Conflict, caregiver violence and gendered parenting: A cross-sectional study among adolescent girls and young women participating in a girls’ empowerment programme in Myanmar

TL;DR

This study finds that conflict in Myanmar increases violence against adolescent girls by caregivers, especially when gendered parenting practices are present.

Contribution

The study links conflict exposure and gendered parenting to increased caregiver violence against adolescent girls in Myanmar.

Findings

80.6% of adolescent girls reported psychological violence, and 49.8% reported physical violence in the past year.

Higher conflict-related stressors and gendered parenting scores were significantly associated with increased physical and psychological violence.

The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to support girls' wellbeing in conflict-affected areas.

Abstract

Across Myanmar, armed conflict and political instability have exacerbated poverty, food insecurity, and disrupted essential social protection services, severely affected people’s health and wellbeing. This is especially pertinent for girls and young women, for whom gender inequalities are exacerbated during conflict, increasing their risk of various forms of violence. We aimed to measure the prevalence of parent/caregiver-perpetrated violence against adolescent girls across Myanmar and examine its association with exposure to conflict and gendered parenting practices following the 2021 military coup. We included 731 adolescent girls aged 10–17 years enrolled in a girls’ empowerment programme, recruited from Mandalay, Yangon and Tanintharyi Regions, Shan State and Kachin State. We co-developed a cross-sectional survey tool with a team of peer-researchers, conducting it between September 2023 and January 2024. Measures included physical and psychological violence, exposure to conflict-related stressors and gendered parenting practices. Logistic regression analyses tested associations between key variables. 80.6% of participants reported psychological violence and 49.8% reported physical violence in the past year. Participants reporting 3 + conflict-related stressors were more likely to report physical violence (aOR=2.19, 95%CI = 1.24-3.89, p = 0.007), participants reporting 1–2 stressors were more likely to report psychological violence (aOR=2.04, 95%CI = 1.09-3.77, p = 0.025). Higher gendered parenting scores were associated with physical (aOR=1.06, 95% CI = 1.03-1.09, p < 0.001) and psychological violence (aOR=1.07, 95%CI = 1.03-1.10, p < 0.001). Conflict may exacerbate gendered parenting and is associated with more parent/caregiver-perpetrated violence. These findings highlight the need for interventions addressing adolescent girls’ unique health and wellbeing needs in conflict-settings.

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