We Will Speak Out Coalition: Working Together to End Sexual Violence

The coalition maintains a pledge on its website for individuals and organisation to sign on to speaking out against SV and the marginalisation of those who have experienced it. The pledge includes such actions as mobilising leadership, ensuring law enforcement, and finding lasting solutions.

The website has pages dedicated to detailing the SV situation in each of the following countries DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, and Liberia. These pages include maps, statistics, and historical information about SV. Each page includes a current news feed and stories/testimonies of individuals. Each links to a Tearfund sponsored research report and an event report on a workshop in each country to establish action plans. The workshop reports also detail the work of partners.

For example in the DRC report, the organisation Heal Africa uses a holistic approach. It "involves and mobilises Traditional Chiefs, and community and religious leaders in this fight in particular by organising Nehemiah Committee training workshops and sessions to raise awareness." The Mothers’ Union (MU) and the UFPPS (Women's Union for Peace and Social Promotion) carry out the following:

• "Humanitarian assistance.
• Discussions regarding morality with men who have abandoned their wives.
• The raising of women's awareness concerning advancement.
• Socio-economic reintegration projects for women (revolving micro-loans, financial and agricultural/pastoral)."

In addition, the DRC report details challenges and solutions of the following work groups attending the workshop: leadership; equipping the church; partnerships; overcoming stigma; creating a protective environment; and behaviour change. Communication-related solutions include awareness raising and technical training for church and community leaders, teachers, partner organisations, and church members with a view to:

• change behaviour;
• increase identification with and support for victims of SV;
• promote of gender equality;
• advocate for law enforcement;
• increase educational and employment opportunities for women;
• fund-raise for care and security of victims;
• produce and present sermons, Sunday School lessons, guides, leaflets, and posters/picture boxes that raise awareness and mobilise communities; and
• partner with medical and psycho-social service providers, build the capacities of specialist service providers, and give them opportunities to practise their knowledge.

Violence Against Women/Sexual Violence