Community interventions to prevent violence against women and girls in informal settlements in Mumbai: the SNEHA-TARA pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial

A randomized controlled trial in Mumbai's informal settlements aims to address violence against women and girls through community mobilization. The trial involves 48 clusters, with half receiving both community group activities and volunteer support services, while the other half receive only support services. The primary goal is to reduce various forms of domestic violence among women aged 15-49 over a period of three years.

Secondary objectives include increasing the disclosure of violence, improving community attitudes towards gender equality, reducing non-partner sexual violence, and enhancing mental health and wellbeing. The intervention is evaluated through pre- and post-intervention surveys, monitoring data, and qualitative research to understand its impact and mechanisms.

A significant initiative in Mumbai's slums aims to prevent violence against women and girls through community mobilization. This intervention builds on years of programmatic experience and research, combining group education with individual volunteer efforts. It engages women, men, and adolescents in awareness-building, local action, and leadership activities. Women volunteers, known as "sanginis," play a key role in identifying and supporting survivors of violence. The effectiveness of these community mobilization strategies is tested in reducing domestic violence and improving community responses. Extensive support services, including counseling, police liaison, medical attention, and legal aid, are available to both intervention and control groups. The goal is to create a scalable, community-led model to alleviate the public health burden of gender-based violence.