Prevention is Possible: Global lessons on halving violence against women and girls

Today, women and girls in the UK and around the world are facing new and growing threats, from the spread of online misogyny to the climate crisis, driving up rates of violence against women and girls. The UK government’s pledge to halve VAWG within a decade is an ambitious commitment at a critical time. And the global evidence tells us that prevention is possible.

This briefing highlights key insights, lessons and successful models from the VAWG prevention projects funded by the What Works Programme that are strengthening efforts to prevent VAWG around the world. Many of these lessons could be applied in countries like the UK. It summarises best practice and suggested approaches for successfully preventing violence before it starts, prevention of repeat episodes, what makes interventions most effective, specific examples of successful VAWG prevention projects, and relevance to UK settings.

Key insights in the briefing

• Preventing VAWG involves addressing root causes through targeted interventions. Our evidence shows that well-designed programmes, implemented consistently over 2-3 years, can halve rates of violence.

• The second phase of What Works (What Works II), running from 2021-2028, will reach over 1 million women and children at risk of violence. In the long term, it will generate evidence to help protect successive generations from violence.

• Research shows that every £1 spent on preventing violence against women and children can yield up to £87 in economic returns. (Source: Office of the Special Representative on Violence against Children).

• There is strong evidence that the following approaches are effective and can be tailored to specific contexts: school-based interventions, community activism approaches, couples’ programmes, parenting programmes, targeted support for women, alcohol and substance use interventions and more.

• Preventing violence is not just about what approaches you use, but how they are designed and implemented.

What Works: Specific examples

• School-based approaches: A play-based life skills programme in Pakistan successfully reduced peer violence among students aged 11-15, with the model currently being rolled out to 160 schools. A randomised controlled trial with 8,000 students found a 59% decrease in peer violence against girls and 33% against boys, along with improved gender attitudes and less depression.

• Working with couples and families: In Rwanda, an intensive couples-based intervention was designed to improve relationship skills, promote gender equity and reduce intimate partner violence (IPV). Couples participated in a 21-session workshop over five months, focusing on transforming values and beliefs around gender, power and relationships and building communication skills. It also had a community component, and some participants received additional training to become community activists. A rigorous evaluation showed a 55% reduction in women’s experience of physical and sexual IPV, sustained over 24 months.

• Community activism: A What Works funded intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), worked closely with faith groups and the wider community to challenge harmful gender norms and reduce intimate partner violence (IPV). Following this intervention, women’s experience of any form of IPV decreased from 69% to 29%. Women’s experiences of non-partner sexual violence in the past 12 months reduced from 20.7% to 3.7%

Commenting on the briefing, Anne Gathumbi, Managing Director, What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale Programme, said: ‘The global evidence tells us that violence against women and girls is preventable, and we know what works. We are delighted to share this latest briefing summarising successful VAWG prevention projects funded by the What Works Programme through UK aid. We are building upon this evidence to scale these interventions ethically, effectively accountably and safely.

‘The briefing provides a crucial snapshot into the successful models and VAWG prevention projects halving rates of violence against women and girls. It spotlights the crucial work that can continue with sustained investment. The briefing also identifies cost-effective approaches for intervention that can be utilised by practitioners, governments, policymakers and law enforcement for use in countries like the UK.

‘Following the rising toxic influence we have seen on and offline from misogynistic figures, we welcome the UK’s government commitment of halving violence against women and girls in a decade. We look forward to continuing our work doing just this, contributing to the global evidence base of what works to prevent VAWG, and supporting our Grantee Partners to do what they do best - empowering women, girls and communities worldwide.’

More information

• Now in phase two, the What Works Programme supports 14 Grantee Partners in 12 different countries across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

• Find out more about our Grantee Partners

• Read more about our Grants

• Explore our Evidence Hub