Relationship Skills Strengthened

Objective of Strategy: Improve men’s, women’s, and couple’s skills in interpersonal communication, conflict management, and shared decision-making.

Evidence of impact:

• Good evidence from low-middle income countries (LMICs) shows that group-based workshops that work with both women and men (couples + non-couples) to encourage reflection on gender and power inequalities, promote egalitarian attitudes and build skills for healthy non-violent relationships can work to reduce women and girls’ experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). 
• Programmes focusing on strengthening relationship skills have been most successful when carefully adapted to the local context – e.g. work with faith leaders who counsel couples in Uganda, using local coffee ceremonies in Ethiopia, and work with extended family in Tajikistan.
• There is some evidence from LMICs of group-based couples therapy or counselling reducing risk factors for IPV.