P4P, WHO and MRC regional prevention trainings: strengthening capacity to implement effective primary prevention interventions

Partners for Prevention (P4P), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Medical Research Council South Africa (MRC), are working together to improve the skills and understanding of practitioners regarding primary prevention of gender-based violence (GBV). The three partners recently concluded a second annual regional training week in Bangkok that was attended by 50 practitioners from 11 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. The trainings covered topics that included, enhancing understanding of what primary prevention is and why it is important, and how to design, implement and evaluate theory- and- evidence-based interventions. To start the week, participants to the three day ’Introduction to Primary Prevention’ workshop explored the global evidence of what works, learned how to develop quality interventions using existing evidence and data, and learned how to apply theories of change. They discussed the challenges involved with measuring the impact of prevention initiatives in light of the long-term nature of GBV reduction, and highlighted the importance of coordination, continuity and scalability of prevention programmes in order to ensure long-term social change. Mona M’Bikay Boin of UNDP Bangladesh said, “What I have learned is directly applicable to the work that we are doing. The ideas introduced through the workshop will help me to better design our school-based programme and refine the target groups for GBV prevention.” Following the introduction workshop, a two day, hands-on practitioner clinic provided practitioners who are currently implementing or designing prevention interventions, with the opportunity to work closely with GBV prevention technical experts to refine their interventions. “The P4P team has created an important space for us to truly learn and grow. I have never before received such focused guidance on my work and I have already shared the learning with my team and we are making adjustments to our project plan accordingly,” said Kamani Jinadasa, Project Director of CARE International Sri Lanka, who participated in the clinic. At the workshops, participants were also introduced to two new tools designed to improve and coordinate gender-based violence (GBV) prevention efforts and support advocacy goals: the PREVENT Framework for Gender-based Violence Prevention and the Five Steps to Primary Prevention Programming. In response to high demand from practitioners and organizations throughout the region to participate in the trainings, P4P, WHO and MRC are now working together to create a primary prevention training package that will be made available online and adaptable for different settings. The training package will provide an innovative and sustainable way to continue building knowledge and skills for effective primary prevention. It will allow practitioners in the region to develop their abilities, irrespective of their ability to attend in-person trainings. The package will provide practical tools to improve understanding of what primary prevention approaches are, and how to design effective prevention interventions. P4P will complement the online training package by providing ongoing support to regional practitioners, to contextualize the package to local needs. P4P’s prevention programming training is also being scheduled to be adapted in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mongolia and the Pacific (Fiji) in 2012. For more information, contact [email protected].