Prevention and Mitigation of Intimate-Partner Violence: The Role of Community Leaders in Tanzania

Abstract

Intimate-partner violence (IPV) is a major public health issue that disproportionately affects women, especially in Tanzania where 40% of women report experiencing IPV. While IPV research has focused on IPV victims and perpetrators, community leaders can provide valuable insight on IPV at the community level. We conducted 50 key informant interviews with community leaders in nine villages in the Karatu district. These leaders identified common themes regarding IPV causes and consequences, reporting methods, and future recommendations. This information can help mitigate IPV at the community level in future interventions and shows community leaders themselves could be powerful tools in future IPV programming.

Keywords: Tanzania; community leaders; intimate-partner violence.