Prevention in Conflict Settings Is Possible: Lessons From Haiti
Our research in Haiti shows that it is possible to transform the harmful social norms that contribute to violence against women and girls.
We conducted an evaluation of one of the best-known models for preventing violence against women and girls: the Rethinking Power program, which is a contextual adaptation of the original SASA! approach implemented by the Haitian organization Beyond Borders/Depase Fwontyè yo. We also evaluated their Power to Girls and their Safe and Capable programs, which focus on preventing violence against adolescent girls and women and girls with disabilities.
About the Program
In 2016, with the support of the NoVo Foundation/Tides, American Jewish World Service, Imago Dei Fund and individual donor support, Beyond Borders began implementing the Rethinking Power program, encompassing both an adapted SASA! methodology and Power to Girls.
The program aimed to reduce social acceptance of gender inequality and violence against women and girls; decrease experiences and perpetration of this violence; increase girls’ sense of safety and freedom to make decisions; and decrease HIV and sexual and reproductive health risk behaviors. In 2019, Beyond Borders added an additional, separately funded component, Safe and Capable, to address these areas among women and girls with disabilities.
About the Evaluation
To measure the effectiveness of this approach, Beyond Borders and the Global Women’s Institute — with the support of the NoVo Foundation and the Inter-American Development Bank — undertook a quasi-experimental impact evaluation of the Rethinking Power program in Southeast Haiti.
Evaluation results show: 41% reduced odds of experiencing physical or sexual intimate partner violence over the past 12 months preceding study interviews in intervention areas, compared with control areas.
This provides clear evidence that successful intimate partner violence prevention programs can be implemented in unstable contexts.
Evidence From Our Evaluation of the Rethinking Power Program
“Reducing Violence Against Women and Girls in a Time of Crisis”
An impact evaluation of the Rethinking Power program in Haiti, which provides the full results of our program evaluation
“Rethinking Power: Secondary Analysis of Evaluation Results”
An article that focuses on the impact of the Rethinking Power violence prevention program on the lives and well-being of girls and young women aged 10 to 23
“Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls With Disabilities"
A report that includes the findings from an evaluation of the Safe and Capable program, which is designed to prevent violence against women and girls with disabilities.
Want More on Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls?
- See what our evidence tells us about how to prevent violence against women and girls around the world.
- Read about our leading role in the UK’s flagship program to prevent violence against women and girls, What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls, and its successor, What Works to Prevent Violence — Impact at Scale.
Check out all of our research on our Explore page.
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