Overview:

The GBV Prevention Network is a dynamic group of activists and practitioners committed to the prevention of GBV in the Horn, East and Southern Africa. The Network was initiated in 2003 after a regional dialogue in Kampala on gender-based violence hosted by Raising Voices and UN Safer Cities Program. The participants at this dialogue highlighted a lack of and need for, connection, sharing, learning and networking in the region, the extreme challenge of accessing regionally developed resources and materials and the need for a space to share programs, approaches, strategies and ideas on GBV prevention. As a result, the GBV Prevention Network was born. It was decided at this meeting that Raising Voices would coordinate the Network from her offices in Kampala. The Network’s focus on GBV prevention is a direct response to the need to learn and share about quality and effective approaches to foster the development of this new and emerging field. The Network aims to build a primary prevention movement in the region by sharing information and resources, and by facilitating communication between organizations that seek to change the underlying causes of violence. This will be achieved through:

Fostering a network of activists and activism across the region, all seeking to create positive change
Facilitating community action to change the norms that perpetuate violence—therefore addressing violence before it occurs

The core values under which the GBV Prevention Network implements its programmes are:

Everyone has the right to live free of violence
Women and girls are most affected by violence
Unequal power relations between women and men are the root cause of GBV
In investing our energies to prevent violence, promoting equality and justice for everyone – women and men, girls and boys – is needed to realize our vision.

The Network’s objectives:

To provide members with relevant information about and access to resources on violence prevention
To strengthen the discourse and practice of rights-based GBV prevention
To strengthen capacity of members on critical issues and methodologies
To foster cohesion collaboration and increased activism within the region