Voices against
Violence: Engaging
youth to prevent
violence against
women and girls
Violence against women: What we Know
• 1 in 3 women and girls worldwide experience violence in their
lifetime
• Violence against women is rooted in gender-based
discrimination, social norms and gender stereotypes that set in
early
• Promoting youth leadership in primary prevention is the best
investment for faster and sustained progress
Voices against Violence
Innovative non-formal co-educational
curriculum for young people aged 5 –
25 years
A project that engages youth leaders,
educators, and communities, to
address the root and structural
causes of violence against women
and girls in their communities
Builds youth leadership and leverages
the power of non-formal education
to reach young people in and out of
schools
Voices against Violence
WHERE IS IT TODAY?
• Launched in 2014, aiming for 12
focus countries: Brazil, Burkina
Faso, the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, India, Japan, the
Republic of Korea, Malawi,
Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda,
the United States and Zambia
• Today, 18 additional countries
have already expressed interest
and preparing to roll out
Voices against Violence
HOW DOES IT WORK?
• Four cross-regional training workshops
to train youth leaders and trainers
• Youth leaders and trainers lead national
training and capacity building
• Youth leaders deliver the curriculum to
children and young people aged 5 – 25
years
• Upon completion, participants develop
advocacy initiatives to address and
prevent violence against women and
girls in their community and country
• Partnerships with Zonta International,
UN Women, local and national
governments, women’s organizations
Voices against Violence
“All of us have come here through different paths. And now are learning about our rights, myths and
beliefs that perpetuate violence, and facilitation skills to help us pass on the knowledge to children and
young people… Maybe we will be able to change laws, help others seek support when they experience
violence, influence communities. There is one thing for sure – there will be change – and we are part of
it.” – Catherine O’Connor, Lead Trainer from WAGGGS
Voices against Violence
“Starting the conversation is key to changing mindsets. Voices against Violence sows the seeds of
change, challenging the myths and beliefs about gender roles and expectations.” Annemarie Eg Nissen, a
Girl Scout from Denmark is learning how to train other trainers to deliver the curriculum and hopes to
roll out the curriculum in Denmark.
Voices against Violence
Malawi is among the
countries with the
highest rate of child
marriage. Recently,
Malawi passed a
landmark legislation
raising the minimum
age of marriage to 18
years. Girl Guides in
Malawi plan on using
the Voices against
Violence curriculum to
sensitize girls and their
communities about the
law and to prevent child
marriage.
Voices against Violence
RESULTS
• Train 3000 trainers and youth
leaders by 2016
• Impact 800,000 children and
young people
• Improve knowledge, awareness
and attitudes of youth
• Engage young people to lead
advocacy and awareness-raising
in their communities to prevent
violence against women and girls
• Build partnerships
Voices against Violence
The project will train 3000 trainers
and youth leaders by 2016
•Two cross-regional “training of
trainers” workshops for the AsiaPacific and Africa regions completed.
Participants came from Denmark, Fiji,
India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea,
Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines,
Portugal, South Africa, Sri Lanka and
Zambia
•Two remaining cross-regional “training
of trainers” workshops scheduled to
be completed in 2015
Voices against Violence: Results
Improved knowledge, attitude and awareness of youth
96% of the participants trained exhibited improved knowledge,
attitude and awareness
•Improving attitudes: The statement, “girls and young women who dress sexily are
responsible for any unwanted attention or violence they experience” was marked
as false by only 13 out of 46 participants prior to receiving the curriculum, but
increased to 40 participants after.
•Challenging gender stereotypes: Only 22 out of 46 participants surveyed thought it
was acceptable for a woman to work outside of the home, whereas 39 participants
from the same cohort marked the same statement as true after receiving the
curriculum.
•Rejecting the normalization of violence: Only 32 out of 44 programme participants
in one location marked the statement, “Pinching a girl's or women's bottom in
public is harmless fun,” as false prior to receiving the curriculum, but all 44
participants marked the same statement as false after.
Voices against Violence
Youth leading change in their
communities
In rural Nigeria, participants mobilized local
leaders to address taboo issues such as rape,
female genital mutilation and female child labor.
In the words of Edith Chukwu, a Girl Guide and
trainer from Nigeria: “We invited the wives of
government officials from 13 provinces to a
series of Stop the Violence Campaign events
where we informed and engaged them on the
issues impacting women and girls in our
communities. They became our voices for girls in
communities where we were not present and
mobilized their husbands and community
members. As a result, more girls started
reporting the abuse they were experiencing,
often directly to the Girl Guides, who would help
them in seeking further support.”
Voices against Violence
Youth leading change in their
communities
• In Malaysia, the participants ran a “Stop the
Violence Road Show” in Penang and collected
1,000 pledges and survey responses on dating
violence
• In Fiji, the girl guides have partnered with UN
Women and two of the strongest women’s
rights organizations, Fiji Women’s Crisis
Centre and the Reproductive & Family Health
Association of Fiji, to deliver the curriculum to
young people aged 7 – 15 years
• In Kenya, the Girl Guides are working with UN
Women to identify existing gaps and
challenges in the implementation of relevant
laws and policies to end violence against
women.
Voices against Violence
Ochu Regina Chinelo, a Girl Guide from Nigeria, is excited to be a Voices against Violence trainer. She was
involved in piloting the curriculum in Nigeria in 2012. At the time, Nigeria was about to pass a law
allowing a 13 year old girl to be married. Upon completing the curriculum, she and her team organized a
community-based campaign to raise awareness about child marriage and protested against the proposed
law. Regina believes that Voices against Violence has given her a voice to speak out for her rights and the
rights of other girls and young women.
Voices against Violence
PARTNERSHIP &
COMMUNICATIONS
• Zonta International, WAGGGS and UN Women
at the 59th Session of the Commission on the
Status of Women (CSW59) co-sponsored a
side event, “Voices against Violence:
Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls
Through Education” that generated shared
commitments, ideas and visibility
• Zonta International members interact with
youth participants at training workshop and
possibilities of collaboration in countries
• High impact stories and visual assets
disseminated through UN Women website
and social media
Voices against Violence
WHAT’S NEXT?
• Expand reach to new countries
• Deepen engagement in countries
where youth have been trained
• Strengthen partnerships
• Contribute towards global
prevention efforts, and promote
gender equality and sustainable
development
Voices against Violence
WHY GIVE TO VOICES AGAINST
VIOLENCE?
• Targets root causes of violence
against women and stops them
before they take root
• Tangible results, high impact
visibility: 1 Million USD
impact 800,000 youth in 30
countries
• Contribute towards gender
equality, youth leadership and
sustainable development
Thank you for joining us on the Voices against Violence journey