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

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 Asia- Pacific 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 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