Elements of the design and implementation of interventions to prevent VAWG associated with success: Reflections from What Works 1

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has a large and sustained impact on women’s mental health, and so effective prevention is critical. A review of 96 rigorous evaluations of interventions for their impact on violence against women and girls (mostly IPV) found that several intervention approaches were effective. However, not every evaluation of a ‘successful approach’ showed success in reducing IPV. In order to understand what else impacts success, we analysed practitioners’ accounts and documentation of the design and implementation of seventeen interventions evaluated as part of What Works to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG). Six features were identified as characteristics of all successful interventions; four features were necessary for success when relevant for the intervention approach. This analysis provides the IPV prevention field with critical information for enhancing the impact of group- and community-based interventions in IPV prevention and through this strengthening women’s mental health.