Community-Led Interventions for Preventing Gender-Based Violence among Women in Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State

Abstract

This study examined community-led interventions for preventing gender-based violence among women in Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State. Three objectives and three research questions guided the study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 1,339 respondents consisting of women from community-based women organisations and NGO staff in Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw LGAs. The sample for the study was 302 respondents, consisting of 232 women from community-based women organisations and 70 NGO staff. The sample size was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table, while purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the sample. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled 'Community-Led Interventions for Preventing Gender-Based Violence Questionnaire (CLIPGBVQ)'. The instrument was validated by the researcher's supervisors and two experts in Measurement and Evaluation at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt. The instrument's reliability was established by the Cronbach Alpha method. Reliability coefficients of 0.77, 0.71, and 0.83 were obtained for the various sections of the instrument, respectively. Out of 302 copies of the questionnaire administered, 290 copies were retrieved and used for analysis. Mean and standard deviation statistics were used to answer the research questions. The results of the study revealed, among others, that community mobilization and awareness campaigns prevent gender-based violence among women in Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw LGAs to a very high extent. Peer-led education and support groups, school-based programmes, legal empowerment and advocacy initiatives, and economic empowerment interventions also prevent gender-based violence among women in these LGAs to a high extent.  Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others that community mobilization efforts should be intensified by relevant stakeholders and that local NGOs should expand peer-led education and support group programmes to more communities in Bayelsa State.