Ten lessons from Asia-Pacific on preventing violence against women

Violence against women and girls remains one of the most widespread human rights violations globally, impacting one in three women. Tackling and eliminating this issue demands more than reactive measures—it requires proactive, innovative approaches.

A vital part of the solution is investing in and empowering women’s rights organizations. These organizations hold the expertise, tools, and commitment needed to transform societies into safer, more inclusive, and just environments.

Recognizing this potential, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund), a global inter-agency grantmaking mechanism managed by UN Women on behalf of the UN system, distilled lessons from its archive and worked with 70 civil society organizations worldwide and to identify Ten pathways to prevent violence against women and girls. All examples included in this article are drawn from the Asia-Pacific region, reflecting the diverse initiatives and strategies employed across these communities.

Empowering women to break the silence on violence
Mobilizing women to become change agents emerged as vital to address violence. When projects mobilize women as community facilitators and create safe spaces, they can better reach particularly marginalized communities and make prevention initiatives more effective.

In Nepal, The Story Kitchen held “storytelling workshops”, where community facilitators who were survivors of the country’s civil war interviewed other women about their experiences of violence, offering them a chance to own their personal narratives to break the cycle of intergenerational violence. The Story Kitchen conceived such spaces, not only as “safe spaces”, but also as “brave spaces”.

Community mobilization
Grassroots organizations are pivotal in mobilizing communities and building trust, which is critical to avoid backlash against or distancing from prevention programmes.

The Family Support Centre in the Solomon Islands plays a crucial role in mobilizing communities by providing support and counselling services to survivors of violence, raising public awareness about domestic violence, and delivering educational programs across all provinces. The Centre also recruits and trains volunteers, creating positive networks that help build trust within the community, ensuring that prevention efforts are well-received and effective.

Considering women’s diverse realities
Adopting an intersectional perspective when addressing gender-based violence is essential. Understanding how different women’s realities overlap and influence their experiences of violence allows for more effective strategies and prevents overlooking vulnerabilities.

In Thailand, the Rainbow Sky Association through its network of provincial offices works to empower lesbian and transgender women, building their capacity to understand and advocate for their human rights. By addressing the specific vulnerabilities these women face due to their sexual orientation and gender identity, the Association highlights the importance of adopting an intersectional perspective to eradicate violence in all its forms.

Transformative learning
Effective prevention requires training for behaviour change. Tools like manuals, apps, and websites are vital to reinforce best practices and strengthen institutional knowledge.

Breakthrough Trust in India draws heavily from multimedia and social media in interventions. The initiative’s youth activists received training on core gender and human rights concepts, as well as on executing digital campaigns.

Engaging religious and community leaders
Faith-based and traditional figures play a pivotal role in violence prevention, acting as cultural gatekeepers and shaping social norms, either supporting or hindering initiatives.

The Sindh Community Foundation in Pakistan effectively engages Hindu and Muslim religious leaders in its efforts to combat child marriage. By working with these influential figures across 30 villages, the organization promotes positive social norms and community-endorsed prevention strategies.

Navigating inaction and backlash
Organizations tackling violence against women frequently face resistance, including legal gaps, denial of gender-based violence, and inaction. More aggressive, or active, forms of pushback occur when certain groups try to obstruct changes, or when vulnerable groups face discrimination and violence from those in power.

The non-governmental organization Shirkat Gah in Pakistan employs a community-led approach to shift attitudes toward gender-based violence across 40 villages. By targeting the root causes of violence and discrimination, Shirkat Gah promotes sustainable change, in the face of resistance and pushback.

Adaptive programming
Women’s rights organizations often face unstable conditions, complex partnerships, and shifting sociopolitical landscapes. Knowledge gathering, flexible funding, and adaptive approaches are crucial to address changing circumstances. 

Employing adaptive programming in the Solomon Islands, the Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) of the Pacific Community has effectively advanced the implementation of family protection laws and enhanced community-based support for survivors of violence. By collaborating with local facilitators and associate justices, RRRT tailored its approach to meet the evolving needs of the community, ensuring the effectiveness of their interventions in promoting the rights of survivors.

Empowering youth 
Adolescence, especially for girls, is a critical stage for early interventions to prevent violence. Many projects chose to empower young people as agents of change to enhance the outcome of prevention interventions.

Plan International Vietnam has pioneered a holistic approach to violence prevention that engages young people as key actors in changing social norms around gender-based violence. Utilizing a whole-school strategy, the organization has empowered adolescents to establish peer support groups and enhance awareness of violence prevention. Furthermore, Plan International Vietnam tailored its training curriculum to fit the local context, incorporating the direct and active involvement of students in shaping the programs.

Survivor-centered responses 
Gender-based violence prevention initiatives must center on survivors, involve them in the design process, and prioritize their needs.

World Hope International in Cambodia effectively recognizes the importance of integrating survivors' perspectives into their prevention strategies. Based on suggestions from survivors, WHI initiated smaller group sessions targeting men to foster discussions on behavior change, accountability, and the impacts of their actions, all aimed at preventing future violence. Additionally, WHI broadened its approach to include working with couples, promoting healthier relationships and improving conflict resolution skills, which are expected to lead to significant, long-term reductions in domestic conflicts and violence.

Institutionalizing prevention 
To effectively implement gender-based violence prevention laws and policies the police and government ministries need proper training and mindset shifts. Civil society organizations can play a key role in fostering these changes and connecting communities with formal mechanisms.

Asosiasaun Chega! Ba Ita (ACbit) in Timor-Leste has taken a proactive role in institutionalizing gender-based violence prevention by publicizing survivors' stories to advocate for a national reparations fund, while also providing psychosocial support to survivors. This approach highlights how civil society can effectively press for policy reforms and support immediate community needs simultaneously.