| Abstract: | Intimate partner violence against women is physical, psychological, economic and social
violence perpetrated by current or former husbands against women. Intimate partner violence
occurs in all areas and transcends social, economic and geographical boundaries. Women in
Yem special district also face different forms of violence in the hands of their husbands.The aim
of this study was to assess and understand the lived experiences of women victims of intimate
partner violence in Yem Special District Fofa village. It explores the social, psychological,
economic and social problems experienced by women survivors of intimate partner violence. It
also describes the various coping mechanisms used by these women survivors to deal with the
social, economic, psychological and economic problems they encounter in the hands of their
former or current partner The study used exploratory and descriptive research designs and
explored the lived experiences of women survivors of intimate partner violence in Yem Special
District Fofa village. The study used various data gathering tools including in-depth interview
and focus group discussions. An in-depth interview was carried out with ten women survivors
and two focus group discussions were conducted with ten study participants to qualify the study
findings.The findings of the study indicate that survivors of intimate partner violence experience
a combination of psychological, economic, social and psychosocial problems as a result of the
abuse by their husband. It also reviled that women experience the different forms of violence
irrespective of the economic and educational background. The study also confirmed that
although mostly the physical violence is seen as far worse than emotional abuse, the study
findings confirm that women experiences of emotional abuse are the worst. Furthermore, the
study identified various techniques or strategies used by women survivors to deal with the
violence that they encounter in the hands of their husband. Some of them include fighting back,
discussing with close friends and families, reporting to responsible bodies, getting elderly
advice, and fleeing. The study also discussed the support available for victims of violence by
various service providers and the perception of victims towards this support. |
