Awareness-raising
interventions play an important role in the prevention of VAWE, but they need
to be complemented with broader strategies against gender stereotypes and
discriminatory social norms, attitudes and behaviors, promoting positive social
change in the long-term. A wide range of stakeholders can get involved in
raising awareness on the causes and consequences of VAWE, including political
parties, EMBs, civil society, parliamentarians, academics and the media, among
others. In some countries, political parties, EMBs and civil society have
launched specific campaigns to promote awareness of VAWE. By ensuring
gender-sensitive reporting and providing journalists with adequate training,
the media can also play a role in preventing VAWE. Although online media
platforms can become hostile environments towards women in politics, with
increasing attacks and very few restrictions to harassment and threats, they
have the potential to promote women’s visibility through effective
communication strategies. Parliamentarians can fight VAW through legislative
action and by raising awareness on this issue among their constituents and
other fellow parliamentarians. Furthermore, including men and boys in the
social dialogue on gender equality and VAWE, with a particular attention to
young men and male parliamentarians, is key to promote positive change in
social attitudes and norms.[1]
Example: In a
2016 Inter-Parliamentary Union study[2]
that analyzed information provided by 55 women parliamentarians from 36
countries, 81.8 percent of respondents reported having suffered from
psychological violence, 25.5 percent declared they had been exposed to physical
violence and 21.8 percent identified themselves as victims of sexual violence.
These research efforts contributed to raise awareness on the impact of VAWP on
women parliamentarians.[3]
Example: In Bolivia, UN Women, the Ministry for Autonomies and the
National Confederation of Peasant Women Bartolina Sisa conducted jointly a
number of awareness-raising workshops in 2014, targeting local authorities and
female leaders in order to strengthen their capacities to tackle political
harassment and violence in the departments of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.
Municipal authorities and women who had directly faced political harassment and
violence also made proposals for the implementation of Law 243.[4]
Example: In Burundi, women’s associations took action to prevent and
mitigate election-related violence in 2010. Le Collectif des Associations et
ONGs Féminines du Burundi and Dushirehamwe launched the White Scarves for Peace
campaign under the theme “women count for peace in Burundi”. Its goals included
demonstrating Burundian women’s rejection of violence and inviting them to
prevent violence within their communities. The campaign received support from
UNDP, the United Nations Office in Burundi, Panos Paris and International
Alert, with the provision of communications expertise and material support of
10,000 scarves. The campaign received much media coverage on local TV and radio
stations, raising public awareness and contributing to violence prevention
during the electoral process.[5]
Example: In Kenya, UN Women took part in a multi-stakeholder
initiative in 2012, aiming to educate and integrate mechanisms for responding
to VAWE, in collaboration with the National Cohesion and Integration
Commission, the media and two civil society platforms (the UWIANO Platform for
Peace and the USALAMA Platform).[6]
Example: In Sierra Leone, women’s associations launched in 2007 a
violence-free election advocacy campaign, with support from UN Women, targeting
political parties in response to the rise in political violence. The campaign
was launched in the southern town of Bo amid violent outbreaks between rival
political groups. Women’s groups, accompanied by brass bands, marched through
the town with peace messages and were addressed by the mayor of the town. Peace
messages were subsequently delivered to political party headquarters in the
four provinces of Sierra Leone. In the capital Freetown, heads of political
parties committed to violence-free elections. UNDP and the UN Mission in Sierra
Leone up scaled this initiative.[7]
Example: In Zimbabwe, ahead of the 2010 electoral process, the
domestic organization National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) conducted the
yearlong campaign “Act Now against Political Violence”. This campaign targeted
women and sought to “address the scourge of political violence as the country
approaches yet another election by raising awareness, building support
structures, naming and shaming perpetrators as well as building the capacity of
women and communities at large to deal with VAWE.”[8]
[1] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 100-105.
[3] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 103.
[4] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 101.
[5] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 101.
[6] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 101.
[7] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 101.
[8] UNDP and UN Women
(2017): op. cit., p. 101.
