Combating Gender-Based Violence and Fostering Women's Well-Being

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) and its threat to women's well-being is an insidious and widespread challenge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Cultural beliefs about gender roles and sexuality, and religious teachings on marriage, masculinity, and femininity make interventions on GBV in the DRC difficult. This chapter examines a faith-based intervention, ‘The Tamar Campaign', which sought to align the strengths underpinning religion and culture. Findings revealed that participants of the Tamar Campaign reported 1) low prevalence of GBV four years after the intervention as compared to results of previous studies in the region, 2) positive effect of the intervention on marital satisfaction, and 3) engaging in activism alongside their family and community to combat GBV. This study thus offers initial evidence for faith-based interventions in not only reducing GBV, but also holistically improving women's overall well-being.