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

2006. Linking Gender-Based Violence Research to Practice in East, Central and
Southern Africa...).
Tools:
� Ethical Approaches to Gathering Information from Children and
Adolescents in International Settings (Population Council/Horizons
Programme and Family Health International/Impact, 2005). Available in English.
� So you want to involve children in research? A toolkit supporting children’s
meaningful and ethical participation in research relating to violence against
children (Save the Children, 2004). Available in English.
2.5 INFORMED CONSENT AND CONFIDENTIALITY
The voices of women and girls who have experienced violence in their lives can be a
powerful force for campaigning that should not be ignored or belittled. Hearing directly
from those who have endured violence, fought against it, or helped to prevent it
happening to others adds credibility, and helps put ‘a human face’ on facts and statistics
that can provoke the public to take action.
In considering this as an element in campaigning however, it is critical to account for the
potential risks involved. Safety concerns should be paramount. For example, revealing
the names or whereabouts of survivors, in news articles, websites or videos, can lead to
retaliation by perpetrators, and often escalate violence not only against survivors
themselves, but also against their families and others who may be helping them.
Specific cases of violence against women and girls must therefore not be
exposed to the public unless the survivors are fully informed of potential
consequences, and have given their explicit, possibly written, consent. In
addition, it is imperative that any information on any individual cases of violence
against women and girls is treated with strict confidentiality, e.g. when publishing
research results or campaign materials. A possible exception is “naming and
shaming”, i.e. publicizing information on proven violations perpetrated by well-known
personalities, as a deliberate campaign tactic. In this case, it is just as crucial to consult
with the survivors affected by the case and obtain their full consent, and to present the
issue in a way that protects the survivors’ dignity and privacy.
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Campaigns December 2011