Prevention plays a central role in efforts to eradicate and remove the root causes of gender-based violence. Youth work and human rights activism can make an important contribution to such preventative work.
 

This might include:

• Work to change attitudes, or questioning gender roles and stereotypes that make gender-based violence acceptable in society. This can be done through organising campaigns, training, peer-to-peer education, or by including a gender equality dimension in all aspects of education policies;
• Providing accessible information about what gender-based violence is, about its different forms, possible remedies and existing support measures. This might include producing leaflets or websites, working on social media campaigns, creating TV spots, or making information available in youth centres and schools;
• Training professionals to be able to identify, address and respond to gender-based violence. This might include providing training for teachers, youth workers, social workers, trainers, the police, the justice system, health care providers, etc.;
• Revealing the scale of the problem: gender-based violence is rarely discussed, and data at a local or regional level is often not available, or is incomplete. Many victims choose not to report incidents, and certain forms of violence (e.g. sexist hate speech) may not be punishable by law. It is very important that the extent of the problem is made clear;
• Awareness raising campaigns and policies to address gender inequality and gender-based violence can also help to raise the importance of the problem in the public eye. Such campaigns might use traditional means, such as posters, leaflets and websites, but might also utilise social media and flash mobs, for example;
• Empowerment programmes which strengthen the self-esteem and autonomy of those sections of the population which are more likely to be at risk of violence;
• Furthering gender equality and human rights education for everyone.