A Qualitative Study of Women’s Lived Experiences of Conflict and Domestic Violence in Afghanistan

Mannell, Jeneviève; Grewal, Gulraj; Ahmad, Lida; Ahmad, Ayesha

doi:10.1177/1077801220935191

Cited by 26 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Similarly, Scanlon et al investigated depression and social vulnerability in African-American men and found that FI did not enhance the likelihood of depression (33). Moreover, we found a high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among FS participants, it may be because of gender-based violence, civil war and insecure situation in Afghanistan especially in Kabul (34).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Associations Between Food Insecurity and Common Mental Health Problems Among Reproductive-Aged Women in Kabul-Afghanistan

et al. 2022

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Background: Food insecurity has been linked to poor health outcomes, however this relationship is poorly understood among women of reproductive age. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between food insecurity and common mental health problems (CMHPs) in this population of women in Kabul, Afghanistan.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 421 women of reproductive age from four health centers located in four randomly selected zones in the city of Kabul. We used the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) food-insecurity questionnaire, multiple 24-h recall for dietary intake, the Depression, the Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess major mental health problems, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to assess physical activity.Result: Food insecurity affected 69.6% of reproductive-aged women. In total, 44.9, 10.9, and 13.9% of food-insecure participants had food insecurity without hunger, food insecurity with hunger, and food insecurity with severe hunger, respectively. Depression, anxiety, and stress were prevalent among food-insecure participants at 89.4, 90.8, and 85.7%, respectively. Food insecurity was associated with depression (OR = 4.9, 95% CI: 2.7–8.9), anxiety (OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 2.5–8.8), and stress (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.2–6.7). Women's household ownership, family size, and hypertension, on the other hand, were not associated with food insecurity.Conclusion: This study found food insecurity was associated with CMHPs among a sample of reproductive-aged women in Kabul, Afghanistan. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Associations Between Food Insecurity and Common Mental Health Problems Among Reproductive-Aged Women in Kabul-Afghanistan

et al. 2022

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“…Government laws, customary laws and policies made primarily by a council of men dictate what women can do, their inheritance, rights and reinforces subordinate role and dominance in Afghan men ( Ahmadi, 2015 ). Consistent with findings from Mannell et al.’s ( Mannell et al., 2020 ) qualitative study, Afghan women are rarely able to make decisions on their own, including marriage and the decisions made on their behalf by a male guardian are often without consideration for their own yearnings. Bacha posh therefore enables women to take charge of their own lives, without the judgement and constraints that comes with being a woman in Afghanistan ( Corboz et al., 2019 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“My father told me ‘child, there is no son in this house, so you should wear these boy clothes’”: perspectives on gender norms, roles, and bacha posh among Afghan migrant women in Melbourne, Australia

Hamidi

Vaughan

Bohren

2021

Journal of Migration and Health

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Objectives In Afghanistan, strong son preferences render women with lower social capital. A practice was created to overcome this gender bias, known as bacha posh , which literally translates to ‘dressing up as a boy’. This exploratory study aims to understand gender roles, identities, and experiences of Afghan women in order to understand why this cultural practice has arisen. Design Utilising a social constructivist approach, qualitative data was collected from Afghan migrant women in Melbourne, Australia, using semi-structured in-depth interviews (n=10) and a group discussion (n=1). The interviews were conducted in Dari, translated and transcribed to English and thematically analysed using NVivo 12. Results Key findings identified include the perception of an easy transition for girls to become and return from being bacha posh, community members knowing bacha posh are girls but concealing the truth to maintain family honour, and societal and familial son preferences playing a significant role in becoming bacha posh. Most participants perceived bacha posh to be an unnecessary practice, but understood that it may be an act of desperation forced upon them by the rigidity of Afghan society. Conclusions This exploratory analysis makes an important contribution to understanding gender roles, identities and bacha posh in Afghanistan, and is the first qualitative study exploring how gender roles and norms in Afghanistan have led to the bacha posh phenomenon. Exploring how social and gender norms and son preferences contribute to the emergency of bacha posh is critical to understand challenges faced by this group, and how these power structures influence daily living.

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“…In Northern Uganda and Afghanistan, armed conflict has exacerbated existing structural factors that contribute to VAW, including gender inequalities, police corruption and poverty 163 173 174. Living in districts that experienced conflict increased women’s risk of experiencing IPV and non-partner sexual violence at the district level 68 175 176.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk factors for violence against women in high-prevalence settings: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-synthesis

Mannell¹,

Lowe²,

Brown³

et al. 2022

BMJ Glob Health

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IntroductionViolence against women (VAW) affects one in three women globally. In some countries, women are at much higher risk. We examined risk factors for VAW in countries with the highest 12-month prevalence estimates of intimate partner violence (IPV) to develop understanding of this increased risk.MethodsFor this systematic review, we searched PUBMED, CINAHL, PROQUEST (Middle East and North Africa; Latin America and Iberia; East and South Asia), Web of Science, EMBASE and PsycINFO (Ovid) for records published between 1 January 2000 and 1 January 2021 in English, French and Spanish. Included records used quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods, reported original data, had VAW as the main outcome, and focused on at least one of 23 countries in the highest quintile of prevalence figures for women’s self-reported experiences of physical and/or sexual violence in the past 12 months. We used critical interpretive synthesis to develop a conceptual model for associations between identified risk factors and VAW.ResultsOur search identified 12 044 records, of which 241 were included for analysis (2 80 360 women, 40 276 men, 274 key informants). Most studies were from Bangladesh (74), Uganda (72) and Tanzania (43). Several quantitative studies explored community-level/region-level socioeconomic status and education as risk factors, but associations with VAW were mixed. Although fewer in number and representing just one country, studies reported more consistent effects for community-level childhood exposure to violence and urban residence. Theoretical explanations for a country’s high prevalence point to the importance of exposure to other forms of violence (armed conflict, witnessing parental violence, child abuse) and patriarchal social norms.ConclusionAvailable evidence suggests that heightened prevalence of VAW is not attributable to a single risk factor. Multilayered and area-level risk analyses are needed to ensure funding is appropriately targeted for countries where VAW is most pervasive.PROSPERO registration numberThe review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020190147).

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A Qualitative Study of Women’s Lived Experiences of Conflict and Domestic Violence in Afghanistan

Cited by 26 publications

References 43 publications

Associations Between Food Insecurity and Common Mental Health Problems Among Reproductive-Aged Women in Kabul-Afghanistan

Associations Between Food Insecurity and Common Mental Health Problems Among Reproductive-Aged Women in Kabul-Afghanistan

“My father told me ‘child, there is no son in this house, so you should wear these boy clothes’”: perspectives on gender norms, roles, and bacha posh among Afghan migrant women in Melbourne, Australia

Risk factors for violence against women in high-prevalence settings: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-synthesis

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