VAWG Prevention

VAWG prevention programmes work to stop violence before it starts as well as reduce the recurrence of violence. Given the widespread prevalence of violence against women and girls (VAWG) globally, and the limited number of survivors who speak out and seek support, prevention is an essential complement to VAWG response work. We now have rigorous evidence to demonstrate that VAWG is preventable and there are a number of prevention strategies that have resulted in substantial reductions in the levels of VAWG after a few years of implementation.

In this section, you can find tips, lessons and examples on how to design prevention programmes to address the multiple factors - at individual, interpersonal, community or institutional levels - that drive different forms of VAWG in the home, community, workplaces and schools. You can take our guided journey through these pages and resources using the interactive carousel below or click on a 'key steps' menu link to read in detail about how to design an effective prevention strategy.

Spotlight Initiative

Approach to prevention

Spotlight Initiative has taken a comprehensive approach to VAWG prevention including implementing specific prevention programmes (under pillar 3) and embedding prevention strategies across all areas of pillar work, including legal reform and institutional strengthening. This has included work to: