Impacts of the Indashyikirwa Program on Intimate Partner Violence in Syria

International Security and Development Center gGmbH

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Decision Making; Gender Role; Gender Equality; Well-being/Quality of Life; Gender-Based Violence; Intimate Partner Violence (IPV); Empowerment

Treatments: Behavioral: Indashyikirwa program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06735417

2024-14-AlDaccache

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Indashyikirwa program in enhancing women's empowerment and reducing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in conflict-affected communities in Northeast Syria.

The intervention group will participate in the Indashyikirwa ("Agents of Change") program, which includes a comprehensive couples' training module and access to safe spaces. The control group will not receive the Indashyikirwa program. Both intervention and control groups are beneficieries of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) support and Vocational Training (VT) to promote economic empowerment.

The study employs a cluster-randomized controlled trial (cRCT) design. Out of 30 pre-identified villages, 15 villages were randomly assigned to receive the Indashyikirwa program and 15 villages will not receive the Indashyikirwa program. The villages were located within the same sub-districts to ensure a balanced geographic distribution of the intervention.

Based on a power analysis with 80% power, at least 16 married couples from eligible SME and VT beneficiaries will be voluntarily enrolled in each village to receive the Indashyikirwa intervention. Similarly, 16 eligible SME and VT married couples from control villages will be enrolled using the same voluntary participation principle. To account for potential attrition, 20 couples per village will be initially enrolled, ensuring a robust sample size for analysis. This approach results in a total sample size of 600 couples (or 1,200 individual participants).

The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of Indashyikirwa program on key outcomes, including the reduction in IPV, transformation of gender norms, enhancement of women's empowerment, improvements in intra-household dynamics, economic benefits to the household.

Data collection will involve structured surveys administered separately to both husbands and wives. Surveys will be conducted at four time points: baseline, 2 months post-intervention, 12 months post-intervention, and 24 months post-intervention.

Enrollment: 1,200 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Two levels of eligibility:

1. At the village level:

   • Villages must be receiving the SME and VT programs by the implementing partners.
   • Villages must have at least 16 eligible couples (married women and their husbands).

2. At the individual level:

   • Women must be aged 18 or older.
   • Women must be currently married and residing in the same household as their husbands.
   • Women must be participants in the vocational training (VT) program and eligible for SME grants.

Exclusion Criteria

• Villages or individuals not meeting the inclusion criteria.
• Women who are unmarried, divorced, or widowed.
• Women who do not reside with their husbands in the same household.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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1,200 participants in 2 patient groups

Indashikirwa program

Experimental group

Description:

The group will receive the Indashikirwa program, which includes: 1. Couple curriculum training for both husbands and wives. These sessions focus on promoting joint decision-making and transforming gender norm to promote healthier and more equitable relationships. 2. Establishment of safe spaces to foster community support and facilitate dialogue around gender-based issues.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Indashyikirwa program

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

This arm is the control group