Violence against women manifests itself in different ways in different societies – from psychological abuse and physical harm to early marriage and ritual slavery – and the pathways to success vary. This handbook, intended primarily for development practitioners, is a collection of good practices drawn from ten case studies described in a complementary volume entitled ‘Programming to address violence against women’. The approaches are based on an appreciation of culture and the role it plays in this issue.
It provides practical points to consider when designing and implementing projects addressing violence against women. Some of these are to:
- recognise that culture is dynamic and people are willing to change
- understand the local context
- gather hard data and solicit expert opinion (often, the logic of hard facts can convince people to think critically about issues that have long been avoided)
- identify and build upon positive cultural values
- adopt a rights-based approach
- allow space for community involvement
- target men, whose participation is key
- use the health sector as one entry point
- follow legislative action with advocacy
- tap the strength of community-based organisations
The ten case studies are based on projects in Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Sierra Leone and Turkey.