HCD and Co-creation to End Violence Against Women and Girls

Key successes

A major achievement of the project was the successful training of community facilitators in HCD methodologies adapted for sensitive subject matter. This capacity-building process placed particular emphasis on trauma-informed approaches, ethical considerations in discussing violence, and the creation of safe spaces for open dialogue.

The co-developed solutions that emerged from this process were rich in their diversity and depth. In fishing communities, interventions addressed economic pressures and substance abuse patterns linked to violence. In refugee settlements, approaches were designed with careful attention to the trauma of displacement and the breakdown of traditional protection systems. In urban areas, solutions responded to the isolation and economic stress characteristic of informal settlements.

Among the community-generated innovations were mobile phone and whistle-based alert systems, economic empowerment collectives designed to reduce women’s financial dependency on abusive partners, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that balanced traditional practices with human rights principles. School-based programmes engaged boys in reimagining masculinity, while cultural events were used to reclaim positive traditions and challenge harmful ones.

The project also made significant strides in strengthening referral pathways connecting community-based responses to formal services, including police, health facilities, and legal aid providers, creating a more cohesive and reliable support ecosystem for survivors.

Perhaps the most powerful demonstration of success was this: communities, when provided with the right tools and facilitation, are fully capable of developing responses to VAWG that are more nuanced, more acceptable, and more sustainable than anything externally imposed. This project leaves behind both a model and a mandate for community-led action in ending gender-based violence.