Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) is rising globally, with newer mechanisms emerging and exacerbating existing forms. However, hope is not lost as powerful local feminist solutions are also on the rise. The Joint Members’ Hub Critical Conversation on Localising VAWG Prevention was a gathering of forty-eight participants from thirteen countries (Nigeria, Mexico, Poland, Dominican Republic, Belgium, India, United States of America, Kenya, Canada, Italy, Uganda, United Kingdom and Cameroon) representing different feminist collectives, including local/grassroots women-driven VAWG prevention work.
We converged for a much-needed VAWG prevention panel discussion with objectives to;
- identify locally generated structures and frameworks for VAWG prevention practices shaped by lived realities and community-based practices across non-Western communities
- profile local practitioners and knowledge-holders who are leading feminist approaches to prevention in their own contexts
- create a political and dialogical space for people to speak to their own experiences, struggles, and solutions around violence and resistance
- highlight case studies and narratives that expand our collective understanding of what works in VAWG prevention from local and feminist perspectives.
This panel with its intersectional voices underscored the limitations such as the dilemma of whose knowledge is considered most valid and most credible, which is predominantly Western-centric practices and strategies. Instead, they advocated for the elevation of feminist approaches and solutions emerging directly from local, grassroots and Indigenous communities in the Global Majority world.
A key takeaway was the emphasis on understanding VAWG not just as a global problem that develops specific patterns, but one that is deeply rooted in unequal power dynamics, from the lingering effects of colonialism to patriarchal and male-dominated systems. Panelists highlighted how communities directly impacted by VAWG have, out of necessity, developed innovative and culturally resonant feminist responses. These responses often draw from ancestral knowledge, spiritual beliefs and traditions, and community-based support systems, offering more holistic and interconnected ways of addressing violence than traditional Western models such as co-optation which condemns the indigeneity of local prevention approaches.
The panelists (Beatrice Ogutu, Saritha Irugalbandara, Vandita Morarka, Lihini Ratwatte and Tahira Kaleem) emphasized the importance of grounding prevention work in lived experiences and local practices. The joint hub members’ hub panel provided a platform for practitioners to share their experiences and preventative solutions, the panelists shifted attention back to the expertise of local feminists, community VAWG leaders / practitioners, and healers. This was deliberately done in order to counter the historical marginalization of their voices and prevention work.
Insights from the panelists summarized an understanding of feminist grassroots prevention work to end violence against women and girls (EVAWG).
Evolving shifts on GBV prevention
Gender-based violence (GBV) is evolving and local successes have shown promise, such as recognizing women with disabilities, LGBTQI+, Indigenous women, rural women, etc as VAWG prevention workers with agency. And menstrual hygiene and safety conversations are leading to broader VAWG prevention discussions.
Solutions being implemented include:
- Community-produced sustainable products (e.g., period underwear)
- The Write for Justice Program builds women’s research and writing skills with mutual aid and fundraising to sustain these efforts.
- Reframing the language used in support, such as replacing intimidating terms like therapy to conversations with trained friends.
- Initiatives like the Yellow Dot program offer queer support and safe spaces.
Reproductive health and economic empowerment as accepted discussion starters for local/grassroots VAWG prevention
The challenges of continuous cuts in international funding force rural areas to rely heavily on community organizations. To support communities to prevent violence against women and girls, local practitioners sometimes leverage reproductive health and economic empowerment small talks as accepted discussion starters. This is recognized as an effective entry point for engaging progressive religious leaders as critical allies. However, significant challenges persist. Funding is shifting away from gender issues and VAWG support toward areas like climate action, supporting initiatives that are more often led by cis-het men.
To address these issues, solutions include:
- Fostering strong community spaces and private shelter homes for women and girls at risk
- Engaging in collective consultation with community elders, and
- Building sustainability by reviving earlier successful aid models.
Policy and Localization
Understanding that humanitarian work also takes place across communities impacted by conflict / crisis, the need for the Grand Bargain commitments to increase funding for local actors, support coordination, and track localization funding become extremely important.
