Despite efforts made in Zimbabwe to address intimate partner violence (IPV), critical gaps still exist regarding the efficacy of IPV service provision in rural areas. This study examines male service providers’ perceptions of IPV in Chimanimani Rural District in Zimbabwe to provide guidance for policy and practice on IPV intervention in rural areas. A qualitative study was conducted with six male service providers using in-depth interviews and thematic analysis. Our findings revealed how the intersection of social norms and the geographical location of rural areas influence service providers’ perceptions of IPV and service provision. Most of the service providers interviewed had a general understanding of IPV and regarded it as unacceptable social behavior. However, constraints to service delivery typical in rural areas negatively impacted their IPV intervention, including having limited intervention resources, limited male participation, and conflicting identities (professional versus cultural identity). We conclude that service provision in rural areas is essential to respond to and prevent the occurrence of IPV, yet how service providers perceive IPV affects the quality of services rendered to victims.

中文翻译：

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津巴布韦农村地区男性服务提供者对应对亲密伴侣暴力的看法：定性访谈的结果

尽管津巴布韦为解决亲密伴侣暴力 (IPV) 问题做出了努力，但在农村地区提供 IPV 服务的有效性方面仍然存在严重差距。本研究调查了津巴布韦奇马尼马尼农村地区男性服务提供者对 IPV 的看法，为农村地区 IPV 干预政策和实践提供指导。通过深入访谈和主题分析，对六名男性服务提供者进行了定性研究。我们的研究结果揭示了社会规范和农村地区地理位置的交集如何影响服务提供商对 IPV 和服务提供的看法。大多数受访的服务提供商对IPV有一般认识，并认为这是不可接受的社会行为。然而，农村地区普遍存在的服务提供限制对其 IPV 干预产生了负面影响，包括干预资源有限、男性参与有限以及身份冲突（职业与文化身份）。我们的结论是，农村地区的服务提供对于应对和预防 IPV 的发生至关重要，但服务提供商如何看待 IPV 会影响向受害者提供的服务质量。