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

Example: The Family Violence Prevention Fund (now Futures without Violence)
maintained a “Hall of Fame” and a “Hall of Shame” for celebrities and other prominent
public figures who either championed and upheld gender equitable norms or exhibited
gender inequitable and abusive behaviour.
Note that even if survivors have given their informed consent to have their experience
publicized, it is important to continually assess risks and prioritize safety, e.g. by using
pseudonyms, blurring faces (TV, video) and changing any information that may be used
to identify the survivors. Photographs of survivors should not be used without their
informed consent, and they should be fully aware of the potential use and dissemination
of the publications which carry their photographs or other information. It is important to
remember that even if informed consent is given, those involved in a campaign may not
be fully aware of the potential safety risks involved—these should be fully explained, and
at any point, it must be left to the individual campaigner to decide whether she
wishes to disclose her own experience to others, within the campaign alliance or
beyond.
The four principles of informed consent presented below are designed for interview and
research purposes. However, they can also be applied to campaign activities that may
put participants at risk, such as public events, or media-related activities.
– Disclosure: The use and the purpose of the information sought from VAW survivors
and other individuals who participate in research (the “subjects”) must be fully
explained, so as to protect the subject’s safety and to maintain an honest relationship
between the researcher and the subject.
– Voluntariness: The subject must give explicit, preferably written, permission for her
information to be used, and express whether she is willing to be identified by name.
She must be in a condition to give this consent voluntarily.
– Comprehension: The subject must understand the implications of her providing
information. This may be complicated if she does not have a full understanding of the
intended distribution (e.g. via the internet). The interviewer must protect the subject’s
safety without being condescending.
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Campaigns December 2011