Abstract
Gender-based violence and violence against children are significant problems in South Africa. Community mobilisation and gender-transformative programming are promising approaches to address and reduce violence. A quantitative evaluation of One Man Can, a gender-transformative community mobilisation programme in South Africa, found mixed results in increasing gender-equitable behaviours and reducing violence. To better understand these findings, we analyse longitudinal qualitative data from community mobilisers, community members and community action teams, exploring individual and community-level factors that facilitate and hinder change. Interviews and focus groups were transcribed and analysed. Participants self-reported changes in their gender-equitable attitudes and use of violence as a result of participation in the programme, although some participants also reported opposition to shifting to a more gender-equitable culture. Facilitators to change included the internalisation of gender-transformative messaging and supportive social networks, which was buoyed by a shared vocabulary in their community generated by One Man Can. Because the programme targeted a critical mass of community members with gender-transformative programming, mobilisers and community action teams were held accountable by community members to model non-violent behaviour. Results reinforce the importance of addressing facilitators and barriers to change at both individual and community levels.
Highlights
Intimate partner violence, sexual violence and child maltreatment, such as childhood sexual and physical violence, are significant public health concerns in South Africa and are associated with severe health and social consequences (Dunkle et al 2004; Hatcher et al 2019; Garcıa-Moreno et al 2013; Richter et al 2018)
At the individual and interpersonal level, researchers identify violence as a learned behaviour (Bandura 1973); research finds that witnessing domestic violence as a child or experiencing childhood physical or sexual violence is associated with re-victimisation as well as perpetration as an adult (Mulawa et al 2018; Treves-Kagan et al 2019)
This suggests that violence prevention relies on both challenging norms that condone violence and helping individuals re-learn how to resolve conflict with romantic partners or families without using violence
Summary
Sexual violence and child maltreatment, such as childhood sexual and physical violence, are significant public health concerns in South Africa and are associated with severe health and social consequences (Dunkle et al 2004; Hatcher et al 2019; Garcıa-Moreno et al 2013; Richter et al 2018). At the individual and interpersonal level, researchers identify violence as a learned behaviour (Bandura 1973); research finds that witnessing domestic violence as a child or experiencing childhood physical or sexual violence is associated with re-victimisation as well as perpetration as an adult (Mulawa et al 2018; Treves-Kagan et al 2019). This suggests that violence prevention relies on both challenging norms that condone violence and helping individuals re-learn how to resolve conflict with romantic partners or families without using violence
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