Community Action: A 360° Approach to Understand and Prevent Violence against Women and Child Marriage in Punjab, India

Abstract

Violence Against Women (VAW) is a public health concern. It affects the physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health of women. Despite rising levels of education and pro-women laws across India, VAW is a major concern in the state of Punjab. The aim of the study outlines the design and implementation of a community-developed VAW intervention. A 360° approach was used to view the complex interplay between individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors associated with VAW. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to identify community perceptions on VAW in the Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab. A community-based intervention named JAGO was designed and developed among a population of about 20,000 in 25 villages of Punjab. Operational meetings, IEC campaign, street plays, photography, gender sensitization workshops, painting competition, home visits, and village-level celebrations and pledge presentation ceremonies were also conducted.

The results and best practices gained through this community-led intervention can serve as a model for other prevention of VAW initiatives, both in India and other like-culture communities. An important lesson learned from this initiative was that community action is more acceptable and there should be open discussion for the culturally sensitive issues.