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