EVAWG initiatives supporting coalitions should conduct a needs assessment at the start of their engagement to establish where support would be most beneficial. This analysis can also help identify which groups are missing from coalitions, what the barriers are to them joining a coalition, and what can be done to help dismantle these barriers. This analysis could be conducted through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, or a survey. See the how to conduct research to inform programme design page for more information about how to conduct a needs assessment.

During the establishment of EVAWG coalitions, programmes can support coalition partners to develop shared goals, strategies, and plans. These will differ context-to-context and must be owned and led by members to support sustainability. For example, they could consider:

• Which individual/organisation will take a leadership role
• How to tap into existing networks and connections that can help advance the agenda
• How to develop equitable decision-making processes
• The roles of each partner
• The budget available for activities
• How often and by what method coalition partners will communicate
• Shared code of conduct for coalition members

Diverse opinions and priorities can lead to tensions within coalitions of organisations. In addition, power dynamics exist within any group and, if not addressed, may lead to some organisations having greater influence over decisions than others. It is important for initiatives supporting EVAWG coalitions to be mindful of the potential tensions and power dynamics and put in place systems to address these. For example, this could involve rotating leadership responsibilities between organisations, introducing a system whereby organisations are asked anonymously to express any concerns they have regarding power dynamics, and co-developing a shared feminist decision-making process that ensures everyone is involved in decision-making. Women’s rights organisations may be at risk of marginalisation in some contexts and so it is important to emphasise their role as leaders and equal partners within coalitions.

Since coalitions are usually made up of organisations with different skillsets, they may benefit from opportunities for knowledge sharing and reciprocal learning. Reciprocal learning involves different organisations sharing skills with each other, which could be achieved through communities of practice. For example, representatives from international NGOs might be well placed to support CSOs in building their skills in understanding how to navigate funding structures, while CSOs might be well placed to support international NGOs in identifying what activities are likely to be effective within their communities.

It is important that coalition building is led by civil society. Organisations and donors wanting to strengthen EVAWG coalitions could look to work with existing coalitions and structures, offering to play a role in funding or convening meetings and networking opportunities. For example, this might involve hosting meetings in a central location where the coalition members can come together to plan their activities. Different coalition members may face varying challenges in attending these meetings. For example, CSOs with limited funding may find it hard to cover the costs of travelling to and staying in safe accommodation for in-person meetings, while this may be less challenging for donors, UN agencies or government officials.

EVAWG initiatives should conduct an analysis of the barriers faced by coalition members to engaging in EVAWG work and address these through funding or other appropriate means. In contexts where coalition members have limited financial resources to participate in coalition activities, EVAWG initiatives can support coalitions by providing funding. This funding should be flexible to ensure coalitions can be adaptive to changing dynamics.

Donors, governments and INGOs often have access to extensive networks of influential stakeholders and decision-makers. They can support women’s movements by both amplifying their messages through these networks and facilitating networking opportunities with these stakeholders. In this way, donors, governments and INGOs can play a vital role in ensuring the voices, concerns, and ideas of women’s movements are heard by those in positions of power and are more likely to be considered during decision-making processes.

In order to ensure that they leave no one behind, EVAWG coalitions need to recognise that women and girls may face multiple forms of discrimination such as class, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, and age. Initiatives supporting coalitions should promote an intersectional approach to EVAWG activities, recognising the interconnected nature of social identities. They should also ensure that the voices of women and girls that are marginalised within communities are prioritised and amplified within coalitions. This is key to ensuring that activities carried out by EVAWG coalitions reflect the needs and priorities of women and girls from diverse backgrounds.

In addition, in some contexts, especially where there is a shrinking of civil space, it is important for coalitions to consider the protection of its members when engaging in coalition activities. This could involve developing a protection strategy which might include the provision of safe transport to and from events, the provision of support for members who have been subjected to violence or abuse, and other context-specific initiatives to keep coalition members safe. Organisations and donors can play a key role in supporting protection strategies by providing core and flexible funding to finance their implementation.

EVAWG coalitions do important work for ending VAWG. However, their activities, how these are implemented, and the impact of these are often not recorded. Initiatives supporting EVAWG coalition strengthening could fund and provide capacity strengthening to support coalitions to develop stronger monitoring and evaluation and lessons sharing plans.