ENHANCING THE AWARENESS OF MARGINALIZED WOMEN ABOUT GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WINGS INTERVENTION

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the adapted WINGS (Women Initiating New Goals for Safety) intervention in reducing the level of gender-based violence among marginalized groups of women in Ukraine. The study involved 110 women (women who use drugs, sex workers, HIV-positive women, and internally displaced persons) who participated in a two-session screening and brief intervention based on the WINGS model. The intervention was designed to identify instances of violence, enhance motivation for safe behavior, and refer participants to appropriate support services. Indicators of physical, sexual, and psychological violence were assessed before and after the intervention; the data were analyzed using a paired t-test. The results demonstrated no statistically significant decrease in the frequency of violence after the intervention. On the contrary, the overall number of violent incidents increased from 454 to 1139 cases (p < 0.05), with the most substantial growth observed among internally displaced women. Only among HIV-positive participants was a tendency toward a reduction in violence noted (from 239 to 221 cases); however, this change was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The findings suggest that the short-term WINGS intervention was insufficient to achieve a noticeable reduction in gender-based violence among the vulnerable groups studied. The results highlight the need to supplement such programs with long-term support and structural interventions aimed at addressing the root causes of violence. Despite the absence of an immediate effect, the implementation of WINGS represents an important step toward raising women’s awareness of violence risks and improving their access to support services.