A study of experiences of intimate partner violence in post-conflict settings in West Africa
Principal Investigators: Rebecca Horn, Eve S. Puffer
Co-Investigators (IRC): Elisabeth Roesch, Heidi Lehman
In this qualitative study, we explored the experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in the post-conflict settings of Sierra Leone and Liberia. We conducted 14 focus group discussions with 110 participants, as well as 20 individual interviews. Findings yielded descriptions of the severe IPV occurring in these contexts; insights into how survivors make decisions about their responses to IPV; information about effectiveness of current formal and informal resources; and findings related to women’s perceptions of the impacts of war on IPV. This study was led by the International Rescue Committee.
Relevant Publications
Horn, R., Puffer, E. S., Roesch, E., & Lehmann, H. (2015). ‘I don’t need an eye for an eye, I just want the beating to stop’: Responses to intimate partner violence by women in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Global Public Health, published online before print: doi: 10.1080/17441692.2015.1032320.
Horn, R., Puffer, E. S., Roesch, E., & Lehmann, H. (2014). Women’s perceptions of effects of war on intimate partner violence and gender roles in two post-conflict West African countries: Consequences and unexpected opportunities. Conflict and Health, 8, 12, 1-13.
International Rescue Committee, (2012). “Let Me Not Die Before My Time”: Domestic Violence in West Africa, Report prepared by the Commission on Domestic Violence.