Non-Governmental Organisations and Gender Based Violence in Rural Areas: A Case Study of Shamva District

Author

Tivafire, Agathur T.

Title

Non-Governmental Organisations and Gender Based Violence in Rural Areas: A Case Study of Shamva District

Abstract

The study explored the nexus between non-governmental organisations and gender-based violence in rural areas, utilising a case study of Shamva district. The aim of the study was to unearth the causes of gender-based violence and to establish the role played by NGOs. In order to address this aim, the research employed a qualitative research design. Data was collected using in-depth interview guides. The study participants were purposively selected from a pool of people that live in the target area of the study. Key informant interviews were conducted with officers from both the government and the NGO sector that work directly or indirectly with victims of gender-based violence. The data collected was thematically analysed. The study established that there are various socio-economic causes of gender based violence in Shamva. Economic problems were largely blamed for the rampant increase in gender-based violence. The study established that most families that live in the district are impoverished and the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated their vulnerability. As a result of this vulnerability, women and men have been physically and sexually abused. The data that exists to back this claim is largely correlational. There were also various effects of gender based violence that were established by the study. The researcher noted that poverty is both a cause and an effect of gender based violence. The study also established that the NGOs play a pivotal role in providing support to victims of gender-based violence. There is however room for them to widen their work so that a lot of people benefit from their work.

Date

2022

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Non-Governmental Organisations

Gender based violence

Rural areas

Supervisor

N/A