In order to effectively fight for a world without violence against women and girls, we need a paradigm shift – one that allows us to envision a reality where preventing violence before it occurs is possible.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) World Report on Violence and Health (Krug et al., 2002), prevention strategies are categorised into three types: primary, secondary, and tertiary. It is worth pointing out that the WHO concept of prevention, although translated to violence prevention, originates from public health. Interestingly, there does not yet exist a single, internationally harmonided definition of primary prevention in relation to violence against women and girls.
- Primary prevention refers to all approaches that aim to prevent violence before it occurs and acts on risk and protective factors such as feminist self-defence workshops, peer education programmes, and school-based prevention programmes.
- Secondary prevention encompasses approaches that focus on the detection of violence and more immediate responses, and aims to identify and support survivors at an early stage and to interrupt the violence.
- Tertiary prevention focuses on long-term care in the wake of violence and seeks to support the survivors and alleviate their trauma, to prevent the violence from reoccurring and can also include programmes designed to make perpetrators accountable.
In 2022, WAVE established a new Thematic Working Group dedicated to prevention with a focus on primary prevention, highlighting its importance within the context of violence against women and girls. This Working Group, with 15 members from 12 countries, intends to integrate primary prevention strategies and showcase the existing work on this topic within the network. The aim is to strengthen our overall approach to prevention, with a particular emphasis on primary prevention.
To explore this crucial topic further, listen to our podcast episode “Preventing Violence Before It Happens: Strengthening Primary Prevention”. We discuss the pivotal role of primary prevention in combating violence against women and girls with Tere Iglesias Lopez from WAVE member organisation Garance (Belgium) and Silvia Menecali from D.i.Re (Italy). Both are members of WAVE’s Thematic Working Group on Prevention witha focus on Primary Prevention. The episode features their insights into effective primary prevention strategies, innovative approaches, and how these efforts are paving the way for a future free from violence.
Join us to learn more about the transformative potential of primary prevention and get a preview of the strategies to be highlighted at the 2024 WAVE Conference, where prevention will take centre stage.
Silvia Menecali
D.i.Re (Italy)
“When we speak about Primary Prevention, we have to go to the roots of violence against women and girls, which is patriarchy and oppression, among other. This is something that the system and society refuse to speak about, but we have to speak on it.“
Tere Iglesias Lopez
Garance (Belgium)
“Primary Prevention really tries to focus on not letting the violence happen at all. It goes from the very positive and optimistic idea that a world without violence can actually exist and is possible and we don’t only have to deal with the consequences.”
To explore the work of the WAVE Thematic Working Group in more detail, access the publication A Life Free from Violence: Primary Prevention as the Key to Eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls. This publication highlights various primary prevention activities undertaken by WAVE members from Armenia, Belgium, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Sweden, and Türkiye.
