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Abstract
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Background
Five out of 10 married women in Nicaragua have experienced physical or sexual abuse at some point during their marriage (Ellsberg et al., 1999). Surveys collected by 360 women in the department of León indicate that 52% of these women have experienced physical violence by a current or former spouse (Ellsberg et al. 2001). Despite passing Law 779 addressing violence against women in June 2012, access to services for women experiencing violence is limited. To continue addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in the department of León, researchers recruited residents throughout León to participate in a study assessing community needs in relation to IPV.
Methods
A qualitative study consisting of 9 focus groups was held: 3 stakeholder groups, 3 groups of women living in urban areas, and 3 groups of women living in rural areas. Each focus group contained 4-7 participants, totalling 50 participants. There were 15 stakeholders, 20 rural women, and 15 urban participants. Focus groups were moderated by 2 researchers using semi-structured guides and lasted 60-100 minutes each. Various stakeholder participants were identified by the research team while other participants were recruited through snowball sampling, where researchers asked stakeholders to identify other potential participants for stakeholder and women groups. Stakeholders could be male or female; had to be 18-years of age or older; and must be working directly with IPV-related issues. While stakeholder focus groups were conducted in the city of León, the participants represented both urban and rural communities. The remaining 6 focus groups were conducted with adult women participants who are residents of León, and who experienced IPV personally or who knew someone who had experienced IPV. Female-only groups were a priority as the majority of victims of IPV are women, and because it is recognized that gender inequality is a risk factor of IPV (WHO, 2005; Ellsberg, 2006). Urban groups were facilitated within secure areas in the city of Leon, while rural groups took place in enclosed common spaces in the individual communities. Focus groups were transcribed and coded for major themes using ATLAS Ti software.
Findings
Qualitative analyses revealed two overarching themes: access to appropriate services and adequate human resources to address intimate partner violence.The study was approved by the ethics board committee at UNAN and UCLA; all participants gave verbal consent to participate.
Interpretation
Limitations of the study were that participants self-selected to participate in the study. Overall, stakeholders, working in both private and public sectors, cited lack of properly trained human resources to respond to IPV. Family and peer support were important for women seeking help. Urban and rural focus groups desired more mental health and safe community areas as ways of helping women experiencing IPV.
Language: en |