Empowering Women and Girls: A Commitment to Combat Gender-Based Violence

Safeguarding Children Initiative is unwavering in its commitment to empowering women and young girls as they face the challenges of confronting gender-based violence (GBV). In response to incidents of sexual violence, our organization focuses on aiding women in their physical, psychological, and economic recovery. We provide comprehensive support, including health assistance, counseling, and livelihoods support, with the overarching goal of helping survivors rebuild their lives.

Our efforts extend beyond immediate support for survivors. We are dedicated to addressing and transforming the attitudes that foster gender-based violence, particularly in crisis settings. This involves collaborative work with local communities to bolster their response to GBV within their unique context. We emphasize empowering women and girls through educational, health, and livelihood opportunities, encouraging them to assert their rights. Additionally, we engage with men and boys, aiming to break the cycle of violence by fostering understanding and change in behaviors.

Drawing inspiration from Safeguarding Children Initiative’s projects, we recognize the importance of preventing GBV by challenging harmful constructions of masculinity and femininity that contribute to inequality. Through interventions with both individuals and couples, we aim to dismantle restrictive gender norms.

An important aspect of our approach is teaching the significance of power balance. In a notable case, where “economic violence” was prevalent within a relationship, the husband’s control over family property and finances has been shared, breaking away from traditional roles. This couple actively imparts the lesson to their children that there are no predefined tasks for boys or girls.

The impact evaluation our projects reveals substantial and statistically significant reductions in the experience of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence at 24 months of follow-up among both women and men. This underscores the effectiveness of holistic interventions in challenging ingrained norms and fostering positive transformations within communities.

Safeguarding Children Initiative remains resolute in its pursuit of comprehensive empowerment, striving to create lasting change by addressing the root causes of gender-based violence and promoting a more equitable and just society.