, little is known about ECE or ECE policies in the IPV context. This three-paper dissertation employs a triangulation mixed methods design to address these gaps in our current knowledge. Chapter 2 investigates the influences of ECE on the behavioral outcomes of children exposed to IPV. Four waves of national, longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Well Being Survey (N=3,108) were used to examine the moderating roles of informal, formal home-based, and center-based child care on respective associations between children’s IPV exposure and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems (IBP, EBP). Results from ordinary least squares regression models with interaction terms and subgroup analyses using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) suggest that non-parental child care, particularly center-based care, can attenuate the negative influences of some forms of IPV exposure on young children’s behavioral outcomes. Chapter 3 draws on primary data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 17 IPV survivor mothers of young children aged 0–5 to understand their ECE and child care subsidy decisions and arrangements. A data-driven thematic analysis revealed pervasive influences of IPV on mothers’ ECE access and utilization. Despite IPV perpetrators’ interference with and restraint of ECE, mothers sought child care arrangements they believed would enhance children’s well-being, particularly with respect to children’s IPV-related needs and safety. Social and structural factors (e.g., social isolation and ECE affordability and availability) also importantly influenced mothers’ ECE arrangements, and child care subsidies were a critical resource for some. Chapter 4 explores the mechanisms by which ECE can promote children’s resilience during and following IPV exposure, using data from the same 17 interviews with IPV survivor mothers as well as interviews with 6 ECE professionals with experience working with children exposed to IPV. Results from data-driven thematic analyses indicate that reduced exposure to IPV and associated risks, prevention of abusers’ unsafe contact with children, nurturance, enriching activities, stability, a balance of consistency and flexibility, access to therapeutic services, and support of children’s emotion regulation and social development may serve as key protective mechanisms for children exposed to IPV within ECE environments. / 2026-01-08T00:00:00Z

Refugee women face several health and well-being risks in conflict settings. Intimate partner violence (IPV), military violence, poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH), early marriage, and unemployment are some of the competing challenges that refugee women face globally. IPV has been associated with mental health problems,1–3 unwanted pregnancy, pregnancy complications, STIs, and unsafe abortion practices,4 HIV,5–8 long term disabilities, chronic pain, and increased mortality and morbidity in refugee settings.9–12 Likewise, low, inconsistent, and ineffective use of modern spacing methods (MSM) of contraceptive has been linked to unplanned pregnancies, risk of abortions and unsafe abortions, maternal, infant and child morbidity and mortality, human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and obstetric complications as well as high fertility and poverty. Similarly, low economic engagement and/or unemployment of refugee women has proven to cause significant social, economic and health cost.13 Refugee women’s health and well-being are associated with individual, interpersonal, and societal level factors such as their age, education, social norms around fertility, household size, and age at marriage, contraceptive use, decision-making agency, socio-economic conditions, access to and affordability of health services and care, and acculturation in host countries among other factors. This dissertation examines how some of these multi-level factors influence women’s IPV experiences, contraceptive use, and economic engagement in income-generating activities. The first dissertation paper examines the prevalence of lifetime IPV among a sample of 191 health-care seeking women refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia. Using Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological framework and integrated theory of gender and power, I examine multilevel factors associated with lifetime IPV. I also examine the relationship between contraceptive use and lifetime IPV. About one-third (28.30 %) of refugee women reported having experienced lifetime IPV. My hypotheses were partially supported in this study. There were significant associations between marital status, household size, contraceptive use, and food insecurity and lifetime IPV experiences in the bivariate analysis. Age, education, gender-based violence, time spent in Malaysia, and clinic were women were recruited from were not significant in the bivariate analysis. There were no associations between socio-demographic variables like age, education, household size, time spent in Malaysia and the clinic in the unadjusted as well as adjusted models. However, there were significant relationships found between marital status, contraceptive use, and food insecurity and lifetime IPV experiences in the adjusted model. Widowed, separated, and divorced refugee women were significantly more likely to report lifetime IPV experiences relative to women who reported themselves as married at time of survey [OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.09, 6.03] compared to women did not report lifetime IPV experience in the adjusted multivariable logistic model, rejecting my hypothesis. Also, in line with my hypothesis, women who reported using permanent methods of contraceptives were significantly more likely to report lifetime IPV experiences than no contraceptive use [0R: 8.70, 95% CI: 1.95, 38.64] compared to women who did not report lifetime IPV experiences in the adjusted multivariable logistic model. In line with my hypothesis, women who reported themselves as being food insecure were more likely to report lifetime IPV experiences than no food insecurity [OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.89] compared to women who did not report lifetime IPV experiences in the adjusted multivariable logistic model. The second dissertation paper examines the prevalence of types of MSM of contraceptive use (female controlled MSM of contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants, injectables, oral contraceptives (OC); male involved MSM of contraceptives such as condoms; and no contraceptives) among a sample of 307 married Syrian refugee women in Jordan. Using Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological framework and integrated theory of gender and power, I examine multilevel factors associated with MSM of contraceptive use. I also examine the relationship between early marriage and contraceptive use and the relationship between past-year IPV and contraceptive use. About two-fifth (38.44%) of women reported using female controlled MSM (IUDs, injectables, pills, and implants), a little more than one-tenth (11.73%) reported using male involved contraceptives (male condoms), and half of them (49.84%) reported using no contraceptives (includes natural methods and no forms of contraceptive methods). My hypotheses were partially supported in this study. Socio-demographic variables such as age, head of household, and reproductive health care services received in the past six months were significant in the bivariate association between socio-demographic variables and types of MSM of contraceptive use. And early marriage, education, children under the age of five, past-year IPV experience, Syrian governorate, and time in Jordan (acculturation) were not significant in the bivariate analysis. Women who were married prior to the age of 18 years were significantly more likely to report female controlled MSM of contraceptive use than no MSM of contraceptive use at time of survey [RRR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.13] compared to women who were married past 18 years of age in the adjusted multinomial logistic model. Women with children under the age of five were less likely to report male involved MSM of contraceptive use than no MSM of contraceptive use [RRR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.84] compared to women with children older than five years of age in the adjusted multinomial logistic model. Women who reported reproductive health care services received in the past six months were significantly more likely to report female controlled MSM of contraceptive use than no MSM of contraceptive use [RRR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.98, 3.80] compared to women who reported not receiving reproductive health care services in the past six months in the adjusted multinomial logistic model. Contrary to my hypothesis, women who reported themselves as head of household were less likely to report female controlled MSM of contraceptive use than no MSM of contraceptive use [RRR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.89] compared to women who reported their husbands or family members as head of households in the adjusted multinomial logistic model. No associations between socio-demographic variables like age, education, past-year IPV, Syrian governorate, time spent in Jordan and MSM of contraceptive use in the adjusted multinomial logistic regression model were found. The third dissertation paper examines the prevalence of husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity among a sample of 344 married Syrian refugee women living in non-camp settings in Jordan. Using Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological framework and integrated theory of gender and power, I examine multilevel factors associated with husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity. I also examine the association between no lifetime IPV and husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity and the association between head of the households and husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity. I further examine if the relationship between no lifetime IPV and husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity is moderated by women’s agency measured by if they reported themselves as head of the household. About one-third (65.12 %) of women reported husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity. My hypothesis was partially supported in bivariate and multivariable logistical regression analysis. Age, education, previous work experience, head of the household, no lifetime IPV, and time in Jordan were significant in the bivariate analysis between multi-level/socio-demographic variables and husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity. Of the less than half (44.77%) of women who did not experience lifetime IPV, more than one-third (70.8 %) of women reported husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity relative to those who reported lifetime IPV experience (70.78 % versus 29.22 %; P=0.05). Of the more than one-fifth (22.97 %) of women who reported themselves as head of household, more than four-fifth (83.54 %) of women reported husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity relative to those who did not report themselves as head of the households (83.54 % versus 16.46 %; P=0.000). In line with my hypothesis, in unadjusted (OR=1.58 95% confidence interval, CI=1.00-2.48) and adjusted (aOR=1.60, 95% CI=0.98-2.563) models, not experiencing lifetime IPV were associated with increased odds of husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity. Similarly, in both the unadjusted (OR=3.44 95% confidence interval, CI=1.80-6.54) and adjusted (aOR=2.65, 95% CI=1.33-5.29) models, women who reported themselves as head of the households were associated with increased odds of husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity, supporting my hypothesis. Likewise, in both the unadjusted (OR=7.97 95% confidence interval, CI=2.40-26.40) and adjusted (aOR=5.82, 95% CI=1.66-20.40) models, women who reported no IPV experiences as well as who reported themselves as head of the households were associated with increased odds of husbands’ no opposition to wives’ economic activity relative to women who reported lifetime IPV experiences and who did not report themselves as the head of the households, supporting my hypothesis. Age and education were also significant in the adjusted model. These findings affirm that IPV, contraceptive use, and women’s economic engagement are serious health and well-being issues. Results fill in the literature gaps on multilevel factors associated with IPV, contraceptive use, and women’s economic engagement. The first study contributes to the literature on how contraceptive behavior, refugee women’s marital status, and food insecurity, measured as a proxy of poverty influences refugee women’s IPV experiences. The second study contributes to the literature on how marrying at an early age, having children in the households, and receiving reproductive health services influences refugee women’s contraceptive behavior. Third paper contributes to the literature on how refugee women’s lack of IPV experiences and their improved agency/household decision making power influences their economic engagement in the host country. These findings have potential to inform health, sexual and reproductive health, social norms, and economic empowerment interventions. The implications of these findings for social policy, practice, and future research for each paper are discussed in relevant sections as well as in the conclusion section.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global human rights issue that affects approximately 25% of women and 10% of men and is the leading cause of homicides of women worldwide. Multiple studies have been conducted by medical and dental practitioners to screen for indicators of IPV so that victims can be directed toward resources for help. However, despite its prevalence, injury patterns indicative of intimate partner homicide (IPH) have not previously been studied. Given that blunt force injuries are the primary type of trauma associated with IPV and the second leading trauma associated with IPH (after gunshot trauma), craniofacial fracture patterns from blunt force trauma associated with IPH served as the focus of this study. Using computed tomography (CT) scans obtained from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator of identified victims of IPH, the fracture location and quantity of fractures were compared a compilation of results from previously published studies on IPV. In addition, data on fracture type were collected on the IPH sample, as this can provide information about the fracture-causing blow. This study aimed to determine whether there are differences in fracture patterns associated with IPH versus incidence of IPV that were survived. It was found that some trends present in IPV cases were maintained in IPH cases--such as a concentration of fractures to the mid-face-- fractures in IPH cases were more distributed over the skull and presented with an more frequently on the upper face and cranial vault, as well as fractures to the right side of the body.

This thesis studies, through a series of interviews, the use of Lived Religion and cultural practices by migrant Thai women in Belgium as they seek to cope with the intimate partner violence they have suffered. The research looks at which strategies help the women to cope and which empower them to resist and leave their abusive context. The women were all beneficiaries of a Thai language support program run by the non-profit organisation Oasis Belgium.  The research uses a theoretical framework of Lived Religion, the religious and cul- tural practises in everyday life. In this case, this is not connected to congregational worship. In fact, the women in the study were very isolated and had to reconstruct their Lived Religion and cultural practice for themselves in their new location. To do this, they relied strongly on the memory of religion in their upbringing, the use of online media and communication with family back in Thailand. Through Lived Religion they were able to gain agency over their emotional reactions and then con- sider the problems they faced more objectively and decide how change might come.