NCT06312592

GBV Prevention, Mitigation, and Response in Colombia

Owning Rights and Protection: GBV Prevention, Mitigation, and Response in Colombia

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 253 (actual)
• Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

As of August 2021, Colombia hosts the vast majority of Venezuelan refugees and migrants (UNHCR, 2022). For vulnerable refugees and migrants in Colombia, and especially for women, gender-based violence (GBV) is present during transit and continues in their new homes where xenophobia, lack of accessible and adequate services, lack of safe economic opportunities, and lack of information on access to services, further increase risk. Lack of livelihood opportunities also affect vulnerable refugees and migrants, especially women, with barriers to employment including lack of information; precarious working conditions with lower payments and longer working days with increasing risks of labor exploitation; xenophobia and discrimination; limited access to formal labor markets; lack of access to financial services, among others. To address these issues, the investigators are conducting a pilot randomized-controlled trial (RCT) of HIAS' Entrepreneurship School with Gender Lens (ESGL), a methodology that targets GBV survivors and women at-risk to help them develop business ideas, access needed support for the prevention of and response to GBV, exploitation and trafficking, and improve participants' overall self-reliance. The pilot RCT will be conducted within three cities in Colombia; approximately 80 eligible participants will be enrolled in each city and randomized to a treatment or control arm. Survey questionnaires will be administered to participants at baseline, eight months following baseline (endline), and 3-4 months after endline. Outcomes of interest include household self-reliance, mental health, empowerment, decision-making, and GBV risk and knowledge.

Conditions

• Refugee Self-reliance
• Mental Health Issue
• Empowerment
• Gender Based Violence Knowledge and Perceived Risk
• Decision Making

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Entrepreneurship School with Gender Lens	The Entrepreneurship School with Gender Lens (ESGL) is an approach that targets gender based violence survivors and women at-risk to help them develop business ideas, access needed support for the prevention of and response to GBV, exploitation and trafficking, and improve participants' overall self-reliance. Participants will go through a general business curriculum, work on business plans and learn gender issues and ways to mitigate GBV risks. Upon training completion, participants are eligible to pitch their business idea to a panel of experts and receive $800 of seed capital. They will also receive follow-up business advisory support for at least six months, focusing on access to markets and finance and building support networks, in order to continue building self-reliance. The ESGL will also include a mental health and psychosocial support module.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-03-11
• Primary completion: 2024-12-30
• Completion: 2025-04-01
• First posted: 2024-03-15
• Last updated: 2025-05-16
• Results posted: 2025-05-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Colombia