#8 So, how to stop violence before it even starts?

One woman having to experience violence is one too many. In the first episode, we asked “Which way to Prevention?”. In this last episode, we summarize the different “Pathways to Prevention” of violence against women and girls. This first 8-episode series, exploring 10 different themes, identified from the work of almost 100 civil society organizations across the world, has sought to capture the important and rich practice- based knowledge of civil society projects working to prevent and end violence against women and girls.

When and how can we tell if the whole system from government to police are ready to support survivors of violence? Adequate, competent, quality services across all sectors, just like specific laws and policies, can help prevent and address violence against women and girls. Hear now from civil society and women’s rights organizations (CSOs and WROs) providing and advocating for better services, effective laws and new policies to better promote women’s right to live free of violence!

The uncertain and context-specific nature of social change means that programmes to prevent violence against women and girls have to apply an intersectional lens and remain adaptable. Listen in and see how civil society and women’s rights organizations (CSOs and WROs) are approaching important social questions in their contexts.

We already know what you’re going to ask: How do CSOs and WROS design and implement effective trainings to change norms and behaviour across the globe? Designing effective training takes time and effort. It also requires an iterative and adaptive process that is time and resource intensive. And then what? Prevention programming, whether it centers training and capacity development or not, can and will come up against significant, diverse sets of challenges, particularly against resistance from the communities themselves. How are civil society and women’s organizations responding to resistance and backlash? Find out in this episode!

Ending violence against women and girls starts with every one of us, and it starts with prevention. In this episode, we will hear from civil society organizations (CSOs) on how they empower women to lead and motivate adolescent girls to tackle new challenges to prevent violence against women and girls.

Faith based and traditional actors are increasingly recognized as key to preventing violence. They can promote beliefs, norms and practices that can inhibit or enable prevention. Let’s find out more from different types of civil society organizations on how to work effectively together with them.

Is it time to appreciate “thick data”? Before we dive in, we need to recognize the importance of understanding what works, what does not work and critically how it all works when it comes to preventing violence against women and girls. Civil society and women’s rights organizations’ (CSOs and WROs) unique expertise and practical experience contribute every day to the knowledge base on ending violence. In this episode, unpack all the acronyms with us and learn what practice-based knowledge is, so we can better support and elevate it… and ultimately disrupt hierarchies of knowledge and power!

1 in 3 women experience violence in their lifetime. But violence IS preventable. Civil society and women's rights organizations have been at the forefront of doing this critical work on preventing violence against women. Let’s hear directly from them, on 10 different pathways to prevention.