The Drum Beat 453 - Violence Against Women

This issue of the Drum Beat surveys communication for development work on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and girls. It includes communication projects and materials on the context and prevention of domestic violence, healing trauma, addressing gender-based violence within the context of HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence prevention designed to reach men.

Please send us project, evaluation, strategic thinking, and materials information on communication for development at any time. Contact Deborah Heimann at dheimann@comminit.com

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ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

1. Elles Parlent, Elles ...Ecoutent (She Speaks, She Listens) - Chad, Sudan Produced by Internews Network's Humanitarian Information Service, this radio programme is part of a mass communication effort designed to reach Sudanese refugees in Chad and in Sudan. "Elles Parlent, Elles Écoutent" (She Speaks, She Listens) intends to help women refugees who have survived the genocide in Darfur and who have become traumatised by the events they witnessed. The first programmes in the series aim to highlight services that are available to women in an effort to promote psychological healing and offer support to women refugees. In order to produce the programmes the Internews Network used teams of Chadian female reporters who spoke with the refugees in the camps about their grief and trauma and researched the mental health services available to these women. They interviewed psychologists and trauma experts working in the camps, and produced two 20-minute radio programmes - one in local Arabic, the other in French - exploring the options available to those dealing with grief and trauma.

2. Information Dissemination Campaign on Domestic Violence - Zimbabwe Launched in 2007 by Zimbabwe's International Video Fair Trust (IVFT), this campaign uses mobile cinema, community dialogue, and printed information materials to highlight the problem of violence against women and to introduce the newly passed national Domestic Violence Act. The campaign aims to reach Zimbabweans in the country's 4 major cities with information on the new act, and to demonstrate the link between HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. IVFT screens films on domestic violence and HIV/AIDS which are followed by facilitated discussions to jump-start long-term community discussions. The campaign aims to reach women through clubs within churches and community centres in high density areas in the 4 cities. This campaign also uses interpersonal communication in an effort to reach men and families with gender equity messages. Men's clubs have been formed; the meetings are attended by a cross-section of males with different standard of living from both rural and urban areas in the country. Contact: Pauline Chirombo zimivf@zol.co.zw

3. Kamanga Zula - Malawi Kamanga Zula (a Malawian proverb that, loosely translated, means "prevention is better than cure") is a radio drama aimed at addressing the root causes of gender-based violence in Malawi. The project, implemented by Story Workshop Educational Trust with support from Cordaid of the Netherlands, hopes to help combat gender-based violence in the country through entertainment education. The radio programme is based on real-life stories of Malawians and is followed by panel discussions on issues of prevention through education and skills building. The series encourages people to break the silence and to enhance open communication on all levels of gender relations in the public arena as well as in the family and among couples and friends. Contact: Joke van Kampen joke@africa-online.net

4. WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women by Claudia García-Moreno, Henrica A.F.M. Jansen, Mary Ellsberg, and Lori Heis This report presents initial results of a study which was based on interviews with 24,000 women and covered 15 sites and 10 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Peru, Namibia, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, and the United Republic of Tanzania. Report findings document the prevalence of intimate partner violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Data is included on non-partner violence, sexual abuse during childhood and forced first sexual experience. Information is also provided on women’s responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave or fight back? Which services do they use and what response do they get?

5. Women's Rights Programmes - South Africa This project aimed to put women's issues on top of the broadcast agenda by translating existing women's rights programmes into South African languages other than English. The project translated 2 radio programmes about abuse of women and domestic violence ("Fight Against the Fist" and "Talking Man, Talking Woman") into Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Sotho, and Tswana and redistributed them to a network of 50 community radio stations around South Africa. Contact: ABC Ulwazi info@abculwazi.org.za

6. Engaging Men and Boys in Changing Gender-Based Inequity in Health: Evidence from Programme Interventions by Gary Barker, Christine Ricardo, and Marcos Nascimento This review assesses the effectiveness of programmes seeking to engage men and boys in achieving gender equality and equity in health. The review analysed data from 58 evaluation studies of interventions with men and boys. Interventions were rated on their gender approach, using the following categories: gender-neutral - programmes that distinguish little between the needs of men and women, neither reinforcing nor questioning gender roles; gender-sensitive - programmes that recognise the specific needs and realities of men based on the social construction of gender roles; or gender-transformative - approaches that seek to transform gender roles and promote more gender-equitable relationships between men and women.