VAWG frameworks from Sri Lanka were highlighted by the panelist from the region includes the National Policy on Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (2023–2033), the Women’s Empowerment Act, the National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security, and the Multi-sectoral Action Plan on SGBV.
Challenges identified included:
- Box checking localization formula which excludes grassroots and Indigenous agency.
- The government’s tendency to view localization as compliance rather than genuine empowerment.
The key takeaway emphasized that effective engagement of grassroots, local / Indigenous women and feminist led organizations is crucial for ensuring an intersectional and meaningful approach to localization.
Strong grassroots resilience as a success strategy
Despite limited resources, strong grassroots resilience has led to successful strategies in VAWG prevention work.
These include:
- Gender-transformative parenting programs,
- Circles of support and healing,
- Engaging religious leaders to shift family norms, and
- Positive masculinity initiatives engaging men and boys.
Localized practices further enhance these efforts through role-plays, storytelling, and cultural examples in local languages. Survivor collectives share their lived experiences to shape national policy, and art is used in their advocacy, with girls’ drawings serving as stories and testimonies. A key insight from these efforts is that empowering those most affected by gender-based violence to lead creates sustainable, community-owned prevention practices.
Strengthening community capacity for action
It is crucial that local, grassroots and Indigenous VAWG prevention methods detach from Western frameworks. Solutions must be locally owned and context-specific, recognizing that universal approaches are not usually most effective because survivors’ experience differs. While these local prevention practices exist, documentation becomes a powerful tool for elevating grassroots knowledge and practice. This therefore requires that documentation extend beyond written reports to include diverse formats like oral, visual, and creative expressions.
Practical strategies include:
- Constitute and have a mix blend of VAWG community groups to reach remote areas.
- Establish healing centers alongside legal justice pathways, and
- Engage allies such as men, community leaders, and government officials.
By documenting their experiences, survivors are able to shift their identity from “victim” to knowledge-holder and leader, which is a powerful act of feminist resistance.
Recommendations
INGOs: Include local, grassroots and Indigenous VAWG leaders and practitioners in program design and implementation:
- Actively involve women from local communities in creating and carrying out programs for VAWG prevention. Work with them to develop strategies, making sure their ideas and leadership guide decisions at every step.
- Create and disseminate affordable, effective training programs such as the Women Faith-Based Mediators (WFBM) model in Cameroon to equip local / grassroots and Indigenous women with the skills they need to support their VAWG prevention work.
Donors: Fund VAWG solutions led by local, grassroots and Indigenous women and feminist leaders:
- Give flexible funding to initiatives led by local women that address real, on-the-ground needs and complex situations. Support models like WFBM that are scalable, work with small budgets, and have a deep, lasting impact.
- Make it easier for local, grassroots, Indigenous and community-based organizations to get funding by valuing their real-life experiences more than formal qualifications.
For Policy-makers: Institutionalize local, grassroots, Indigenous and community women led VAWG prevention practices
- Get them involved in local decision-making processes and peacebuilding efforts. This ensures that the voices of grassroots women are not ignored in favor Western knowledge and practices.
- Include local VAWG prevention solutions in national gender, peace and security plans based on successful community-led approaches.
- Adapt solutions that reflect women’s intersecting realities, not just abstract ideals.
Conclusion
The event served as a powerful reminder that locally driven, culturally sensitive, and feminist-informed VAWG prevention practices work. It created a space for reflection, knowledge exchange, and the co-creation of new ways of thinking and doing VAWG prevention work that honor the expertise, lived realities, and political contexts of those most affected by violence. Such approaches are not only more equitable but ultimately more effective in the global fight to end violence against women and girls.
Additional Resources
- Technology-related gender-based violence of experiences of girls, women, and queer and trans people in Sri Lanka.
- The Grass-Rooted Trust provides a safe space for marginalized communities, online and in the real world
- Building communities, one conversation at a time
- Gender transformative parenting programmes prevent VAWG
- UNICEF-Innocenti-Parenting-Programmes-Reduce-Violence-Children-Women-Brief-2-2024-EN.pdf
