Prevention of violence
Prevention means stopping violence before it happens by tackling the causes that allow it to occur. Evidence from around the world shows that violence against women and girls is rooted in gender inequality and unequal power between women and men. It is sustained by harmful attitudes and norms within individuals, families, communities, institutions, workplaces, and online spaces.
Preventing violence, therefore, requires coordinated action across individuals, families, communities, institutions, workplaces, cities, and online platforms to create safer and more equal environments.
Governments increasingly recognize that preventing violence against women and girls is essential to building societies based on equality, dignity, and safety. Evidence from multiple rigorous studies and interventions shows that violence against women can be significantly reduced through prevention programs that change social norms, strengthen laws, and improve economic conditions. Women’s rights organizations play a critical role in this work by leading community-based, innovative initiatives that shift attitudes and strengthen accountability.
Important progress has been made, including through stronger national prevention frameworks, safer schools, improved urban safety and transport, workplace policies, and initiatives to change social norms. However, impact remains limited by persistent harmful norms, short-term and inflexible funding, fragmented prevention interventions, and insufficient investment in approaches that address gender inequality at its roots.
A whole-of-society approach that engages governments, civil society, the private sector, media, philanthropy, and sports to strengthen coordination, advance evidence-based policies, and improve data systems is essential to scale up the prevention of violence.
A framework for RESPECT
The global RESPECT framework provides seven evidence-based prevention strategies that can be used alone or in combination.
R – Relationship skills strengthened, such as through better communication and shared decision-making.
E – Empowerment of women, including economic and social empowerment.
S – Services ensured, referring to health, police, legal, and social services for survivors
P – Poverty reduced for women or households.
E – Environments made safe, comprising safe schools, public spaces, and work environments, among others.
C – Child and adolescent abuse prevented through nurturing family relationships.
T – Transformed attitudes, beliefs, and norms.
