Evidence Objective of Strategy: Facilitate economic, social, psychological and political empowerment of women and girls to promote women’s economic independence, improve relationships and promote equitable gender power relations within households, communities and society.
Evidence of impact:
- Promising evidence from LMICs shows that social empowerment training for women or girls (e.g. life skills, safe spaces, mentoring) can address risk factors for IPV.
- Emerging evidence from LMICs shows that reforming unequal inheritance and property regimes to increase women’s access to and control over land and productive assets is an important part of reducing overall levels of VAW.
- Good evidence from LMICs indicates that combined economic (e.g. microfinance, VSLAs) and social empowerment interventions for women & girls can reduce women and girls’ experiences of IPV, especially when interventions engage men and boys.
- Multi-sectoral programmes that focus on improving the socio-economic status of adolescent girls and their households, changing perceptions of the value of schooling for girls and engaging adolescents and adults as ‘change makers’ have been successful in delaying marriage and in changing attitudes towards early marriage.
Related resources
Relevant programme examples:
Avahan – sex workers (India)
The change in inheritance law in India
Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (India)
Maisha (Tanzania)
Balika – girls (Bangladesh)
