Practical Tools for Practitioners: Unravelling Power Dynamics as a
Prelude to Preventing Violence Against Women and Children
Abstract
This paper explores how to employ effective, community-engaged
strategies to understand and address the underlying power asymmetries
that fuel violence against women and children. Utilising Participatory
Action Research and underpinned by Integral Activist Epistemology, the
action research adopts a novel approach combining Theory U and Powercube
frameworks to facilitate a comprehensive understanding and
transformation of these power relations in Shinyanga district, Tanzania.
The paper describes the journey of engaging the community in identifying
and challenging the unwritten rules that perpetuate violence. Key to
this process is the recognition of violence as a manifestation of deeply
ingrained patriarchal power structures, which are sustained through
coercion and social exclusion, yet paradoxically fragile due to the pain
these norms inflict on the whole community, including men. This
understanding leads to the development of practical, community-led
interventions, or ‘prototypes’, aimed at reshaping these dynamics.
Key messages from the action research highlight the critical role of
local context in shaping interventions, the importance of reframing
existing cultural practices so that they are more inclusive, and the
necessity for long-term commitment from development actors for
sustainable change. The implications extend beyond Shinyanga, offering
insights for practitioners globally. This paper contributes to the
academic discourse on violence prevention but also serves as a practical
guide, providing tools and strategies for practitioners working towards
creating safer, more inclusive communities.