Gender-Based Violence and mental health in the perinatal period in Palestine

To date, no policy has been developed to address gender-based violence (GBV) in pregnancy and detect signs of post-partum depression (PPD) among women during the perinatal period in Palestine. This deprives victims of much-needed support and negatively impacts their wellbeing and the growth and development of their infants across generations.

This project will (1) generate knowledge on GBV incidence and mental health effects of GBV on women and their infants in the Ramallah Governorate in Palestine, (2) improve (GBV-related) mental health screening for PPD and support during the perinatal period with specific attention to the impact of GBV on mental health, and subsequently improve the health and well-being of mother and child.

In collaboration with Birzeit University (Palestine) and the Palestinian Ministry of Health, both women and healthcare providers will be invited to participate in the study, leading to recommendations for policy and practice and the development of a tailored capacity building training and screening tool for GBV and (GBV)-related PPD.