Strengthening Professional and Community Capacity to Respond to Gender Based Violence in Eswatini: A Qualitative Intervention Study

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pervasive social welfare and public health concern in Eswatini, shaped by patriarchal family structures, cultural expectations, and women’s socio-economic dependence. These dynamics limit survivors’ agency and reinforce norms that discourage disclosure and help-seeking. This study examined a culturally responsive training intervention designed to strengthen professional and community capacity to prevent and respond to GBV in Eswatini. Guided by empowerment and systems theories, the intervention sought to enhance participants’ understanding of gender power relations, trauma-informed practice, and survivor- centered engagement. The qualitative intervention involved seven participants, including social workers, a psychologist/counselor, a traditional leader, and a church leader. A qualitative pre–post design was used to explore shifts in participants’ perceptions and practices. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires administered before and after the training and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated increased recognition of GBV as embedded in patriarchal family power dynamics, deeper understanding of the long-term impacts of trauma on survivors, and greater confidence in survivor-centered and community-based responses. Although exploratory due to the small sample size, the findings highlight the potential of culturally grounded training to strengthen frontline responses to GBV. The study contributes to ongoing discussions on community-engaged and culturally responsive approaches to GBV prevention and response in resource-constrained contexts.