Making a Difference: Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women

Author/Editor(s): Jenny Drezin, Megan Lloyd-Laney

Effective communication has the power to bring change in society, on both an individual and collective level. Using communications and advocacy strategically to end violence against women empowers individuals and groups with the message that every single person has the power to make change. While social change is a long-term process, communications to educate and raise awareness is often the first step in modifying attitudes, behaviors and policies.

"Making a Difference" is an indispensable tool for planning strategic communications to raise awareness about and combat gender-based violence. The toolkit was created to share the knowledge of the workshop series with women's organizations working to end violence against women around the world. The outcome is "Making a Difference," which gives step-by-step information on developing a media campaign.

Questions such as "What are the secrets to effective communications?" and "How can we know we are really making a positive difference in people's lives?" are explored and strategies to ensure effective media campaigns are provided. There are instructions, tips and checklists for a variety of situations, such as how to prepare a press release and ensure that it is used. Lastly, useful case studies, focus group methods, pre-testing of materials, and guidance for short and long term communication strategies are provided.

Communications is one of the most important tools for advocacy efforts. It is a means of sharing information "packaged" in different ways and conveyed using media and messages customized for different audiences. "Making a Difference" provides strategic guidelines and case studies to ensure that your communications do make a difference.