Collecting Accurate Data on Intimate Partner Violence : Learnings from Pakistan

Accurate measurement of intimate partner violence is challenging in face-to-face interviews due to concerns about anonymity and privacy, which can deter disclosure. In settings with high illiteracy, self-administered surveys are also impractical. To tackle these issues, this study adapted self-interviewing tools for rural-poor contexts and conducted two experiments: one to assess comprehension, and another to compare disclosure of intimate partner violence when questions were asked face-to-face first versus through audio computer-assisted interviewing first. The findings show that despite high illiteracy, respondents can effectively understand audio computer-assisted interviewing questionnaires. Additionally, initially answering questions privately via audio computer-assisted interviewing significantly increases subsequent disclosure of intimate partner violence by 41 to 57 percent during face-to-face interviews. This indicates that starting with private questioning enhances openness and consistency in reporting sensitive topics, making it a viable and effective method for improving data collection on intimate partner violence.