CA C 1 - Raising Voices

DVPP case study
■ Involving and addressing men meaningfully has minimised the expected backlash and entrenched
resistance.
■ Breaking down the mobilisation process into five distinct stages has made the work manageable
and avoided overwhelming the community with new information.
■ Opening the dialogue with a specific and recognizable issue (domestic violence) and linking it with
the broader work of promoting human rights has made the message understandable and
actionable for many leaders.
■ Using a variety of communication strategies has broadened the appeal of the message and
promoted wider awareness.
■ Persistent awareness raising activities and a consistent approach has anchored the idea of domestic
violence prevention in the communal dialogue.
■ Building capacity of staff and resource persons has amplified the potential impact of the work.
■ Articulating a clear, intuitive, and understandable message has enhanced reception and overcome
much of the initial resistance.
Challenges
■ After raising the issue of domestic violence in the community, women came forward seeking services
from the project. While they were referred to existing service providers, they often remained
unsatisfied. To respond, the project is moving to strengthen links to other NGOs providing services
and establishing community counselors who will be specially trained women and men in the
community that can be the first layer of response. This grew out of suggestions from the CVs, since
the community wanted to be able to respond to its own issues.
■ Meaningful involvement of men in activities at the community level has been challenging. While
many of the community leaders are men who are directly involved and half of the CVs are men, the
project has worked hard to engage men in the general community. The issue is sometimes
approached from different angles (e.g., healthy relationships and family harmony) to help build this
relationship, yet efforts are also made not to dilute the issue. High numbers of men working directly
in the project have helped reduce resistance.
Project Staff
Betty Akullo, Project Coordinator; Bernard Byagageire, Building Capacity Field Officer; Josephine
Kalege Katagote, Media and Events Field Officer; Hanifa Namakula, Local Activism and Learning
Materials Field Officer; Hope Turyasingura, Local Activism Field Officer; Felix Onama, Administrator;
Rose Mawada, Administrative Assistant.
Domestic Violence Prevention Project, PO Box 6770, Kampala, Uganda
Plot 186 Upper Mawanda Road, Kamwokya
Tel/Fax: +256 (0)41 531249
Email: dvpnawou@yahoo.com
Updated information about the project can be found on the Raising Voices website at
www.raisingvoices.org/kawempe.html
Mobilising Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence
DVPP case study
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