Narrative storytelling as mental health support for women experiencing gender-based violence in Afghanistan

Mannell, Jeneviève; Ahmad, Lida; Ahmad, Ayesha

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.08.011

Cited by 35 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…There are very few shelters available and these are located only in major urban centres. Further, women who go to shelters face major challenges leaving and reintegrating into communities 38. This was clearly seen with the qualitative data, where divorce remained something that women could not even consider, and women who did divorce were considered morally ‘wrong’.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…A key component of economic theories of IPV is that with resources women can be independent, that is, women’s bottom line in negotiating violent relationships is her exit, but this was not a viable option for the women in the study. In Afghanistan, while divorce is legal, it remains highly stigmatised, more so if woman initiated, and leads to women losing access to their children and family support 37 38. There are very few shelters available and these are located only in major urban centres.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impacts of combined social and economic empowerment training on intimate partner violence, depression, gender norms and livelihoods among women: an individually randomised controlled trial and qualitative study in Afghanistan

et al. 2020

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IntroductionWe assessed whether the Women for Women International (WfWI) economic and social empowerment programme could reduce women’s experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and depression in Afghanistan.MethodsWe conducted a two-arm individually randomised controlled trial in six urban and peri-urban communities. Communities were selected by WfWI for being conflict affected and showing signs of economic vulnerability (eg, little or no education, living in extreme poverty). Individual eligibility were female, aged 18–49, able to consent to participate and one woman per household. At 22 months, three primary outcomes were assessed: past year physical IPV experience; past year severe IPV experience; depressive symptoms. There was no blinding to arms. We conducted an intention-to-treat analysis, controlling for age. We also conducted qualitative interviews at endline, analysed using thematic analysis.Results1461 women (n=933 married) were recruited and randomised. Retention at endline was n=1210 (82%). Primary outcomes were in the hypothesised direction, but showed no significant impacts: physical IPV (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.88 (0.62 to 1.23)), severe IPV (aOR 0.75 (0.50 to 1.11)) and depressive symptoms (β −0.35 (−1.19 to 0.48)). Women reported reduced food insecurity (β −0.48 (−0.85 to –0.12)), higher earnings (β 3.79 (0.96 to 6.61)) and savings (β 11.79 (9.95 to 13.64)). Women reported less gender-inequitable attitudes (β −0.89 (−1.15 to –0.62)), more household decision-making (β 0.35 (−0.04 to 0.74)) and increased mobility (aOR 1.78 (1.27 to 2.50)). Twenty-eight in-depth interviews were conducted.ConclusionThe intervention did not impact IPV or depression. The intervention did improve livelihoods, create more gender-equitable relationships and increase women’s mobility. Translating these gains into IPV and depression reduction is critical.Trial registration numberNCT03236948, registered 2 August 2017.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impacts of combined social and economic empowerment training on intimate partner violence, depression, gender norms and livelihoods among women: an individually randomised controlled trial and qualitative study in Afghanistan

et al. 2020

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“…(A/RES/48/104. Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women [EVAW], 1993) In Afghanistan, such gendered forms of violence against women may include domestic violence perpetrated by both husbands and mothers-in-law (Jewkes et al, 2019), forced marriage, honor killings, rape by strangers, body mutilation, and forced prostitution (Ahmad & Avoine, 2016;Gibbs et al, 2019;Mannell et al, 2018). Studies from other settings have shown that living in conflict settings significantly increases the likelihood that women will experience gendered forms of violence (Kelly et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Mannell¹,

Grewal²,

Ahmad

et al. 2020

Violence Against Women

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This article empirically explores women’s lived experiences of domestic violence and conflict in Afghanistan. A thematic analysis of 20 semistructured interviews with women living in safe houses produced three main themes about the relationship between conflict and domestic violence: (a) violence from loss of patriarchal support, (b) violence from the drug trade as an economic driver, and (c) violence from conflict-related poverty. We discuss the bidirectional nature of this relationship: Not only does conflict contribute to domestic violence, but domestic violence contributes to conflict through justifying armed intervention, separating women from economic and public life, and perpetuating patriarchy.

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“…Personal stories of interpersonal violence are autobiographical stories and reflections about experiences of violence in interpersonal relationships, and often include stories of domestic violence, family violence, or child abuse. Personal storytelling can provide an opportunity for women to work through the trauma of experiencing interpersonal violence [ 2 ]. However, little is known about how women use their personal stories of violence, for what purposes, or why some women choose to tell their story as a means of acting against VAW more broadly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘My story is like a magic wand’: a qualitative study of personal storytelling and activism to stop violence against women in Turkey

Mwaba

Senyurek

Ülman

et al. 2021

Global Health Action

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Background : Telling personal stories of violence has been central to recent advocacy efforts to prevent violence against women around the world. In this paper, we explore the use of personal storytelling as a form of activism to prevent femicide in Turkey. This study is part of a broader storytelling initiative called SHAER (Storytelling for Health: Acknowledgement, Expression and Recovery) to alleviate the psychological and emotional suffering of women who have experienced gender-based violence in high-prevalence settings. Objectives : We conceptually explore personal stories of violence as a form of both distributed agency and activism. This conceptual framework is used to answer the following research question in the Turkish context: How do women use their personal stories of interpersonal violence for their own benefit (support) and that of others (activism)? Methods : Our study is based on 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews with women who have experienced violence and were purposefully recruited by the ‘We Will End Femicide’ Platform in Istanbul. Interviews were conducted between March and August 2019. We used inductive and deductive thematic analysis to identify instances of personal storytelling at three levels: intrapersonal, relational and collective. Results : Our results show how the use of personal storytelling can provide a means of healing from experiences of violence. However, this process is not linear and is often influenced by the surrounding context including: the listener of the story, their reaction, and what social networks the woman has to support her. In supportive social contexts, personal storytelling can be an effective support for activism against violence: personal stories can provide opportunities for individuals to shape broader discourses about violence against women and the right of women to share their stories. Conclusions : Telling one’s personal story of violence can both support women’s agency and contribute to the collective struggle against violence against women more broadly.

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Narrative storytelling as mental health support for women experiencing gender-based violence in Afghanistan

Cited by 35 publications

References 41 publications

The impacts of combined social and economic empowerment training on intimate partner violence, depression, gender norms and livelihoods among women: an individually randomised controlled trial and qualitative study in Afghanistan

The impacts of combined social and economic empowerment training on intimate partner violence, depression, gender norms and livelihoods among women: an individually randomised controlled trial and qualitative study in Afghanistan

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

‘My story is like a magic wand’: a qualitative study of personal storytelling and activism to stop violence against women in Turkey

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