@wangui-mutua
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In the context I work in, effective violence prevention strategies need to address deeply ingrained gender norms and power dynamics within households. Promising approaches include:
1. Community Education: Campaigns to challenge harmful beliefs about gender roles and promote shared decision-making in households.
2. Women’s Empowerment: Expanding access to education and economic opportunities for women to increase their independence.
3. Legal Protections: Strengthening laws and their enforcement to protect victims and ensure justice.
4. Community Interventions: Establishing peer support networks and involving men in prevention efforts.
5. Safe Spaces: Providing shelters, hotlines, and crisis services for immediate support.If Mercy lived in my community, the factors and triggers contributing to her situation would likely remain largely unchanged due to the persistence of harmful norms and practices that still prevail. These include deeply ingrained gender norms dictating how a household should be managed, where traditional beliefs often place men in positions of authority and decision-making power. There’s also the damaging notion that a man’s honor is closely tied to a woman’s behavior, further perpetuating the control and oppression of women within households. Additionally, the expectation that men should be the primary decision-makers in all aspects of the home life continues to undermine women’s autonomy and agency.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that some progress has been made in recent years. Efforts to destigmatize abuse and create safe spaces for women to speak out about their experiences have gained momentum. There’s also a growing emphasis on women’s education, which empowers women and gives them more opportunities to make independent choices. Legal avenues have been established to seek justice for victims of abuse, providing a semblance of hope for those in situations similar to Mercy’s.
Despite these strides, the reality is that the harmful cultural norms and practices that contributed to Mercy’s situation still hold significant influence. Therefore, if Mercy lived in my community, it is likely that she would face many of the same challenges and barriers. While the progress made might offer her some additional support and avenues for justice, the deeply rooted societal issues would still pose significant obstacles to her well-being and freedom. Consequently, Mercy might find herself in a similar situation, struggling against the same oppressive forces, but with a slightly better chance of seeking help and finding support due to the ongoing efforts to address these issues in the community.
Gender inequality and violence against women (VAW) are deeply interconnected, with each reinforcing the other in Mercy’s life. Gender inequality enables violence by restricting Mercy’s opportunities and confining her to traditional gender roles, limiting her education, economic independence, and social mobility. This dependence and lack of empowerment make her more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Conversely, violence worsens gender inequality by deepening her physical and mental health issues, limiting her economic opportunities, and reinforcing her dependency on male partners. It isolates her socially, disrupts her daughter’s future prospects, and perpetuates harmful gender norms. This creates a vicious cycle where inequality fuels violence, and violence further entrenches inequality, trapping Mercy and future generations in a cycle of poverty and subordination.
Here’s a concise summary of how the ‘Ajani Centre for Rights and Care ‘violence prevention program applies each principle:
Accountable to Women and Girls: Establishes a community advisory board led by women and girls, ensuring their active participation in decision-making and program adjustments based on their feedback.
Based in a Gender-Power Analysis: Integrates education on power dynamics and advocates for policy changes to address systemic gender inequalities that underlie violence against women and girls.
Inclusive and Intersectional: Tailors services to meet the diverse needs of women and girls, considering factors like race, disability, and socio-economic status, with multilingual services and diverse staff.
Prioritising the Safety of Women and Girls: Implements strict safety protocols, trauma-informed care, and risk assessments to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.
Starting with Ourselves: Focuses on self-reflection and continuous training for staff to address personal biases, ensuring they are equipped to support the community effectively.
The two violence prevention activities can be placed at different points on the prevention-to-response continuum:
Community-Based Educational Workshops: This activity fits under universal prevention. This is because they target the entire community, not just individuals or groups identified as being at high risk of experiencing or perpetrating violence.
Women’s Support Groups with Economic Empowerment: This activity aligns with selective prevention. This is because they target a specific group within the community that is at a higher risk of experiencing violence—namely, women who are economically dependent on their partners.
