The ‘What Works: Impact at Scale’ programme is a seven-year investment by the UK government on prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), focused on taking evidence-based pilot approaches to scale.
The programme will systematically design, implement and rigorously evaluate a range of approaches to scaling up violence prevention efforts, translating proof-of-concept evidence into robust, large-scale programmes and strategies; as well as designing, piloting and testing new theory-driven violence prevention approaches.
As part of the programme SDDirect runs a research and advice service – the Ending Violence against Women and Children Helpdesk - for the UK Government to improve policy, practice and investment in preventing and responding to violence against women and children.
SDDirect works in a consortium partnership led by IRC with Raising Voices, CARE International UK, and SAMYA, with Breakthrough as a knowledge parner. The partnership brings deep expertise and commitment to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) prevention and is committed to shared feminist values.
We strive to:
- Centre all women and girls affected by violence in all of our work and respond to the range of experiences of those women and girls.
- Be first and foremost accountable to women and girls affected by violence in the Global South.
- Use the power and resources provided by the What Works II Programme to amplify the voices of women and girls affected by violence, and to challenge systemic inequalities and patriarchal structures that perpetuate violence at all levels.
- Adopt an intersectional approach throughout the programme, recognising the multiple sources of oppression and discrimination that affect women and girls, expose them to violence, and determine their opportunities for safety, healing and recovery.
- Work collaboratively and reflexively within the consortium and with all other organisations, individuals and groups involved in the What Works II Programme.
- Create ways of working that share ownership, visibility and decision-making and challenge existing power inequalities, while recognising this is difficult work and an on-going learning process.
- Prioritise ‘doing no harm’ and the safety, well-being and care of each other and all those involved in and impacted by our work.
The programme will be awarding grants through an open competitive process to support scale up of effective small-scale interventions and testing on innovative approaches.
Project highlights
Refugee Women-led Organisations on the Frontline of Addressing GBV: Key Actions for the Global Refugee Forum
Follow us on Twitter @WW2PreventVAWG and join the conversation to build a collective vision to strengthen the field of VAWG prevention.
The Ending Violence Against Women and Children Helpdesk is available 9am-5pm (UK time), Monday to Friday. To get in touch, please contact us at enquiry@VAWCHelpdesk.org.uk.
