within the MENA region, were analyzed to
provide a contextual understanding of the issue.
3.2. Primary Resources
3.2.1. Four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)
The research team conducted four FDGs with
different stakeholders as per the following:
• Participants: Respondents from various service-
providing entities, and individuals with diverse
backgrounds, such as those involved in politics,
economics, journalism, and activism, to ensure
a wide range of perspectives was represented.
JOSA prioritized inclusivity by selecting
participants from various socio-economic
backgrounds, ethnicities, regions, and abilities,
capturing the intersectional realities of TFGBV
across different sectors and experiences. The
participants included GBV and protection case
managers, programs managers, researchers,
digital safety experts, lawyers, From 2 INGOs,
and 14 CSOs that provide legal services, and
psycho-social, or economic support for TFGBV
survivors.
participants. Facilitators trained in gendersensitive approaches guided the discussions,
prioritizing the creation of an inclusive, nonhierarchical space where participants felt
empowered to share their experiences. The
facilitators adopted a trauma-informed practice¹,
remaining mindful of the emotional and
psychological impacts of TFGBV.
They actively worked to reduce power dynamics
between themselves and the participants by
emphasizing collaboration and mutual respect.
Open-ended questions were used to encourage free
expression and avoid leading the participants,
ensuring that survivors’ voices and lived experiences
drove the conversation, centering their agency
throughout the process.
3.2.2. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)
Based on the aforementioned, the research team
identified a list of 10 TFGBV survivors who took part
in the KIIs.
• Participants: Survivors of TFGBV from various
qualitative data reflecting participants’ personal
experiences of TFGBV, including its psychologi‐
cal, social, and economic implications. The
discussions also explored the impact of TFGBV
on participants' political participation and digital
engagement.
backgrounds, five of whom were human rights
defenders and activists, including LGBTQ+
individuals and people with disabilities. The
remaining five interviews were conducted with
women and girls from diverse backgrounds, such
as LGBTQ+ individuals, journalists, and
university students. The participants represented
a range of sectors and experiences, with nine
women and one man from Amman, Zarqa, and
Karak.
• Practice: The FGDs were conducted online and
• Objective: Psychological implications of TFGBV
• Objective: The study aimed to gather in-depth
in-person, in as safe and neutral environments
as possible, with measures in place to ensure
confidentiality and provide emotional support if
deemed relevant, required, or requested by the
are multifaceted, profound and long-lasting,
affecting victims in various ways - anxiety,
depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
isolation, disengagement from public life etc. are
1 Trauma-informed practice is an approach that recognizes the profound and varied impacts of trauma, particularly in the cases of survivors that were subject to genderbased violence (GBV), online violence, intimate partner violence (IPV), and domestic violence. It acknowledges the short- and long-term effects of trauma, such as PTSD,
anxiety, and emotional dysregulation, and integrates this understanding into all interactions. The approach prioritizes survivors' physical, psychological, and emotional
safety, focuses on rebuilding their sense of control and empowerment, and meets them where they are without judgment.
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