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]