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Violence Against Women and Gender Minority Populations

Preventing and Addressing Violence and Its Consequences

Violence against women, especially intimate partner violence and sexual violence, remains a pandemic-level public health crisis that profoundly impacts the health, well-being, and rights of women and their children. Similarly, sexual and gender minorities (SGM)—including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and intersex individuals—face disproportionate violence, prejudice, and discrimination. Over the past decade, PERC Nepal has been committed to understanding the scope of violence affecting these populations and developing interventions to prevent and manage the health consequences among survivors. Key projects and publications are provided below.

Unveiling the Hidden Challenges: Psychosocial Health, Service Access, and HIV Risk Among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Nepal

Dr. Keshab Deuba, the Senior Health Advisor at PERC, received funding in 2009/2010 through the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and the Social Inclusion Research Fund (SIRF), Nepal, supported by the Norwegian Embass...

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Effectiveness of peer counselling in addressing psychological distress and exposure to violence among sexual and gender minorities in Nepal: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

The burden of social stressors (discrimination, prejudice, violence, and stigmatization) is disproportionately high among LGBTIQA + (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Asexual) individuals. These stressors negatively influence the overall well-being of this population which in turn affects their health-seeking behaviours,...

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13063-026-09843-9

Keshab Deuba, Rachana Shrestha, Reena Koju, Manisha Dhakal, James Underhill, Per Einar Binder, Ingvild Fossgard Sandøy & the SAATHI study

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Intimate Partner Violence Training Intervention on Healthcare Providers’ Preparedness, Knowledge, and Experiences: A Mixed-Methods Study From Nepal

Abstract Intimate partner violence (IPV) places a considerable burden on health systems globally due to its profound effects on women’s health, and women who experience violence often seek care from healthcare providers (HCPs). However, HCPs often lack the preparedness and confidence to respond effectively, resulting in missed opportunities f...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08862605261444014

Koju R, Shrestha R, Dhungana J, Lamichhane A, Misra A, Ekström AM, Deuba K

Strengthening Nonspecialist Health Care Providers’ Capacity to Address Mental Health in the Context of Domestic Violence in Nepal: Pre–Post Mixed Methods Training Evaluation

Objective:This study evaluated the impact of structured mental health training on the knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and psychosocial support skills of nonspecialist HCPs in Madhesh Province, Nepal. Methods:This study is a nested substudy within a larger domestic violence (DV) intervention trial and used a mixed method, pre–post interventi...

https://formative.jmir.org/2026/1/e72793

Reena Koju, achana Shrestha, Jayanti Dhungana, Achyut Lamichhane, Diksha Sapkota, Anna Mia Ekström, Keshab Deuba

Disease burden attributable to intimate partner violence against females and sexual violence against children in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023

Violence against women and against children are human rights violations with lasting harms to survivors and societies at large. Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence against children (SVAC) are two major forms of such abuse. Despite their wide-reaching effects on individual and community health, these risk factors have not been adequ...

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02503-6/fulltext

GBD 2023 Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence against Children Collaborators

Burden of intimate partner violence, mental health issues, and help-seeking behaviors among women in Nepal

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence, presenting a significant public health concern, especially for women and girls. Help-seeking can reduce future IPV and mitigate adverse health outcomes, including mental health issues. Objectives This study is the first national assessment on IPV, mental healt...

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11921001/

Kurvinen M, Ekström AM, Deuba K

Assessing the Nepalese health system’s readiness to manage gender-based violence and deliver psychosocial counselling

Abstract Violence against women (VAW), particularly intimate partner violence (IPV) or domestic violence, is a major public health issue, garnering more attention globally post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Health providers often represent the first point of contact for IPV victims. Thus, health systems and health providers ...

https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/39/2/198/7595865

Deuba K, Shrestha R, Koju R, Jha V, Lamichhane A, Mehra D, Ekström A

Perceived discrimination as an independent risk factor for suicidal ideation among sexual minorities in Nepal.

PLOS ONE. July 2016 Abstract Sexual and gender minorities experience an elevated burden of suicidality compared with the general population. Still, little is known about that burden and the factors generating it in the context of low- and middle-income countries. The present study assessed the prevalence of suicidal ideation, planned suicide...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27437996 

Kohlbrenner V, Deuba K, DK Karki, Marrone G.

Experience of intimate partner violence among young pregnant women in urban slums: A qualitative study.

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an urgent public health priority. It is a neglected issue in women’s health, especially in urban slums in Nepal and globally. This study was designed to better understand the IPV experienced by young pregnant women in urban slums of the Kathmandu Valley, as well as to identify their co...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26945755/

Deuba K, Mainali A, Alvesson HM, Karki DK.

Psychosocial health problems associated with increased HIV risk behaviour among men who have sex with men in Nepal: a cross-sectional survey

PLoS ONE. March 2013.   Abstract Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are marginalized, hidden, underserved and at high risk for HIV in Nepal. We examined the association between MSM sub-populations, psychosocial health problems and support, access to prevention and non-use of condoms. Methods: Between September...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23516434 

Deuba K, Ekström AM, Shrestha R, Ionita G, Laxmi L, DK Karki.

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