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Different approaches have been tested to change social norms about VAWG, with varying levels of evidence about their effectiveness. These include:Community mobilization approaches using community activists who are trained and supported to challenge harmful norms and attitudes. Learn more about how to mobilise communities here.Group-based workshops with men and women to promote changes in attitudes and norms.Group-education with men and boys to change attitudes and norms.Parent focused interventions that focus on gender norms, responsive caregiving, parental mental health, positive and age…

In-depth contextual analysis and research can help to identify the specific norms driving a specific form of violence against women and girls in a specific community. These can include norms around what it means to be a man or woman, gender roles inside and outside the home, family privacy, sexuality, and the acceptability of violence. The most relevant norms to address will vary depending on the specific behaviours or outcomes the programme wants to tackle. For example, a programme designed to prevent intimate partner violence might aim to transform social norms around family privacy, couple…

When understanding the drivers of VAWG, it is important to identify the ways in which gender inequality intersects with other forms of inequality to increase the risk, severity and/or frequency of experiencing violence for specific groups.An intersectional approach analyses how women and girls’ experiences of violence are shaped by their race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age, (dis)ability and geographic location as well as historical legacies of inequality. This approach is essential to ensure that VAWG work is tailored to the diverse needs of women and girls, and does not compound exclusions…

In order to understand the scale of VAWG, programming needs, and the impact of your prevention activities, it is useful to consult or generate qualitative and quantitative data to measure risk factors and drivers of violence.Examples of qualitative data sources:Conduct a stakeholder mapping, or depending on the context, a social network analysis, power analysis or political economy analysisInterview key stakeholders, service providers, women, girls, and representatives from women’s rights organisations and civil society organisationsLead participatory workshops and focus group discussions with…

The socio-ecological model is a valuable framework for this analysis because it acknowledges that VAWG isn't isolated to individual actions but is deeply embedded within interconnected layers of society—ranging from personal experiences to societal structures. Using this model to analyse risk and protective factors helps inform and target interventions at multiple levels, challenge harmful norms, transform societal attitudes, and advocate for policy changes to dismantle systemic inequalities. It ensures that programme teams understand why it is important to address multiple risk factors…

A Theory of Change (ToC) is a framework that outlines how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context. Often a ToC is developed in response to a problem analysis that identifies the causal pathways of VAWG within a given context, and provides a structured approach to understanding the complex interplay of cultural norms, gender inequalities, economic disparities and institutional dynamics. A theory of change can then be created to show how the proposed interventions will tackle the different factors at different levels that are driving VAWG, and any related…

In order to design effective programmes, it is important to identify and address the  drivers of VAWG that are most significant in a particular context. Engaging stakeholders and communities in analysing the situation, and identifying solutions, can help create more effective and comprehensive solutions to shifting norms and preventing VAWG. In order to identify and recognise contextual drivers of VAWG, it can be helpful to consider the following:The different forms and prevalence of VAWG in the setting: what are they, and how do they vary? Who are the primary victims, survivors and…

Violence against women and girls can take many different forms. In order to understand what drives perpetration, and how to tailor interventions, it is important to consider the following:Types of violence: Different forms of violence - for example, intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation and abuse and harmful traditional practices - may have different risk factors. Prevalence of violence: Knowing the prevalence rates and patterns of VAWG helps in developing preventive measures. By understanding where and how violence occurs, who is targeted and who perpetrates it, interventions can be…

Preventing VAWG requires addressing multiple risk factors rooted in unequal power dynamics. Organisations working on VAWG prevention therefore need to take deliberate actions to build solid prevention programming. Organisational readiness means strengthening systems and structures across the organisation and building staff technical skills and practices to design and deliver ethical and effective prevention programming. In doing so, organisations should reflect on their values alignment, funding, staffing and organisational culture. 

Prevention interventions that have been shown to work on a pilot or small-scale basis can be scaled up in different ways. These can be expanded by adding more participants, adapting and replicating in another geographic location, or expanding the same intervention over a wider geographic area. Approaches can also be extended by deepening impacts, and adding additional elements (e.g. combining a community social norms approach with a schools-based prevention approach), involving new organisations, or influencing political interests. Interventions that are being scaled up in a new setting need…