Help-Seeking Pathways and Barriers for ... - EngenderHealth

have received $21 million, with the aim of providing comprehensive services to survivors of
GBV via PEPFAR HIV platforms and strengthening community-based responses and referral
networks, for example, through the CHAMPION project.
Part II: Research Methodology
This study was designed and carried out over a 12-month period by a research team from
the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and the University of Dar es
Salaam (UDSM), Department of Sociology and Anthropology. ICRW developed the research
protocol and instruments, and provided training to the Research Assistants in close
coordination with the UDSM Principal Investigators. The full research team pilot tested and
refined these instruments before the field work was carried out by the UDSM team. To
ensure that findings would reflect diverse perspectives and that the research process
actively engaged stakeholders in dialogue and reflection, the study utilized a participatory
research approach to collect and triangulate the data of interest. The details of the
methodology employed are described below.
A. Data Collection Methods
The study was carried out in selected districts of Dar es Salaam, Iringa, and Mbeya regions
to document community perceptions and attitudes about gender-based violence, identify the
range of services available for survivors of physical and sexual GBV, highlight gaps in
service provision, and make recommendations for improving existing services. The full set
of research questions for the study can be found in Annex 1.
The research questions were addressed through qualitative research methods, including key
informant interviews (KIIs) and participatory focus groups discussions (PFGs) developed by
ICRW. The field work was carried out by a team of trained researchers and research
assistants from the UDSM Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Each KII entailed approximately one hour of conversation structured around an interview
guide developed for the study. A wide array of stakeholders, service providers, and duty
bearers at the national, district, and ward levels were recruited for the research, as detailed
in Section B below. The target groups included national health officials, healthcare
providers, the police, social workers, duty bearers (magistrates, members of local councils,
etc.), local government authorities, representatives from government health facilities, nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), civil society
organizations (CSOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), as well as community leaders or
informal groups that typically support survivors of violence.
Participatory focus groups were conducted with male and female community members at
each site. This format is based on the traditional focus group discussion of approximately
eight participants. Each group had a facilitator and a note taker. However, ICRW
strategically incorporated participatory techniques such as community mapping, incomplete
stories, and interactive ranking exercises to make these sessions more accessible and
Help-Seeking Pathways and Barriers for Survivors of GBV in Tanzania March 2013
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