SII Women's Empowerment and HIV Bangladesh Impacts on Violence

							                                                                                        CARE Bangladesh SII3




IMPACTS ON VIOLENCE AS IDENTIFIED BY SEX WORKERS

When asked to identify up to three different impacts CARE’s intervention had on their
own lives, reduced violence was the fourth most common response of both brothel and
street-based sex workers who had been involved in the project.1 There was a significant
difference however in the percentages of brothel and street-based identifying reduced
violence as an impact. The first three most common responses were: “Raised awareness of
HIV” (96% of BB and 100% of SB), “Raised awareness of their rights” (82%/79%) and
“Increased ability to protest” (59%/46%). Reduced violence was identified as an impact by
59% of brothel-based and only 20% of street-based sex workers. Focus groups and
interviews reflected a similar perspective on project impacts.


WEAK EVIDENCE OF IMPACTS ON VIOLENCE
Based on Exposure to CARE Intervention (ABC)2

Among brothel-based sex workers, those who had some exposure to the CARE intervention
were somewhat less likely to report physical violence in their intimate relationships3
suggesting the possibility that the CARE intervention reduced violence in their intimate
relationships. Among street-based sex workers there was very little difference.
In a separate question, among both brothel and street-based sex workers, those who had
participated in CARE projects (category A and B) were slightly less likely to have
experienced violence from someone other than their intimate partner in the past 12
months.4


MIXED EVIDENCE OF IMPACTS ON CONDOM USE
Based on Exposure to CARE Intervention (ABC)

Among both brothel and street-based sex workers, data suggests the project increased
reported condom use with both spouses and lovers. The data also suggests strong project
impacts on condom use with clients among brothel-based sex workers but little or no
impact among street-based sex workers.


STRONG INTERACTION BETWEEN DOMESTIC AND OTHER VIOLENCE

Data shows a strong relationship between a high level of violence in intimate
relationships and the likelihood of having experienced violence from someone other
than an intimate partner in the past 12 months. Of those who indicated a high level of
violence in intimate relationships, 83% had also experienced other violence in the past 12
1
  Those who had no involvement with CARE were not asked this question.
2
  The A group had the greatest exposure to CARE interventions, B had some, C reported no involvement with
CARE.
3
  This was based on a physical violence index which was calculated based on responses to a set of three
different questions asking whether their intimate partner uses physical abuse (kicking, slapping or beating) to
force you to have sex with him (responses: all of the time/most of the time/some of the time/rarely/never).
4
  Among BB: 30% of those in A or B groups had experienced violence versus 36% of those who never
participated in CARE projects; among SB: 74% of those in A or B had experienced violence versus 87% of
those in C)
                                                                                   CARE Bangladesh SII3


moths. Of those who indicate no violence or a low level of violence in intimate relationships
only 59% and 54% had experienced other violence in the past 12 months.


INTERACTION BETWEEN VIOLENCE AND CONDOM USE

The data also suggests a relationship between domestic violence and condom use with clients.
There is particularly strong evidence that those who experience a high level of violence
in intimate relationships are less likely to use condoms with regular clients.5 Those
who’ve experienced violence from someone other than an intimate partner also seem less
likely to use condoms with clients but the relationship between the variables is not so strong.

Condom use with spouses seems relatively unaffected by violence in that relationship and
condom use with lovers seems to have the reverse relationship i.e. the more violence in a
relationship with a lover, the more likely they are to use condoms with their lover (perhaps
reflecting a less intimate relationship).




5
  Of those reporting NO violence in intimate relationships, 73% ALWAYS use condoms with regular clients, of
those with SOME violence in intimate relationships 67% ALWAYS use condoms and of those with HIGH
violence in intimate relationships 44% ALWAYS use condoms