WOMEN’S HEALTH AND LIFE EXPERIENCES: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REPORT ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN GUYANA RUTH RODNEY SIREESHA J. BOBBILI United Nations Development Programme UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life of everyone. We are on the ground in around 170 countries, to help empower lives and build resilient nations. UNDP creates an enabling environment where national governments have the capacities for inclusive and sustainable human development; meet their national commitments, and internationally agreed goals including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP focuses on policy and knowledge advisory services that facilitate poverty reduction, improved democratic governance, sound environmental management, climate resilience, options for sustainable energy and building resilience to natural and man-made hazards. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The views/opinions of the report are the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of USAID or the Government of the United States. UN Women UN Women is the UN organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards. It stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on five priority areas: increasing women’s leadership and participation; ending violence against women; engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes; enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and making gender equality central to national development planning and budgeting. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of UN Women, the United Nations or any of its affiliated organisations. Ruth Rodney, RN, PhD Sireesha J. Bobbili, MPH, PhD Candidate Assistant Professor Project Manager School of Nursing WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre for Addiction & Mental Health Faculty of Health Institute for Mental Health Policy Research York University Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Toronto, Canada Toronto, Canada UN Women Copy Editors: Sharon Carter-Burke and Isiuwa Iyahen Layout Editor: Vilmar Luiz WOMEN’S HEALTH AND LIFE EXPERIENCES: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH REPORT ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN GUYANA TABLE OF CONTENTS List of tables ............................................................................................................................................................V List of figures............................................................................................................................... ............................V List of acronyms............................................................................................................................... .....................VII Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................1 Executive summary............................................................................................................................... ..................3 Chapter 1. Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................7 Chapter 2. Research methodology and methods ..............................................................................................11 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................12 2.1. Research objectives ...................................................................................................................................12 2.2. Developing the qualitative component: The Women’s Health and Life Experiences Survey.........12 2.3. Inclusion criteria ........................................................................................................................................ 13 2.4. Recruitment............................................................................................................................................... 13 2.5. Methods .....................................................................................................................................................14 2.6. Semi-structured interviews as a method.............................................................................................. 16 2.7. Semi-structured focus group discussions as a method........................................................................ 16 2.8. Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.9. Rigour in qualitative research................................................................................................................. 18 2.10. Ethical considerations .............................................................................................................................19 2.11. Limitations ................................................................................................................................................19 Chapter 3. Participant demographics .................................................................................................................21 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 3.1. Sex............................................................................................................................... ................................ 22 3.2. Age ............................................................................................................................................................. 22 3.3. Education ................................................................................................................................................... 22 3.4. Employment ............................................................................................................................................. 22 3.5. Ethnicity ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 3.6. Religion .....................................................................................................................................................24 3.7. Region of residence ..................................................................................................................................24 3.8. Marital status and children .................................................................................................................... 25 I Chapter 4. Social determinants of violence against women and girls: Common factors in Guyana .................................................................................................................................27 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................28 4.1. Structural determinants: Social determinants of health inequities................................................. 29 4.1.1. “I can report it. I can take the perpetrator to court”: Political context and public policies............................................................................................................................... .......29 4.1.2. Gender, social hierarchy and socioeconomic position..................................................................................... 31 4.2. Intermediary factors: Social determinants of health ..........................................................................37 4.2.1. Psychosocial factors: Intergenerational violence................................................................................................ 37 4.2.2. Behavioural factors: Alcohol/drug consumption.............................................................................................. 38 4.3. Summary ..................................................................................................................................................39 4.4. Key points of this chapter ......................................................................................................................39 Chapter 5. Community risk and protective factors for violence against women......................................... 41 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................42 5.1. “They look at what the community says”: Community norms........................................................