Drivers of Intimate Partner Violence in Three Refugee Camps
Published by: Karin Wachter, MEd
Research in humanitarian settings has traditionally focused on the sexual violence women experience by armed actors despite growing evidence that indicates that intimate partner violence (IPV) escalates in times of war. A study carried out by the International Rescue Committee examined the drivers of intimate partner violence in three refugee camps in South Sudan, Kenya, and Iraq to identify protective factors and patterns of risk. Findings revealed interrelated factors that triggered and perpetuated IPV: gendered social norms and roles, destabilization of gender norms and roles, men’s substance use, women’s separation from family, and rapid remarriages and forced marriages. These factors paint a picture of individual, family, community and societal processes that exacerbate women’s risk of IPV in extreme conditions created by displacement. This webinar will present on these findings and discuss implications for policy and practice.