Fostering economic and psychosocial resilience among conflict-affected women to tackle GBV in Somalia

Addressing the psychological effects of violence in complex, resource-constrained settings requires innovative approaches, particularly where mental health workforce capacity is limited. In response, integrated programming combining livelihoods and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions has emerged as a promising strategy to foster economic and psychosocial resilience and prevent the escalation of violence. While early evidence suggests positive effects of this approach on stress management, well-being, and social cohesion among displaced women, there is still a dearth of evidence assessing this approach on gender-based violence (GBV) among non-clinical populations—especially in protracted conflict settings.

This study builds on a field pilot with female self-help groups in Somalia, which demonstrated  encouraging improvements in coping, social support, and livelihood outcomes after benefitting from integrated livelihood and MHPSS activities. We propose a full randomized controlled trial using a phase-in randomization approach to assess the following questions: 

(1) Can simultaneous investments in livelihoods and MHPSS improve resilience while reducing the risks of GBV among displacement-affected women? 

(2) Can such interventions be effectively delivered by trained and supervised lay personnel under a task-shifting model? 

This study will expand the evidence base on integrated MHPSS and livelihood interventions and the task-shifting literature, with a focus on “Do No Harm” principles to guide ethical and scalable delivery in complex protracted conflict settings."