Impact of Microfinance and Participatory Gender Training for Women in Reducing Intimate Partner Violence

Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial to Assess the Impact of Combined Microfinance and Gender Training for Women and Gender Training for Women and Their Male Partners in Reducing Intimate Partner Violence

Violence against women and girls is increasingly recognized as a major global public health and development concern. However, evidence on what forms of intervention should be prioritised is severely lacking. A cluster randomized controlled trial (The Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS & Gender Equity - IMAGE Project) in rural South Africa combined a group-based microfinance intervention with a participatory gender and HIV training curriculum for loan participants and showed that, over a two-year period, levels of physical and/or sexual partner violence experienced by participants in the past year were reduced by 55%.

The overall goal of the current study is to design and implement a cluster randomized controlled trial to assess the impact on intimate partner violence of: 1) combining participatory gender training with microfinance for women in existing microfinance loan groups, and 2) a participatory gender training programme for women (not receiving microfinance) and their male partners.

Inclusion Criteria:

Arms 1 and 2 - microfinance loan groups:

1. there are between 15 and 30 active members in the group
2. less than 25% of the women have been members for less than one year
3. there is a good attendance (repayment) record
4. a minimum of 70% of active members consent to take part in the study

Arms 3 and 4, women who:

1. are aged 20-50 years
2. are not formally employed, i.e. either self-employed or not currently working
3. have been resident in Mwanza for at least two years
4. have not been a member of a microfinance loan group in the past 12 months
5. are fluent in Swahili
6. have consented to take part in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

None