Domestic Violence Prevention Advocacy Program: A Pilot Study in Tehran Urban Area

Objectives: This study was undertaken with the aim of delivering/implementing safety promotion and domestic violence prevention advocacy program in organizations, institutions and also individuals’ coverage by West Tehran Health Center. Methods: This study is an action/operational research and a pilot study undertaken with both quantitative and qualitative research method approach. It is a community-based intervention and Health System Research (HSR). The samples of the pilot study were selected from the key stakeholders including relevant institutions or organizations and their staffs working on domestic violence prevention, together with domestic violence affected married women (victims) in neighborhood were 9 from Tehran. Instruments applied in this study included monitoring and evaluation questionnaire, interview, observation, amount of distribution of educational resources, written documents, meeting reports and staff reports. Results: Most of the stakeholders/institutions and organizations supported and have effective collaboration in implementation of safety promotion and domestic violence prevention advocacy program. Other key findings of this study are as follows: Failure in achieving many individual and organizational responsibilities; discontinuing support/helping to battered women; bureaucratic barriers and inefficiency of some organizations; and lack of program/action plan, budget and planning for domestic violence prevention in all organizations except West Tehran Health Center which is supported by Ministry of Health. Conclusion: Advocacy program offered in draft of national policy on safety and domestic violence prevention, is acceptable, based on evidence, and is functional in this urban area. However, this study recommends that there is a highly critical need for a strategic decision making and planning at national level considering sufficient administrative authority and budget for supporting victims of domestic violence.