Disclosure of intimate partner violence by conflict-affected women in Kosovo

This study examines characteristics associated with seeking help for intimate partner violence (IPV) among women who experienced IPV one year prior to the Kosovar-Serbian war (1997) and/or one year prior to the 2002 survey administration (2001). The cross-sectional gender based violence survey was designed and implemented using a 2-stage sampling method in 9 villages in Peja, Kosovo, by the Women's Wellness Center (a Kosovo-based NGO), the Reproductive Health Response in Conflict Consortium, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of Arizona. Frequency and bivariate analysis focused on 92 respondents (28%) who experienced IPV. The respondents' mean age was 37 years, 93% had a partner, and 80% were unemployed. Thirty-six percent sought help for IPV from informal sources such as family and one percent used formal support sources. Factors significantly associated with seeking help included having a partner who used alcohol (58% v 31%, p=.02) and having bruises as a result of IPV (59% v 30%, p=.01). Women abused by other family members were significantly less likely to seek help (30% v 59%, p=.01). Forty-seven percent of participants felt that a women's group would help them cope with IPV. While long-term interventions should be multi-sectoral and focus on gender based violence prevention through systemic changes and policy reforms, our findings suggest that more immediate efforts should increase the accessibility of formal IPV-support services. Specifically, developing and incorporating accessible women's groups into support services targeting conflict-affected women may provide significant steps toward increasing the formal support service utilization.