It takes time for the discussion and negotiation of power dynamics within a community or organisation to be safely explored, understood, tested and adopted.
Transforming women’s and men’s and girls’ and boys’ attitudes and behaviours towards gender relations, and the structures and institutions within which they operate, is a long-term undertaking. It requires change at both individual and collective levels. It happens
in complex and inter-connected ways. It needs careful and dedicated support to avoid doing harm.
Projects can promote gender transformation through a long-term commitment by:
a. Looking for opportunities to establish long-term, strategic alliances. Alliances between individuals, communities and civil society organisations supporting transformative change depend on trust and may take years to establish.
b. Using consistent and repeated core messages and activities that reinforce the benefits of gender equality. These enable individuals, families and community leaders to change behaviours sustainably. They become the new norm, rather than exceptional
c. Not expecting shortcuts. Global evidence indicates that there are no shortcuts to transformative change. Pacific Women’s experience concurs with the findings that long-term, not short-term projects are best-placed to sustain change and maintain fidelity with evidence-based social norm change methodologies.
d. Providing long-term core funding for staff, organisational development, capacity development, learning, sharing and evidence-building.
Simon Kouwa – Chairman of Peace and Good Order addressing the community at Maiva- Fututai, Lufa District, Eastern Highlands Province, PNG. Photo Credit: MAMAYO Project – CARE International in PNG.
Changing marital norms over time
FHI 360’s Komuniti Lukautim Ol Meri (communities caring for women and girls) project worked intensively over six years with women and men in two western provinces to reduce violence against women. The project invested early in negotiating community support and recruiting and training local community staff. An ethical baseline survey ensured a deep understanding of the context of violence against women in each community.
Monitoring tools, outreach messages, community discussions and capacity building activities were then tailored to context and the project layered activities to increase women’s and men’s understanding of the causes and consequences of violence against women. Individual activities through home visits were reinforced through community-focused activities to enable safe discussions on harmful practices.
It took time to ensure that the local community facilitators and project staff had the skills and gender knowledge they needed to gain the trust of community members to have these discussions. It also required time for women and men in their various roles within the family and community to accept – and choose how to act – on new knowledge.
FHI 360’s sustained, context-specific and evidence-based approach decreased women’s self- reported marital rape from 70 per cent to 47 per cent and men’s reported marital rape from 35 per cent to 27 per cent. The proportion of women and men who agreed that violence against women was ‘sometimes justified’, also declined.
