"I feel that I have no one to help me" : Women’s perceptions of causes of alcohol-related violence and what coping strategies these women use in the context of Livingstone, Zambia

Sammanfattning: Background: Intimate partner violence is a major human rights problem, that affects all sexes of all ages in all societies. Men are the primary perpetrators, and women are more likely to get injured since the violence against women also tends to be more severe. The majority of the perpetrators of violence are in an intimate relationship and in many of the cases, alcohol is a significant contributor to the abuse. Aim: To investigate which societal factors drive and maintain the alcohol-related violence towards women and what coping strategies these women use to handle this form of violence in Livingstone, Zambia. Methods: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 16 Zambian women who had experienced violence by alcohol abusive male partners was conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The results in this study shows that poverty is the source of this form of violence. It is not only the absence of money but also the presence thereof and the way in which this challenges the traditional gender roles. These traditional gender roles are changing because men do not take their responsibilities as providers. Women used emotion-focused and problem-focused strategies to cope with these stressful situations. Conclusion: This study concludes that poverty and the challenging of traditional gender roles perpetuate violence. These women, who are exposed to this violence are reaching out for help but are not getting the help they need, which is partly due to the society’s view of the importance of marriage.