EVAWG programmes planning to run campaigns, whether on a regional, national or local scale, should start by working with women's rights organisations (WROs) to identify their priorities and build campaign objectives. WROs are usually best placed to identify the needs of women and girls in their communities and what specific campaign focus would be most appropriate and useful. They will understand audiences and stakeholders that should be targeted. They can also help develop strategies to handle resistance or backlash.

Once an EVAWG initiative has identified the types of VAWG its campaign seeks to address, it may be useful to conduct an in-depth contextual analysis of the social norms that drive this violence. 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. For example, a campaign focused on preventing intimate partner violence might aim to transform social norms around family privacy, couple communication and the acceptability of violence. See the page on understanding and transforming social norms for more information.

Campaigns are most effective when they are targeted towards particular audiences. EVAWG initiatives should conduct stakeholder mappings in advance of a campaign to identify the target audience(s), their interests, priorities and the channels through which they access information and messaging. For example, a campaign focused on changing a law or policy may target parliamentarians or voters, while a campaign focused on ending school-based violence may target teachers, parents, adolescents and the Ministry of Education. Identifying the audience(s) of a campaign will help ensure that the campaign is designed and disseminated in a way that is most likely to influence change.

Effective campaigns often have a few clear messages that they communicate to their audience in a verbal and visual language that they understand. Programmes should think about what they want their audience to know or how they want their audience to act at the end of the campaign. They should work closely with communication experts, WROs, and target audience representatives to identify and refine catchy messages that capture what the campaign is trying to articulate in a context-appropriate and impactful way. Messages should be short and memorable and consideration needs to be given to language, style and tone. For example, in Grenada, Spotlight Initiative developed a campaign with the message “No matter who, no matter what, there’s no excuse for abuse.” Campaigns should consider adaptations for different languages and accessibility needs, ensuring that no one is left behind. 

Programmes should work with WROs and CSOs to identify which channels will likely be most effective for affecting change in communities or among particular target groups. Programmes could consider:

• Written materials such as pamphlets and flyers
• Posters and visual materials with images in clear locations
• Dance, music, theatre and other performance art
• Social media campaigns
• Marches, sit-ins, lobbying decision-makers, and other forms of protest
• Television and radio shows
• Partnering with organisations and institutions with large networks (such as faith groups) to amplify messages

EVAWG campaigns should work with WROs and CSOs to identify how to reach audiences with diverse needs, who may otherwise be excluded from engaging with campaign materials. Campaigns should consider the following:

• Languages: Campaigns should consider whether the campaign needs to be in one language or whether this will exclude target audience members who speak other languages. If there is a risk of exclusion, the campaign should work with individuals who speak that target language to translate messages. Campaigns should be careful to ensure any messages are translated by individuals with a strong understanding of the nuances of the relevant languages -  poor translations can lead to miscommunication and backlash.
• Literacy levels: In areas with low literacy levels, especially among women, campaigns should consider producing visuals or non-written materials. Visual posters, radio segments, or theatre productions are effective alternatives to convey messages.
• Disability accessibility: People with disabilities are often excluded from engaging with campaign materials because they are not provided in accessible formats. Campaigns should work with local organisations of persons with disabilities to identify ways to improve the accessibility of campaign materials. For example, this could involve providing materials in a range of formats to ensure that those with sensory impairments are able to access the campaign messages through materials that are appropriate to their needs. Similarly, it could involve producing “Easy Read” documents.
• Access to technology: Campaigns should consider whether their target audiences have access to technology such as mobile phones, televisions, radio, Wi-Fi and mobile data. In contexts where some target audiences may have limited access to such technology, initiatives should consider other ways to engage these groups. For example, through in-person engagement and paper-based materials such as posters. This is especially important, recognising global digital divides and lower use of technology by certain populations (older women). 

EVAWG initiatives should consider whether there are other key events happening in the area or around the time they are implementing a campaign that they can use to amplify messaging and reach. They may also wish to combine campaigns with in-person events, as evidence suggests that this can have a greater impact on challenging harmful attitudes, behaviours and norms.