Fostering action to prevent violence against women and girls - SASA! An innovative community mobilization approach

For Memhir Biruk Bekele, a preacher and spiritual leader at St. Mary’s Church in Adama, under the East Oromia Diocese of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, mediating and reconciling perpetrators of violence with survivors or their families was once part of his religious service—just as it was for many other faith leaders.

Recognizing his societal influence and respected position, he was selected to participate in the SASA! program, supported by UN Women and implemented by the Association for Women's Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD) across three districts of Adama in Oromia Region.

SASA!, which also means "Now" in Kiswahili, is an innovative and tested community mobilization approach developed by Raising Voices in Kampala, Uganda. It aims to address the root causes of power imbalance between women and men, with the goal of preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) and HIV/AIDS by transforming harmful social norms

“I now know I cannot let a person who committed violence go, without dealt with by law, apart from preaching this is punishable by faith, I boldly say it is also punishable by law and such person should be handed to the police,” said Memhir Biruk.

Through SASA!, Memhir Biruk received training and communication materials to teach about VAWG in religious settings. He uses every opportunity—including personal interactions and sermons—to speak out against violence and challenge harmful norms.

“It wasn’t easy to talk about VAWG in the church,” Memhir Biruk said. “People have their own beliefs and traditions. It’s hard to change those, even with new information. Some faith leaders still mediate and release perpetrators. I use every chance I get to challenge those wrong practices.” 

According to Kidist Abune, SASA! project coordinator at AWSAD, the program used the word SASA to mean,it is time to stop VAWG Now!’. It has four phases Start, Awareness, Support and Action. SASA! uses four strategies: local activism, media and advocacy, communication materials and training to reach a variety of people in a different way. 

SASA! relies on local activism, for community leaders/activists to use every opportunity to sensitize and share what they know about VAWG and everyone’s responsibility to stop and prevent it. It is everyday activism being done by local Iddir (informal community self-help group) gatherings, religious programs, public transport, funeral/mourning tents, Credit and saving group meetings, markets etc.   

IEC/BCC materials such as info sheets, power posters, game cards, comic pictures, are extensively used – by community activists as a visual aid to provoke thoughts, show scenarios and simplify the concepts. 

Media advocacy is another strategy used to reach a wider audience. We have a weekly 30-minute program on Adama Broadcasting Service, a community radio that reaches audiences in and around Adama. 

Bezawit Negussie, a community activist we saw teaching on VAWG, using power poster, at one of the weekly credit and saving meetings at Oda district of Adama, says she has been part of SASA! as a community activist and noted the first training changed her perception about causes of VAWG and she learned she can play a role in combating it. 

“When we start five years ago, there was a challenge posed by the community, our teaching was considered to negatively changing culture and  to make women more powerful than men. Now there is a better understanding, accepting VAWG’s is harmful, its consequences and causes including power imbalance in relationships and marriages” Bezawit spoke 

Tadesse Eshetu, member of the group and participant of Bezawit’s session, says he has been a regular participant in the program since its start. He never thought VAWG was his concern, he believed women and men in such domestic disputes should handle it by themselves and the society do not need to intervene. 

“Participating in SASA! Activism here and in other places redefined what I knew about VAWG, its various forms from psychological to economic, and sexual relations without consent, even in marriages, which I never knew of. I even started sharing household chores, knowing the relationship dynamics affected by my wife carrying all the burden of house chores and raising our children, I now am involved in my children’s day to day and school lives, the information I got from SASA! changed me” Tadesse noted. 

Kidist noted that to measure changes after SASA! interventions, assessments were being done at the end of each stage on knowledge, attitude, skill, behavior & action. Recent rapid assessment conducted following the completion of the third “Support” phase showed a significant change in knowledge, attitude and skills of the community on violence against women which is 91%, 80 % and 50% compared to the base line value 73%, 54% and 23% respectively.

“Beyond these numbers we saw changes as the community breaks its silence, even when perpetrators are family members. The community mobilized and opposed Femicide and expressed anger after a few cases in Adama,” she spoke. 

According to her, prior to the intervention, the community used to think VAWG isn’t a concern unless it happens to their own, they start to support survivors instead of pointing fingers. They are now intervening / telling them to seek help in domestic violence cases. Because community members are empowered to believe and know they have power to prevent VAWG. They now challenge the older culture where VAWG (rape) was dealt with “mediation” and not by the law, and domestic violence is involved. 

Mestawet Negussie, a community activist working at Bedatu Woreda Women’s Affairs office reiterates Kidist’s statement on changes SASA! has resulted in. According to her the activism that she facilitates works because it goes to the community, neighborhoods that women sometimes are isolated in their homes, enduring abuse of all forms. 

The coffee ceremonies undertaken where women are present, such as marketplaces, religious gatherings, raises  the VAWG issues and various forms into knowledge of the women and men.

“People now know where to go to seek support if VAWG happens. This increased number of cases reported to us. The sensitization also helps community members to investigate their own lives, the power dynamics at home, and work towards changing it for the better” Mestawet noted.

As indicated by Kidist, despite challenges such as expecting payment for volunteerism (NGO culture created expectations ), and some dropouts because of that, and the political system that resulted in community action group members government actors quick turn over, the project is doing well and bearing good results. 

UN Women Ethiopia country office, through it Ending Violence Against women and Girls Programme has been supporting the implementation of SASA! faith and SASA! Community since 2018/19 in selected districts of Adama, Oromia and Debre Birehan, Amhara regions y. The program has been supported by the Government of Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.