Research Snapshot: Empowering pregnant refugees who experience intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health emergency of global concern and the most common form gender-based violence (GBV) experienced by women. Refugee women have a high risk of experiencing IPV due to multiple compounding factors. This study in Tanzania shows that antenatal care is a potentially feasible setting for a brief empowerment counselling intervention.

This study tested SWAP (Strengthening Women's Agency in Pregnancy), an empowerment counselling intervention with pregnant Congolese women and girls attending antenatal care in a hospital in Nyarugusu refugee camp in Kigoma, Tanzania. The intervention proved acceptable, with most requesting further counselling sessions, and showed reductions in physical IPV and improvements in maternal mental health. These results suggest that more comprehensive research including both process and efficacy evaluations would be justified.

This snapshot contains key messages, findings, implications for humanitarian policymakers and practitioners and recommendations for further research.