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CALL FOR NEW PUBLICATIONS ON GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

Have you or your organisation recently produced a book on women and socio-economic and political change in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, or Central and Eastern Europe? Are you in interested in marketing and selling your publication? Women, Ink., a project of the International Women's Tribune Centre, is seeking new publications about various gender and development issues – with a special focus on those produced in the last 3 years by small independent and women's presses and information-producing groups in the Global South. Both practical and academic, the Women, Ink. collection seeks books on various aspects of gender and development, including women's human rights; conflict and peace processes; training; economics and globalisation; health, sexuality, and reproductive rights; information communication; policy and political process; and women organising.

Send a review copy to Joeyta Bose, Women, Ink., 777 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, United States. In addition, please write to reviewbooks@womenink.org so that they are aware that you will be sending them the publication.

Deadline: August 30 2008.

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REACHING GIRLS

7. "Don’t Forget Us": The Education and Gender-Based Violence Protection Needs of Adolescent Girls from Darfur in Chad by Lori Heninger and Megan McKenna This report, resulting from a visit to Sudanese refugee camps in the desert of eastern Chad, describes the situation of women and girls, including what has happened to them before departure from Sudan and after arrival at the refugee camps. One section of the report is focused on cultural acceptance of treatment and prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) and treatment strategies. The following recommendations are included among the many from the report: keep pushing for girls and young women to take part in decision-making in camp management, youth committees, women’s groups, and in schools; have a gender specialist and make sure to implement projects with a gender perspective; and set up a formal system for reporting incidents of gender-based violence.

8. Because I am a Girl: The State of the World's Girls 2008 This report is published by Plan International for the purpose of bringing global attention to the fact that progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is being hampered by a continued lack of investment in girls and young women. The report begins with the premise that the condition and position of girls' lives matters, and that the impact of conflict on girls is far-reaching and goes beyond their experiences as either combatants or victims of violence. It intends to show how conflict affects girls differently from boys and how their rights are ignored, their responsibilities changed, and their lives altered by war. It describes how discrimination against girls is in place before the fighting begins and remains after it is over. The report also examines the implications of conflict for girls' health, girls' education, gender roles, and relationship dynamics.

ADVOCACY AND ACTIVISM AGAINST VIOLENCE

9. Blank Noise - India Blank Noise is a participatory arts project that uses a variety of collective in-person and online actions to explore street dynamics and urge the recognition of "eve teasing" (commonly considered a joke or a prank in India) as street sexual harassment or violence. Using a wide range of communication tools, Blank Noise is interventionist and critically reflective of the issue of "eve teasing" in an effort to spur action around an offence that organisers feel has often been ignored or trivialised. Participants propose to initiate transformation and spark dialogue through street interventions, performance and public art, online activism, and communication with policy makers. Contact: blurtblanknoise@gmail.com

10. Supporting Community-led Initiatives to Promote Women's Engagement in Peace-Building and Prevention of Sexual Violence in Timor Leste - East Timor / Timor-Leste As part of the International 16 Days of Activism Campaign to End Violence Against Women, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) developed a multimedia campaign to capitalise on the commitment of Timor-Leste's leaders to end violence against women (EVAW). Launched in November 2007, this campaign features male leaders giving voice to EVAW through a series of printed posters and radio and television public service announcements (PSAs), which are designed to reach all 13 districts in the country. The advocacy campaign focuses on the 2 western border districts of Covalima and Bobonaro, where - according to UNIFEM - there is a prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) due to geographical isolation and substantial economic disadvantages and hardship. This campaign is part of a larger, 2-year programme designed to foster community-based responses to SGBV and to promote women's engagement in local conflict reconciliation and peacebuilding initiatives. Contact: Vicenta Maria-Correia Vicenta.maria-correia@unifem.org

