“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
-Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist
We had a memorable week training five Chiradzulu Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the Make Art for Women’s Activism (MAWA) project. While participant numbers were minimised to respect social distancing, CSOs were willing and enthusiastic to learn. Unfortunately, the reduced workshop size was not the only impact of COVID-19 that was discussed. Throughout the week we heard different stories from CSOs of how the pandemic was exacerbating violence against women and girls (VAWG) in their communities, including rises in teenage pregnancy and child marriage with schools closed.
MAWA works with CSOs to design their own projects combatting violence against women and girls using Human Centred Design (HCD) and participatory arts. HCD is crucial to changing norms about VAWG because it constantly engages stakeholders to alter mindsets and behaviour. We showcased participatory arts in the workshop through group activities, music, dance and encouraging participants to develop their own outstanding performances which celebrated their talents. These activities left an impression on Vincent Mbewe of the Christian Organization of Orphans in Malawi (COOM):
“I did not know that art could be participatory. The beauty of using Forum Theatre was truly remarkable.” He added that “involving the audience is a very effective way [of] sharing messages. We will definitely use this in our community.”
Mbewe also expressed his and COOM’s commitment to working directly with stakeholders and other agents of change to end VAWG. By the end of the week, CSO members had developed a plan to do their own HCD research in their communities, identifying key beneficiary and stakeholder groups to talk to. We are hopeful that concrete relationships formed in the project will help them collaborate on sustainable solutions to ending VAWG, and are excited to see them develop project ideas at the next training.
The four-day training was intense, packed full of activities that challenged participants’ perceptions, beliefs and opinions about VAWG. Our focus on learning, collaboration and participation was key to its success, along with assuring everyone’s safety. CSOs received PPE to distribute in their communities, and actively observed COVID-19 precautionary measures throughout the training.
“I was amazed by how fruitful the training was. The first group of CSOs knew a lot more about violence against women and girls than I expected. Their response on consent blew me away. This means they are in the right path and I cannot wait to see the projects they are going to develop when they continue their work in their communities. It’s a win for all of us,” concluded Sharon Kalima Nkhwazi, the MASA Program Manager. яндекс
The MAWA project is funded by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund), under the Spotlight Initiative. The UN Trust Fund is the only global grant-making mechanism dedicated exclusively to addressing all forms of violence against women and girls at local and national levels.
