From Policy to Local Action: Addressing Intimate Partner Violence among Women in Mazowe Rural District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

In recent years, research on intimate partner violence (IPV) against women has highlighted both the global prevalence of the issue and the persistent challenges in translating policy into meaningful change at the community level. While Zimbabwe has established robust legal frameworks, including the Domestic Violence Act of 2007 and regional gender agreements, IPV rates in Mazowe continue to rise, revealing a significant gap between policy development and real-world application. This research aims to assess IPV prevalence and contributing factors, examine how institutions and communities respond and develop a locallyadapted community-based framework to improve IPV management at the grassroots level. The study is grounded in the Intersectional Feminist Theory, which examines how gender, socioeconomic status and cultural elements intersect to shape women's experiences with IPV. Using a qualitative synthesis review, the study gathered detailed, context-relevant data through multiple approaches. The study utilised secondary data collection methods, including document reviews as well as legal and policy mapping and analysis, to assess the extent to which national frameworks are aligned with community-level implementation. While the inclusion of primary data could have further enhanced the depth and rigor of the study, secondary data were employed due to their capacity to provide comprehensive, comparative and contextually relevant insights into existing policies, legal provisions and implementation practices. Results reveal that factors such as economic hardship, male-dominated social structures and poor institutional collaboration worsen IPV, while community-led initiatives foster more localised and lasting solutions. To address the identified implementation gaps, the study proposes a Community-based Integrated Response Model (CBIRM) that connects formal institutional frameworks with grassroots organisations, emphasizing prevention, protection and survivor support.