PURPOSE:
Intimate partner violence represents a serious public health challenge, with profound repercussions on women’s health. This work presents four studies, mainly led by midwives in Chile since 2015, aimed at generating applicable evidence, strengthening professional training, and improving the health system’s response to this issue.

DISCUSSION:
Midwives play a strategic role in the early detection, comprehensive care, and support of women affected by IPV. The continuity of this research line has enabled not only the assessment of the problem’s magnitude but also the development of concrete tools for clinical practice. It has also informed recommendations to strengthen care protocols, reduce access barriers, enhance professional training, and improve coordination with the National Service for Women and Gender Equity (SernamEG).

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Previous studies showed that midwives and midwifery students lacked adequate competencies to care for women survivors of IPV. A sequential mixed-methods approach was employed. First, the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) was culturally adapted and validated with Chilean and migrant users in primary care (n=44), yielding excellent psychometric results (100% sensitivity, 96% specificity). The second study analyzed the prevalence of intimate partner violence among pregnant women (n=1,020) and postpartum women (n=763) in four Latin American countries, identifying prevalence rates of 15.5% and 29.6%, respectively. The third study, a qualitative undergraduate thesis project, explored facilitators and barriers in the care of women at women’s centers. Lastly, the fourth study, using a cross-sectional design with n=167 health professionals—mostly midwives—analyzed beliefs and attitudes toward women survivors of violence. Active student participation enriched each stage of the research process

KEY MESSAGE:
Midwives, as producers of situated knowledge, play a key role in the health and intersectoral response to IPV, integrating research, professional training, and evidence-based clinical practice. Spanish - other (including three-minute presentation competition)