WW2 Project

Context

Violence Against Women (VAW), including intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Domestic Violence (DV), affects women from every social background irrespective of their age, social status, religion, caste or economic status. It is a highly prevalent issue which causes serious physical, psychological, economic and social consequences on women. It is a violation of their human rights and is rooted in gender inequality.

VAW has gained recognition as a significant social issue worldwide due to advocacy efforts since the 1970s.

The women's movement played a crucial role in raising awareness and reforming laws related to VAW.

In India, key legislative milestones include the Dowry Prohibition Act (1961) and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005). Recently, advocacy has shifted the focus from dowry-related violence to a broader definition of domestic violence.

Prevalence of Violence Among Women in India, Maharashtra and the Selected District:

NFHS-5 (2019-21) indicates that 32% of ever-married women aged 18-49 in India experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence.

In Maharashtra, 28% of ever-married women reported similar experiences.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported an average of five crimes against women every hour in Maharashtra in 2022, with a 15% increase in reported cases from 2021 to 2022. Of the women who experienced violence, only 14% sought any kind of support.

In Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is one of the districts that reported the highest number of cases of child marriage. The sex ratio here is 924 in rural areas and 923 in urban areas, indicating son preference and neglect of the girl child resulting in higher mortality at a younger age. The district also has large proportion of marginalised population who are more vulnerable to violence.

WW2: UDAAN project (Since 2023)

For preventing DV and responding to it, action is needed across a range of sectors and stakeholders, of which the health sector is a core component. Udaan was envisaged as an intervention research project that aims at supporting women DV survivors through health-linked and community-based systems. A collaborative initiative of MASUM, CEHAT, What Works to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls (WW2), and WHO, the project is being implemented in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.

CEHAT and WHO implemented an intervention in this district in the tertiary hospital: Aurangabad Medical College and Government Hospital. The intervention led to positive changes in the approach of HCPs and was found to be feasible and acceptable.

Udaan is a scale-up of this intervention being implemented in collaboration with the primary and secondary tiers of the health system: Primary Health Care units (PHCs), Rural Hospitals (RHs), Health Units (HUs), and Secondary Health Care units (SDHs). A part of the Randomized Control Trial (RCT), Udaan covers Gangapur and Paithan blocks as intervention blocks and Vaijapur and Kannad as control blocks.

In the two intervention blocks, 17 health facilities are covered. Multi-cadre Health Care Providers (HCPs) from these facilities have been trained to identify survivors of domestic violence (DV) and document cases using designated forms. After training, the HCPs focus on response and secondary prevention of DV using the Listen, Inquire, Validate, Enhance Safety (LIVES) protocol. Apart from health facility staff, more than 614 community health workers (ASHAs) including block supervisers were also trained in DV.

The major components of Udaan are:

Capacity building of Healthcare Providers including ASHAs across primary and secondary healthcare facilities

Strengthening the Healthcare System in response to Domestic Violence

Establishing Multi-stakeholder Linkages to Support Violence Survivors

Community Intervention to create a supportive environment for violence survivors.

In the control blocks Vaijapur and Kannad, HCPs have been provided with training on issues other than DV.

Udaan’s scale up has the add-on of placing of Counsellors at the facilities so as to strengthen the ES part of LIVES.In intervention blocks Gangapur and Paithan, teams of Counsellors, Field Facilitators, M&E Officers, and Project Officers support the program through coordination and M&E.