Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls - Virtual ...

punitive action by the community, campaigns on women’s rights may face potentially
violent opposition. Even in environments considered safe, however, campaigning can
cause damage—e.g. VAW survivors may suffer extreme psychological stress when
being reminded of their traumatic experience.
Risks linked to the campaign, including “internal” and “external” risks, must be
identified and analyzed with campaign participants. Explicit plans to reduce risks,
and to competently mitigate and respond to any incidents must be elaborated with and
known by all members of the campaign team. Further, as campaigns unfold in complex,
often unpredictable environments, the risk management plan needs to be monitored
and adjusted if the context changes. Such changes may be sudden and dramatic –
e.g., mass displacement caused by a natural or man-made disaster – or more gradual,
as in the rise of political movements that oppose gender equality. It is important that all
participants in the campaign share responsibility in managing risks. Campaign
participants must be empowered to share any concerns about new or deepening risks
with the campaign management team. Depending on the gravity of the changed
situation, it may be necessary to cancel certain campaign activities, or suspend the
campaign altogether. [See Risk analysis for tips on identifying and assessing risk in
campaigns.]
Campaign participants must be empowered to determine if they should take risks
on the basis of their own free, informed decisions. They must be free to decide
whether they participate in a campaign activity or not, and to cancel or interrupt their
activity if they feel unsafe. This is particularly important in campaigns spearheaded by
powerful “outsiders”, such as international NGOs or donors, who may not be fully aware
of the risks facing local individuals and groups who take a public stand against VAW.
Campaigns that take place in a situation of armed conflict (e.g. campaigns to end sexual
abuse in refugee camps) should respect the Do No Harm principles of development
and humanitarian assistance in conflict, which can easily be transposed to
campaigning activities. Based on an analysis of the different factors likely to deepen or
to defuse a crisis, Do No Harm identifies action that limits risks and supports a peaceful
resolution of the conflict.
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Campaigns December 2011