11. Mock Tribunal to Advance Change by Mufuliat Fijabi In this notebook, the author explains a tactic used in Nigeria in 2001, a mock tribunal, to change public perceptions and beliefs regarding violations against women, and to change public policy and law. "BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights, in collaboration with CIRDDOC (Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre), highlighted violations of women’s rights in Nigeria that were viewed by the public as normal or even justifiable abuse. The organisation used prominent people - a Nigerian Supreme Court justice, a member of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) committee in Nigeria, lawyers, and representatives from the National Human Rights Commission - to create a high powered panel of 'judges' to draw television, radio, and print media attention and hear testimonies by women from many areas of Nigeria. The judges were selected based on their prominence and their concern for women's rights. The tribunal’s recommendations [were] instrumental, at both local and national levels, in subsequent attempts to advocate for new laws and for reforms of existing laws related to violence against women."

12. Gender and Media Campaigns edited by Deborah Walter This section of the fourth edition of the Gender and Media Diversity Journal explores various aspects of media activism, including: the work of Gender Links (GL); the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Gender and Development Protocol Campaign; a media activism campaign; the "I" Story; media and human trafficking; rural women and community radio; and gender violence in the media. Titles include: "Portrait of Domestic Violence in Botswana: A Case Study of The Voice And Botswana Guardian Newspapers by Dr. Eno Akpabio and Patience Mathambo"; "Media Activism: Opportunities for Rural Women"; "Popular Media to Combat Human Trafficking"; and "In Practice: SADC Gender and Development Protocol Campaign", among others.

13. Intercultural Dialogue on Violence against Women - Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Morocco, Spain In 2007, the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) carried out a project designed to enhance the active participation of women in intercultural dialogue about violence against women, as well as to develop and diffuse strategies for overcoming discrimination and violence against women in the Euro-Med region. With funding from the Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, MIGS and 4 co-participating organisations from the 5 countries in the region each identified 5 women from diverse backgrounds to discuss and identify areas of common concern, exchange experiences, highlight best practices, and explore approaches for further collaborations in relation to violence against women. Contact: Rania Tollefson rania@medinstgenderstudies.org or info@medinstgenderstudies.org

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VOTE in our ICT4D Poll: Local knowledge is threatened by Western-dominated digital technologies that operate blind to national boundaries and local contexts.

Do you:

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VOTE - (see "Poll" heading on the top right side).

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TOOLS

14. The Sasa! Activist Kit for Preventing Violence against Women and HIV by Lori Michau and Chanda Chevannes This toolkit is designed to raise awareness, encourage support, and motivate people to take action on the interconnected issues of violence against women and HIV/AIDS. It includes a 30-minute documentary film telling two women's personal stories of violence and HIV/AIDS, a screening guide designed to help use the film as an educational and advocacy tool in efforts to prevent violence against women and HIV infection; media and advocacy materials, including radio programmes, listening guides, fact sheets, persuasion sheets, and postcards; and communication materials, including pamphlets, posters, comic sheets, and games.

15. Reducing HIV Stigma and Gender Based Violence: Toolkit for Health Care Providers in India by Ross Kidd, Nandini Prasad, Mirza Tajuddin, Jyothsna Avula, Ramesh Ginni, and Nata Duvvury The toolkit is a collection of participatory educational exercises for educating health care providers on the issues of stigma and gender-based violence. It was developed for and with health care providers in Andhra Pradesh, India. The modules use a learner-centred, participatory approach to training - one built around discussion and small-group activities. The goal is to facilitate open discussion on HIV stigma and gender violence, and on what health workers can do to promote a change in attitude and practice. It includes modules with training exercises that are meant to be used selectively, according to the trainer's objectives and training group.

16. Shedding Abuse: A Course for Men who use Domestic Violence This manual outlines a workshop of 12 sessions on domestic violence. It addresses men responsible for domestic violence who are seeking to change their relationship patterns. It details the steps in setting up the course and provides teaching methods and tools, including role plays and homework assignments, for a 12-week course for men. Assessment forms, timetables, and materials for each session are included.

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This issue of The Drum Beat was written by Julie Levy.

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