ABSTRACT
Perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV) play an important role in determining the prevalence of violence against women in society and the willingness of communities to institute effective violence and crisis response mechanisms. Research from the United States and Europe has examined attitudes and perceptions of violence against women, as well as how these perceptions intersect with prevalence rates and the availability of response mechanisms. There is little research within the Middle East and North African (MENA) region that similarly examines the relation between how people understand violence against women and how society ultimately responds to it. This study focuses on the introduction of the first victim’s crisis advocacy programme in the MENA region, operated by Women’s Crisis Care International (WCCI) in Bahrain. It seeks to understand if and how WCCI may have contributed to a societal shift in the way violence against women is understood among both its programme volunteers and its beneficiaries. Data were collected from 27 participants, including 17 certified crisis advocates and 10 WCCI beneficiaries who were victims of abuse. Findings suggest that women’s crisis advocacy programmes have the potential to influence women who interact with the organizations, positioning them to become agents of change.
