Strategic Area 2

Promote dialogue and learning to create an empowering ecosystem

Strategic Area 2: Promote dialogue and learning to create an empowering ecosystem

We work towards creating an empowering ecosystem that ensures that CSO partners and allies’ skills are strengthened to prevent and respond to VAWG, and response institutions ensure that survivors safely access adequate and appropriate support services, adhere to the “Do No Harm Principle” and that their work is survivor-centered and enables prevention.

We seek to promote the principles of effective VAWG prevention programming and institutionalization of practices that prioritize survivor safety and perpetrator accountability. We will thus continue providing technical assistance to institutions such as police, health units, and women rights organizations through training and input into the development of policy and tools such as standard operating procedures and curricula. We will provide appropriate, targeted capacity building of government institutions and ongoing technical assistance. The gender transformative trainings will include principles of VAWG prevention, capacity building to recognise, respond to and prevent VAWG and integrate services that help protect women and girls from the risk of further violence.

We will maintain our relations with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to ensure a trauma informed and effective law enforcement response and disciplinary processes that are fair and equitable and hold offenders accountable. Specific strategies will include the following:

1. Strengthen civil society organizations VAWG programming

In partnership with Raising Voices, we aim to continue strengthening CSOs VAWG programming through providing technical assistance for institutional level and program transformation. We will continue to run the Violence Prevention Learning Center in Kampala to serve as a resource that creates a clear set of standards for effective VAWG programming. We will offer a set of courses on how to effectively implement the SASA! Together approach and how to provide quality VAWG services and support. We will also provide periodic mentoring and follow-up on key competences for organizations that are committed to strengthening their skills in VAWG prevention and response. The Violence Prevention Learning Center will host on-site courses and technical assistance and virtual sessions.

Specific activities will include:

  • Selection of partners for the SASA! Together roll out
  • SASA! Together phase workshops
  • Skilling of staff to provide effective technical assistance
  • Ongoing onsite and virtual technical assistance to strengthen capacity of the SASA! Together partners to effectively prevent VAW and to engage with their donors on effective VAW programming
  • Provide the required tools and resources for programming
  • Self-care activities
  • Exit activities
  • M&E activities

2. Improve CSOs’ response to VAWG survivors

VAWG work is sensitive and thus the need to promote a comprehensive, coordinated response for survivors that adheres to the ‘do no harm’ principle through promoting survivor safety and perpetrator accountability. To achieve this, we will continue to coordinate a VAWG referral network among institutions and practitioners working to prevent and respond to cases of VAWG. Additionally, we will foster collaboration among the network members to ease cross referrals of survivors of violence. Specific activities will include:

  • Periodic capacity assessment of the members of the referral networks’ skills and knowledge
  • Capacity building activities of referral network members through 1) strengthening knowledge and skills to provide services that respond to survivors’ needs and 2) to ensure uniform standards are followed by all agencies working with survivors.
  • Encourage partners to be part of a formal referral network and to put basic guidelines for effective referrals to ease cross referrals and accountability to women
  • Periodic reflective meetings with the leadership of the institutions to address programming challenges and updating of the referral directory
  • M&E activities.

3. Technical Assistance to Government Departments and Media Personalities

We will continue working with select non-traditional VAWG actors to build their capacity and readiness to integrate VAWG prevention into their mainstream work. These will include Green Climate Fund (GCF) partners- and partners under Uganda Host and Refugee Community Empowerment Project. Specific activities will include:

  • Formative studies and capacity assessments
  • Relationship building activities
  • Development of tailored basic intervention model for each group.
  • Capacity building activities and technical accompaniment to develop skills and competences to prevent VAWG using the bespoke model.
  • Community outreach activities including public events, dialogues, collaboration meetings
  • Communications materials campaign
  • Strengthening capacity for the members of the referral points network within this community
  • Exit activities
  • Ongoing M&E activities

We will strategically target editors, journalists, and presenters from key media houses with information regarding the harms of VAWG and how to report on cases of violence in a way that respects women’s autonomy while holding perpetrators accountable. We aim to work with the Journalist Association to influence the content of its curricula to include issues of VAWG and encourage the use of international guidelines for media reporting on VAWG. Additionally, we will build the capacity of journalists, talk-show presenters, and editors for improved VAWG that adheres to the dos and don’ts and ignites public dialogue on VAW/G as well as justice for women. Furthermore, we will foster collaboration between the media personalities, community activists, coalition members, and law enforcers in addressing VAWG.

4. Institutional strengthening

We aim to continue promoting a positive operational culture and the creation (or revision) of protocols and guidelines that prevent and/or respond to VAWG and their implementation. Institutional allies will include the police and health institutions. This strategy engages at the institutions and society circle of influence using the SASA! Together approach to strengthen capacity to either advocate for and/or deliver survivor-centered services. Specific activities will include the following:

  • Relationship building activities
  • Periodic capacity assessment
  • Employee conversations
  • Bespoke trainings and technical /mentoring support to the key officers
  • Activities to strengthen operational culture
  • Advocacy meetings with leadership to review policies and SOPs
  • Public events
  • Collaboration meetings
  • Ongoing M&E Activities
  • Exit activities

A. Outcomes for Strengthening Civil Society Organizations VAW/G Programming:-

Partners have improved community mobilization programming to prevent VAWG.

“Improved” prevention is defined as:

  • Integrates a process of VAWG social change
  • Works across the ecological model
  • Uses a gender power analysis
  • Uses a benefits-based approach

B. Outcomes for Improving CSOs’ Response to Survivors of Violence

Partners have improved programming to respond to VAWG

“Improved” response is defined as:

  • Uses key principles of VAWG programming – 1) respect and promote the autonomy of women, 2) address root causes of violence, 3) be inclusive, 4) do no harm, 5) learn from your program, 6) learn from the field
  • Clear referral pathway established and used (both among each other, and with police, health, etc.)

C. Outcomes for Institutional strengthening strategy:

Standardized procedures for handling cases of VAWG are issued and disseminated to officers

  • DVA fully enforced by the duty bearers
  • Proper documentation of cases handled and secure storage of records
  • Referral of victims of rape to post-rape treatment
  • Information on VAWG visible at police station/health units
  • Mechanisms to orient new staff to handle VAWG cases
  • Role differentiation o Dos & Don’ts

Improved response to cases of VAWG by the police/healthcare workers; “improved” is defined as:

  • Officers believe that handling VAWG is their responsibility
  • Officers adhere to key principles- do no harm, respect confidentiality, etc.

D. Outcomes for technical assistance:

  • The partners actively participate in the process of implementing VAW prevention activities
  • Partners integrate effective implementation of a comprehensive VAW risk mitigation and prevention strategy to ensure their project does no harm and reduces VAW