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

change: advocacy campaigns (generally geared towards institutional and policy
change) are based on the idea that more effective rules and mechanisms, such as laws,
protocols, policies, infrastructure, etc. in society are needed to end violence against
women and girls, while campaigns for behaviour change put the emphasis on
individual thoughts, emotions and decisions, as well as social norms and practices, that
play a role in ending violence against women and girls. Within these two broad
categories, each campaign has its own implicit or explicit theory of change.
It is important to note that the way in which desired policy or institutional change comes
about, is not necessarily as straightforward. It is now widely recognized that change
takes place within complex, multi-level dynamics that are only partly predictable and
may be subject to multi-directional forms of causality (Klugman, 2009. Less is More…).
Hence, models used in behaviour change and communications theories, may also be
relevant to advocacy campaigns.
Tool:
� The Grant Craft Guide: Mapping Change (Foundation Center and European
Foundation Center) available in English, provides guidance on using a theory of
change in strategic planning. While targeted at grant makers, the 10-page guide
can also be a useful tool for anyone involved in campaign planning and
monitoring.
THEORIES OF POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
Campaigns for change in policy/formal institutional frameworks (e.g. laws, policies,
public services) tend to rest on relatively straightforward theories of change, because
institutions usually function according to well-known, pre-defined rules. For example, a
campaign calling for increased government funding towards support centers for VAW
survivors may be based on the idea that government funding provides a stable basis for
the support centers � support centers are more likely to deliver quality services to VAW
survivors � VAW survivors are more likely to recover from their ordeal and protect
themselves against future violence.
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Campaigns December 2011