Fighting Against Gender-Based Violence in Haiti
After several weeks of awareness-raising activities, training sessions, and community exchanges, Sonje Ayiti Organization in partnership with the Steve Sinnott Foundation, SAGE Services, and Behcare, has officially closed its project for the prevention and awareness of gender-based violence (GBV).
But as with all of Sonje Ayiti's work, an ending is never really an ending. It's a handover: from project to practice, from training to daily life, from words to lasting change.
Over the course of the initiative, participants took part in workshops, training sessions, practical activities, and open dialogue spaces designed to build real, usable knowledge. Topics included:
- Understanding gender-based violence and its many forms
- Consent and respect for human rights
- Equality between women and men
- Prevention strategies and support mechanisms for survivors
Rather than relying on lectures alone, the project leaned into participation. Practical exercises, wellness activities, educational games, and constructive discussions gave young people and community members space to engage actively, not just to listen, but to question, reflect, and practise what they were learning. That combination of structure and openness helped create an environment where genuine behaviour change could take root.
Central to this initiative was the active involvement of young people and community members. GBV prevention doesn't succeed through top-down messaging; it succeeds when the people most affected and best placed to shift social norms are given the tools and the trust to lead that shift themselves. By centring their voices in dialogue spaces and hands-on activities, the project aimed not just to inform, but to equip a generation ready to model respect and equality in their own communities.
The closing of this project does not mark the end of Sonje Ayiti's commitment; it marks the beginning of a collective responsibility. The knowledge gained through months of training and dialogue now moves from the classroom into everyday life. It's in the hands of participants to put that learning into practice, in homes, schools, and communities across Haiti.
The goal ahead is clear: communities where respect, dignity, equality, and non-violence are not aspirations, but norms.
Together, the work continues: to prevent gender-based violence and to build a fairer, more inclusive, and more respectful society for everyone. Respect and equality remain the guiding values behind every action that follows.
This project was made possible through the collaboration of Sonje Ayiti, The Steve Sinnott Foundation, SAGE Services, and Behcare.
