Send a Cow | Examining the Effectiveness of a Gender Transformative Approach in Economic Empowerment Programs to Reduce Intimate Partner Violence
Project Summary:
Despite an increasing evidence base, the exact impact of economic empowerment programs on violence—and particularly on intimate partner violence (IPV)—is still unknown. While a number of studies have found associations between the economic empowerment of women and girls and rates of IPV, it is still unclear if these interventions increase or decrease a woman’s risk of experiencing violence. In order to further examine and build the evidence base around these issues, Send a Cow (SAC), and its research partner, the Global Women’s Institute (GWI), propose a two-year research study to examine the effectiveness of SAC’s economic interventions on reducing rates of IPV in target communities in Western Kenya. The proposed research study aims to fill a gap in the evidence around whether economic empowerment combined with training in gender relations is a promising mechanism for reducing intimate partner violence.
The study will incorporate 3 strands:
- Collect qualitative data to examine the effectiveness of SAC’s traditional, gender approach using the THM tool and identify lessons learned and best practices.
- Develop data collection tools for use by SAC’s economic empowerment program teams to collect data on VAWG through their M&E systems and collect baseline data.
- Conduct capacity building trainings for SAC staff to improve program delivery and data collection mechanisms for VAWG.
