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Samvedana Plus: Reducing violence and increasing condom use in the intimate partnerships of female sex workers
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India | Karnataka Health Promotion Trust
Samdevena Plus is a multi-level intervention that aims to reduce vulnerability to HIV amongst female sex workers in Karnataka State, India, by reducing partner violence and increasing consistent condom use within their intimate relationships. The Global Programme, in partnership with the Karnataka Health Promotion Trust and STRIVE will evaluate the programme using a Cluster-Randomised Control Trial.
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is preventable. Over the last two decades, VAWG prevention practitioners and researchers have been developing and testing interventions to stop violence from occurring, in addition to mitigating its consequences. This rigorous, in-depth review of the state of the field presents what is now known five years on after the UKAID-funded, What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (What Works) programme, a six year investment, in advancing our understanding of What Works within the context of the wider evidence base.
Over the last two decades, the global community has come to recognise the profound impact of violence on the lives of women and girls. This fundamentally undermines their health and well-being, and stands as a barrier to women’s full participation in global development and the economic and civic life of their communities. This evidence brief outlines the effective design and implementation elements in interventions to prevent violence against women and girls emanating from the UKAID-funded, What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (What Works) programme, a six-year, £25-million investment in VAWG prevention.
Over the last two decades, the global community has come to recognise the profound impact of violence on the lives of women and girls. This fundamentally undermines their health and well-being, and stands as a barrier to women’s full participation in global development and the economic and civic life of their communities. This evidence brief outlines the effective design and implementation elements in interventions to prevent violence against women and girls emanating from the UKAID-funded, What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (What Works) programme, a six-year, £25-million investment in VAWG prevention.
Kerr-Wilson, A.; Gibbs, A.; McAslan Fraser E.; Ramsoomar, L.; Parke, A.; Khuwaja, HMA.; and Jewkes, R (2020). A rigorous global evidence review of interventions to prevent violence against women and girls, What Works to prevent violence against women and girls global Programme, Pretoria, South Africa
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is preventable. Over the last two decades, VAWG prevention practitioners and researchers have been developing and testing interventions to stop violence from occurring, in addition to mitigating its consequences. This rigorous, in-depth review of the state of the field presents what is now known five years on after the UKAID-funded, What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (What Works) programme, a six year investment, in advancing our understanding of What Works within the context of the wider evidence base.
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is preventable. Over the last two decades, VAWG prevention practitioners and researchers have been developing and testing interventions to stop violence from occurring, in addition to mitigating its consequences. This document is an executive summary of the longer review of the state of the field of VAWG prevention, five years on after the UKAID-funded, What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (What Works) programme, a six year investment, in advancing our understanding of What Works within the context of the wider evidence base.
Javalkar, P., Platt, L., Prakash, R., Beattie, T. S., Collumbien, M., Gafos, M., ... & Bhattacharjee, P. (2019). Effectiveness of a multilevel intervention to reduce violence and increase condom use in intimate partnerships among female sex workers: cluster randomised controlled trial in Karnataka, India. BMJ Global Health, 4(6).
Javalkar, P., Platt, L., Prakash, R., Beattie, T., Bhattacharjee, P., Thalinja, R., ... & Davey, C. (2019). What determines violence among female sex workers in an intimate partner relationship? Findings from North Karnataka, south India. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 350.
The response to the HIV epidemic through targeted interventions focused largely on changing individual behaviour and encouraged female sex workers to use condoms correctly, continuously and consistently with their clients. However, subsequent studies reported that although condom usage during sexual interactions with clients increased, their usage was less consistent with intimate partners (also known as lovers and as Hiriya or Malak in the context of Karnataka) of female sex workers. It was also observed that where condom use has been inconsistent, experience of violence has been high.
The influence of structural factors such as poverty, social norms, alcohol abuse, and criminalisation of high-risk behaviours on HIV risk and vulnerability has led scholars and HIV prevention programmers to regard structural intervention as an essential component of an HIV prevention strategy. Structural interventions reduce risk and vulnerability among female sex workers (FSWs) by empowering them with greater control over condom use with clients, and reducing violence and stigma against them.
In response to the HIV epidemic, targeted interventions were initiated which focused on changing individual behaviour and encouraging sex workers to use condoms correctly, continuously and consistently with their clients. However it was observed in subsequent studies that though there was an increase in condom usage among sex workers during their sexual interactions with clients, the usage was less consistent when they were with their intimate partners (termed lovers in some contexts or Hiriya or Malak in the context of Karnataka).