Women's Strategies for Resisting and Coping with Abuse in Kyrgyzstan: A Grounded Theory Study

Although the prevalence of domestic violence against women has been estimated as high as one in four in Kyrgyzstan (DHS, 2012), there has been little investigation regarding coping and help-seeking mechanisms from the perspective of the survivors. To address this gap, this study uses a grounded approach to explore the experiences of 16 women survivors of domestic violence in order to understand what initiatives could make social services and public health systems more responsive.

Results from the qualitative analysis indicate that women in this study adopt a range of coping strategies to avert, prevent, or minimize the anticipated occurrence of abuse.  The survivors’ narratives reveal two key strategies: 1) maintaining the status quo and trying to divert attention in order to maintain safety and protect themselves and their children (emotion-focused strategies), and 2) developing strategies to resist the abuse, including, asserting rights and expressing voice, planning safety, and working toward a future goal that would enable them to gain independence and break from the abusive relationship (problem-solving strategies).

Women survivors in Kyrgyzstan face a lack of institutional support and tend to have traditional beliefs that prevent them from seeking potential help. Informal and formal help-seeking and knowledge of available services are shown in the study to empower women. More work is needed to better understand effective strategies and to draw women to formal services to prevent violence to a greater extent. Providing professional help at all levels and promoting problem-focused coping strategies as part of therapeutic intervention are essential.