Shelter, Skills, and Cognition: Evaluating Integrated Strategies to Reduce Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Tanzania

This study will evaluate interventions to address intimate partner violence (IPV) among severely abused women in rural Tanzania. In the Mara Region, 78% of women report experiencing IPV in their lifetime (World Bank 2022). Although anecdotal evidence suggests that shelters can be effective in helping victims leave dangerous situations, at least temporarily, causal evidence remains limited. This study will address this gap by experimentally testing the impact of shelters in the Kirumi area of the Mara Region, both alone and in combination with complementary programs whose standalone effects are mixed but may be more effective when paired with shelter access. Specifically, we will evaluate four program arms: (1) no shelter, with safety planning and referrals, which are also available to shelter participants; (2) shelter only, with participants able to stay for up to six months; (3) shelter plus an economic program; and (4) shelter plus cognitive behavioral therapy for husbands. We hypothesize that these programs will both provide immediate safety and improve women’s long-term well-being.