Water Insecurity and Gender-Based Violence: Exploring Links and Steps for Prevention. A Comparative Study of Indonesian and Peruvian Women

Gender-based violence is one of the most prevalent public health threats in the world today, with as many as one out of every four women affected. As water insecurity continues to grow, will women be at greater risk from domestic violence? This project uses mixed methods to examine whether water insecurity is associated with gender-based violence and if so, under what circumstances. Specifically, the research team is looking to extend HWISE – a cross-culturally validated, internationally-used scale – to explore household-level water insecurity and add a section dedicated to gender-based violence. A quantitative survey will be combined with story-telling and participative workshops with health and water management practitioners to investigate policies and practices that contribute to women’s vulnerability or resilience.

Principal Investigator: Dr Stroma Cole, University of the West of England