A qualitative investigation of gender-based violence prevention and response using digital technologies in low resource settings and refugee populations

Autor: Luissa Vahedi, Lindsay Stark, Rachel Ding, Caroline Masboungi, Dorcas Erskine, Catherine Poulton, Ilana Seff
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: European Journal of Psychotraumatology, Vol 15, Iss 1 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 20008066
2000-8066
DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2024.2347106
Popis: ABSTRACTBackground: Governmental and non-governmental organizations across medical, legal, and psychosocial sectors providing care to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and their families rapidly digitalized services during the COVID-19 pandemic. GBV prevention/response services working with women and children who are forcibly displaced and/or living in low-and-middle income countries (LMIC) were no exception to the rapid digitalization trend. Literature is lacking a critical synthesis of best practices and lessons learned since digitalization replaced major operations involved in GBV prevention/response.Objective: This research qualitatively investigated how GBV service providers, located in a range of socio-political settings, navigated the process of digitalizing GBV prevention/response during the COVID-19 crisis.Method: Semi-structured key informant interviews (KII) with GBV service providers in varied sectors were implemented virtually (2020–2021) in Brazil, Guatemala, Iraq, and Italy (regarding forcibly displaced women/girls for the latter). Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Interview guides covered a range of topics: perceived changes in violence and service provision, experiences with virtual services, system coordination, and challenges. The KIIs were conducted in Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, and Italian. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. The research team conducted thematic analysis within and between countries using a structured codebook of data driven and theory driven codes.Results: Major themes concerned the: (1) spectrum of services that were digitalized during the COVID-19 crisis; (2) gender digital divide as a barrier to equitable, safe, and effective service digitalization; (3) digital violence as an unintended consequence of increased digitalization across social/public services.Conclusion: Digitalization is a balancing act with respect to (1) the variety of remotely-delivered services that are possible and (2) the access/safety considerations related to the gender digital divide and digital violence.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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