Engaging men and youth: Enhancing safety response against digital and Gender-Based Violence

Project Period: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2027

Implementing Partner: Gruaja tek Gruaja (Woman to Woman) – Office for Boys and Men (ZDB)

Supported by: IAMANEH, Switzerland

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The “ Engaging men and youth: Enhancing safety response against digital and Gender-Based Violence”  project aims to reduce gender-based violence (GBV) by working with male perpetrators to change violent behaviors, hold them accountable, and promote gender-equitable attitudes. The initiative focuses on improving the safety and well-being of women, girls, and children affected by violence.

Key Objectives:

1. Behavioral Change in Perpetrators: Provide professional counseling and rehabilitation programs to address violent attitudes and foster accountability among male perpetrators of GBV.
2. Youth and Community Engagement: Conduct transformative gender-focused workshops targeting boys and young men in schools and communities, with a specific focus on cyber violence and harmful masculinity norms.
3. Expansion of Perpetrator Services: Establish perpetrator intervention services in 10 municipalities, strengthening the local response systems to GBV and fostering multi-agency collaboration.

Main Activities:

• Individual and Group Counseling: Offer face-to-face, remote, and community-based counseling services for male perpetrators, targeting over 240 individuals, including men in rural and vulnerable groups.
• Youth Programs: Conduct gender-transformative workshops in high schools and universities, focusing on cyber violence, healthy relationships, and gender equality.
• Capacity Building: Train 150 frontline professionals, including social workers and police officers, to improve identification, referral, and support mechanisms for perpetrators and survivors.
• Supervised Father-Child Meetings: Ensure safe and monitored interactions between perpetrators and their children to minimize risks and support child protection.
• Community Awareness Campaigns: Engage the broader community through campaigns promoting gender equality and addressing harmful masculinity.

Expected Outcomes:

1. Male perpetrators reduce violent behaviors and adopt non-violent attitudes.
2. Boys and young men in schools and communities demonstrate gender-equitable behaviors.
3. Stakeholders in 10 municipalities integrate perpetrator intervention programs into GBV response systems.

Target Beneficiaries:

• Direct Beneficiaries:
  • 240 male perpetrators participating in counseling programs.
  • 50 boys in conflict with the law referred for specialized counseling.
  • 180 high school students and 60 university students in workshops on cyber violence and gender equality.
  • 150 municipal professionals trained in GBV response and perpetrator programs.

Through this project, Woman to Woman and the Office for Boys and Men aim to create sustainable change by addressing the root causes of violence, empowering communities to challenge harmful norms, and strengthening institutional responses to GBV.