RESPECT framework for GBV prevention

CHAPTER 7: PRIMARY PREVENTION OF GBV IN COMPLEX SETTINGS

The prevention of GBV is of primary importance in the fight to reduce violence and strengthen justice for survivors.387 GBV prevention aims to understand the root causes and risk factors of GBV and reduce or eliminate them. Primary prevention activities typically address gender inequality, harmful social and gender norms, power imbalances and the culture of acceptance of GBV. Prevention activities require longterm planning and investment to achieve substantive change in attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate GBV.

RESPECT FRAMEWORK FOR GBV PREVENTION

WHO and other United Nations agencies have adopted the RESPECT Women: Preventing Violence against Women framework, which presents seven key strategies for preventing violence against women. These are: improving relationship skills (R), economic and social empowerment of women (E), assured access to services (S), reduced poverty (P), creating safer environments (E), prevention of child and adolescent abuse (C), and transforming harmful gender attitudes, beliefs, norms and stereotypes (T). The RESPECT framework recommends these strategies not be applied in a siloed manner, but rather in context-responsive, synchronized ways.388 There are several examples of successful prevention interventions that fit within this framework. The Stepping Stones389 programme in South Africa works with young men and women to promote gender egalitarian attitudes that reduce the likelihood of men perpetrating violence. The IMAGE project, 390 also in South Africa, empowers women through microfinance, gender trainings and community mobilization, and has significantly reduced domestic violence rates. Finally, SASA!, 391 a community mobilization intervention in Uganda, is a programme to change social norms around violence. Due to the effectiveness of the SASA! approach, it has been replicated in 20 countries (including South Sudan), and in especially challenging contexts such as refugee camps, rural settings and high-density urban communities.

A promising prevention approach is UN Women’s global flagship initiative Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces, 392 delivered in partnership with global and local partners in 27 ‘champion’ cities around the world. The programme works to prevent sexual violence in public spaces by implementing interventions to develop capacity and raise awareness of local authorities, women’s groups and community partners, advocate for legislative change, and monitor legal implementation. In the Philippines, as part of this initiative, data collection