Religious leaders can motivate men to cede power and reduce intimate partner violence: Experimental evidence from Uganda

Abstract

Violence committed by men against women in intimate relationships is a pervasive problem around the world. Patriarchal norms that place men as the head of household are often to blame. Previous research suggests that trusted authorities can shift perceptions of norms and create behavior change. In many settings, a compelling authority on behavior in relationships is religious leaders, who are influential sources of information about proper conduct in relationships and gatekeepers of marriage, but may also uphold traditional gender roles. One way leaders exert their influence is through premarital or couples counseling courses. In this study, we test whether, if given an opportunity to offer a more progressive religious interpretation of gender roles during these courses, religious leaders could motivate men to share power and thereby reduce violence. Building on existing faith networks of Christian religious leaders in western Uganda, we conducted a large pair-matched, randomized controlled trial among 1,680 heterosexual couples in which participants were randomized to attend a 12-session group counseling course or wait-listed. We find that the program shifted power from men to women and reduced intimate partner violence by five percentage points, comparable with more intensive secular programs. These improvements were largest among couples counseled by religious leaders who held the most progressive views at baseline and who critically engaged with the material. Our findings suggest that religious leaders can be effective agents of change for reducing violence.

Optimising the construction of outcome measures for impact evaluations of intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention interventions

“…In the Bandebereho trial, outcomes were analysed using generalised estimating equations accounting for the clustered nature of the data (Doyle et al, 2018). Becoming One used least-squares regression that conditions an indicator for the treatment assignment, fixed effects for the pair blocks, and covariates selected through a cross-validated lasso regression to assess the effectiveness of the intervention (Boyer et al, 2022). In the Indashyikirwa trial, outcomes were analysed using generalised linear mixed-effects models with a logit link function to compare the effect of the intervention between the two study arms for all binary variables (Dunkle et al, 2020).…”

“…The intervention improves couples’ relationships by leveraging the church’s authority to shift perceptions of norms surrounding proper behaviour in relationships. It includes sessions on communication, conflict-resolution skills, negotiating consent and desire, sharing financial responsibilities and re-interpretation of biblical passages (Boyer et al, 2022).…”

Effects of digital chatbot on gender beliefs and exposure to intimate partner violence among young women in South Africa

“…We hypothesise that the observed reduction in IPV is due to the gamified chatbot offering tailored, immediate feedback on gender beliefs, identifying unhealthy relationship behaviours, and implementing skills to stay safe -all shown to be precursors for staying safe in relationships. 13,24,25 An app in Kenya had promising results around safety skills and intentions, but no effect on violence exposure. 17…”

Optimizing the Construction of Outcome Measures for Impact Evaluations of Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Interventions

“…The intervention improves couples’ relationships by leveraging the church’s authority to shift perceptions of norms surrounding proper behavior in relationships. It includes sessions on communication, conflict-resolution skills, negotiating consent and desire, sharing financial responsibilities, and re-interpretation of biblical passages (Boyer et al, 2022).…”