2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

330621
Attributes of the Urban Environment that Contribute to Intimate Partner Violence: The Case of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire


Wednesday, November 4, 2015 : 10:43 a.m. - 10:56 a.m.

Lauren Ferreira Cardoso, MSc, School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Sara Shuman, PhD, Haverford College, Haverford, PA
Kathryn L. Falb, ScD, MHS, Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT
Jhumka Gupta, ScD, Division of Public Health Practice/Department of Society, Human Development & Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
background: Global urbanization has the potential to engender countless socioeconomic opportunities, but rapid urban growth can also outpace the development of adequate infrastructure and services. This resource scarcity disproportionately affects women and has implications for their health and wellbeing. One critical health hazard urban women face is intimate partner violence (IPV). In post-conflict urban areas women meet an even greater risk of IPV. Yet few studies have examined the distinct characteristics of the urban environment and urban social experience that shape women’s exposure to partnered violence.

purpose: To describe social and structural characteristics of the urban environment that contribute to the experience of IPV among conflict-affected women in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

methods: Ten focus groups with men and women, both internally displaced (IDPs) and non-displaced, residing in Abidjan were conducted (n=91).

results: Lack of support networks and tensions between traditional gender norms and those of the “modern” city were reported as key contributors to IPV. Urban poverty and with it unemployment, food insecurity, and housing instability also played a role. Finally, IDPs faced heightened vulnerability to IPV as a result of displacement and discrimination.

conclusion:  The relationship between economic strains and IPV are similar to other conflict-affected settings but Abidjan’s urban environment presented other unique characteristics contributing to IPV. Understanding these factors is crucial to designing appropriate services for women and for implementing IPV reduction interventions in urban areas. Strengthening formal and informal mechanisms for help-seeking, utilizing multi-modal interventions that address economic stress and challenge inequitable gender norms, as well as tailoring programs specifically for IDPs, are some considerations for IPV program planning focused on conflict-affected women in urban areas.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Identify key attributes of the urban environment that contribute to women’s experience of IPV.

Keyword(s): Violence & Injury Prevention, Urban Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a doctoral student who has spent several years researching gender-based violence. I have worked independently and under the supervision of some of the best researchers in the field. Equally as important, much of my research has been conducted in tandem with international and community-based organizations working on GBV prevention and response interventions.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5111.0: International urban health issues