Prevention in practice

There is no single factor that “causes” gender-based violence, but multiple factors that interact at different levels of society – and these change over time and across settings. Consequently, gender-based violence prevention requires multiple and coordinated actions adapted to the local context.

The PREVENT Framework of interventions outlines seven key action areas that can be coordinated among different actors at different levels. These recommended actions are based on existing global evidence on the risk and protective factors for experiencing and perpetrating violence, as well as evidence on effective interventions for preventing violence. These seven PREVENT areas are not the only actions that can and should be undertaken for violence prevention, as new innovations are still emerging, but represent what can and should been done. These are recommended areas for interventions. Clearly, they will not fit all contexts. They are the areas that have evidence to support their effectiveness. Adopting these areas of interventions need to be guided by relevant understanding of risk and protective factors for and knowledge of specific settings. The first four suggested areas of interventions (PREV) largely focus at the community and societal levels, while the last three (ENT) closely look at the individual, relationship, and family levels.

The PREVENT framework can be found in our Resources section.

Follow the steps for help with prevention in practice: