Research and Analysis

Alcohol use is associated with HIV risk behavior, according to a growing body of research. Programs that address the link between alcohol and HIV are urgently needed, but extremely rare.

ICRW and its partners will design and monitor a community-based intervention the informal settlement of Kabila, Namibia, located on the outskirts of the capital city, Windhoek. Many residents have migrated from rural areas in search of a viable income, and brewing and selling alcohol is one of the few profitable businesses.  

The project goal is to design, implement and assess the feasibility of an intervention to reduce the prevalence of heavy drinking and decrease alcohol-related sexual risk behavior among bar patrons in the community. ICRW will conduct formative research to better understand the impact of alcohol and related risky behavior on women and men. Research findings will inform the design of a demonstration program that applies multiple strategies to decrease alcohol-related HIV risk behavior. The results of this study will be used to inform future programming targeted at addressing links between alcohol and HIV risk.

This project is coordinated by AIDSTAR-One. As an AIDSTAR-One partner organization, ICRW provides technical oversight for this project.

Women and girls face unique barriers to accessing HIV prevention, treatment and care. As part of the Universal Access for Women and Girls Now! project, led by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), ICRW will examine the lives of women and girls in two unique settings in India: female sex workers in Maharashtra and wives of migrant men in Orissa. Research shows that these women are particularly vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, but there is still a need to know more about how best to minimize their risk and increase their access to services.  

Through surveys and in-depth interviews with these women, their spouses or partners and the health practitioners in the region, ICRW will explore the factors that prevent the women from accessing HIV and AIDS services. ICRW will coordinate with India’s National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to develop an action plan to respond to the epidemic, and make recommendations on how to help women overcome legal, economic and social barriers to health services. 

Evaluations of programs working to end violence against women note that there is a need for greater coherence between evidence, policy and programs. Although global research studies have shed light on intimate-partner violence, there are still many forms of violence against women which are not well documented or understood.

To address this, ICRW, worked in partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC) of South Africa and the Gender-Based Violence Prevention Network, to promote action-oriented research on violence against women in East and Southern Africa. The initiative linked local implementing organizations with research institutions to conduct joint research on violence against women and apply the findings to improve programs. ICRW and MRC supported the research institutions as they provided technical assistance and oversight, mentoring and training for implementing organizations.

The initiative aimed to increase the capacity of local organizations to conduct rigorous research to improve their programs. Additionally, the research studies established a regional evidence base to inform policies and programs to eliminate violence against women. 

Understanding the gender norms and notions of masculinity that contribute to violent behaviors– and engaging young men to critically reflect on and address these social constructs – can help foster more gender-equitable attitudes and reduce violence.

Led by CARE Northwest Balkans, ICRW is part of a coalition of local and international nongovernmental organizations and youth groups working in the Western Balkans on the Young Men’s Initiative (YMI). The project aims to build more gender-equitable, healthy, and non-violent lifestyles among youth across this post-conflict region. YMI uses social media campaigns and a school-based curriculum (adapted from Promundo's "Program H" model) to help young men between the ages of 13 and 19 deconstruct masculinity and reflect on how unhealthy gender norms lead to the inequitable treatment of women and girls.

ICRW’s engagement with YMI has spanned over 6 years, starting with participatory research to understand prevailing attitudes about the “ideal” man and what it means to be a man in project communities. Findings were applied to inform the design of a pilot intervention (Phase 1), which ICRW evaluated from 2009 to 2010 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia. Since 2010, ICRW has been leading an evaluation of Phase 2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and Kosovo. Preliminary results suggest an increased uptake of gender-equitable attitudes related to violence, homophobia, family dynamics, and sexual and reproductive health after participating in the project.

Related Resources

• Bosnia and Herzegovina Baseline Report
• Serbia Baseline Report

Women and girls are frequently subject to violence and abuse – from physical and verbal harassment to assault and rape – on city streets, public transportation or in their own neighborhoods. Such daily occurrences limit the rights and freedoms of women as equal citizens to enjoy their neighborhoods and cities.

ICRW worked with UNIFEM to develop ways to make public spaces safer for women and girls. The program, Safe Cities Free of Violence Against Women and Girls, was the first-ever global comparative effort to develop a model that was rigorously evaluated for its processes and impact across different settings. The goal of the program was to develop and test a global model which can be replicated and tailored to the specificities of local contexts.

ICRW collaborated with local partners on project design and the impact evaluation strategy. The project aimed to improve women’s safety by empowering women within the community, encouraging community advocacy for safer spaces, partnering with local governments, working with men and boys, and raising public awareness through the media.