Description

WE-Talk will contribute to the reduction of gender-based violence (GBV) in Jamaica against, women, girls, boys and other disadvantaged groups. Barriers to gender equality that exacerbate the risk of GBV include: harmful and pervasive social norms and attitudes normalizing GBV, and women’s limited participation in decision-making processes (due to factors such as gender roles and the domestic care burden). To address these barriers, the project will take an innovative approach to behaviour change as a means of supporting social norms change and reducing GBV through a combination of research, stakeholder engagement, behaviour change communication campaigns (BCCs), and capacity building. The Project will directly benefit women, girls, boys and men, the LGBTQ2I+ community, youth, and other often marginalized groups will also benefit from the initiative’s activities and outcomes. The project will be implemented in all 14 parishes of Jamaica, targeting both rural and urban communities

EXPECTED ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS

The expected results for this project include:

  • Increased adoption of positive behaviours by adolescent girls, boys, women and men, that promote GBV prevention and response in Jamaica .

  • Enhanced collective action of local women’s rights (WROs) and civil society (CSOs) organisations, and feminist collectives to promote and advocate for changes in social norms and behaviour that underpin GBV in Jamaica.

a. Activities include:

i. Participatory in-depth research to identify systemic gender inequalities and social norms perpetuating GBV in Jamaica

ii. Integration of the findings into innovative behaviour change communication products tailored to the Jamaican context and

culture

iii. Interactive training development for women and youth on rights, confidence and advocacy; and implementation of sessions with

male influencers to promote positive masculinities.

a. Activities include

i. Provision of technical support provided to partner WROs in the use of innovative evidence-based practices and accountability systems

ii. Assist organizations in all 14 parishes to conduct public oversight and advocate for responsible authorities to address GBV and provide gender-transformative services to survivors;

iii. Implementation of sessions with key stakeholders, government representatives and service providers to foster learning and ensure commitments and way forward in terms of prevention and response to GBV.

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