By Aaron Ossai
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) remains one of the most serious human rights and public health challenges facing communities across the world.
It affects women, girls, men, boys, and people of diverse gender identities, although women and girls continue to bear the greatest burden. While laws and policies are essential in addressing SGBV, lasting change begins with confronting the harmful social norms that allow violence to persist.
Social norms are the unwritten rules that shape how people think and behave. They influence expectations about gender roles, relationships, power, and acceptable conduct.
Unfortunately, some long-standing beliefs normalize discrimination, silence survivors, excuse perpetrators, and discourage communities from taking action. Preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence therefore requires changing these harmful attitudes and replacing them with values rooted in equality, dignity, and mutual respect.
One of the most harmful social norms is the belief that men should always dominate women. In many societies, boys are raised to believe that masculinity means being strong, aggressive, and in control, while girls are taught to be submissive, obedient, and silent.
These unequal power dynamics create an environment where abuse is tolerated or ignored. Violence becomes a tool for asserting control rather than being recognized as a serious crime and violation of human rights.
Another damaging belief is that domestic violence is a “private family matter” that should not be discussed outside the home.
This mindset discourages survivors from seeking help and prevents neighbours, relatives, and community members from intervening when they witness abuse. In reality, violence within the home affects entire communities.
Children who grow up witnessing abuse are more likely to experience emotional trauma and may repeat similar patterns in adulthood if they do not receive appropriate support and guidance.
Victim-blaming is another harmful social norm that fuels Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Survivors are often questioned about what they wore, where they were, or why they did not resist or report the abuse sooner. Such attitudes shift responsibility away from perpetrators and place an unfair burden on survivors.
Fear of judgment, shame, and stigma causes many victims to remain silent, allowing offenders to escape accountability.
Changing these harmful norms begins at home. Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in teaching children about respect, empathy, consent, and equality from an early age.
Boys and girls should be given equal opportunities, responsibilities, and encouragement to express themselves without being limited by harmful gender stereotypes.
When children grow up in homes where respect replaces violence and communication replaces intimidation, they are more likely to build healthy relationships throughout their lives.
Schools also have an important responsibility. Beyond academic learning, schools help shape values and behaviour. Comprehensive education on gender equality, healthy relationships, personal safety, consent, and conflict resolution equips young people with the knowledge and confidence to recognize abuse and seek help.
Teachers should create safe spaces where students feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues without fear of ridicule or discrimination. School policies should also address bullying, harassment, and sexual abuse promptly and fairly.
Communities have significant influence in changing social norms. Religious leaders, traditional rulers, youth leaders, women’s groups, and community-based organizations are trusted voices whose messages can shape public attitudes.
When respected leaders openly condemn violence, promote gender equality, and encourage survivors to seek justice, they help break the culture of silence that often surrounds abuse. Community dialogues, awareness campaigns, and public discussions can challenge harmful beliefs while promoting positive alternatives.
Men and boys must also be active partners in preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Prevention is not solely a women’s issue; it is a responsibility shared by everyone.
Men, who challenge harmful stereotypes, speak out against abusive behaviour, and model respectful relationships become powerful agents of change. Positive masculinity emphasizes responsibility, kindness, emotional intelligence, and mutual respect rather than dominance or aggression.
The media plays a vital role in shaping public opinion. Newspapers, radio stations, television programmes, and digital platforms have the power to influence how society understands Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Responsible reporting should protect survivors’ privacy, avoid sensationalism, and focus on accountability rather than victim-blaming. Media campaigns that highlight survivor support services, educate the public about consent, and celebrate positive role models contribute to changing harmful attitudes.
Social media has become both a challenge and an opportunity. While online platforms can spread misinformation, harassment, and abusive content, they also provide valuable spaces for education, advocacy, and awareness.
Campaigns led by young people have shown how digital platforms can encourage conversations about respect, equality, and consent while connecting survivors to support services and trusted organizations.
Workplaces also have an important role to play. Employers should establish clear policies against sexual harassment and discrimination while providing confidential reporting mechanisms and prompt investigations.
A workplace culture that promotes dignity, fairness, and equal opportunity helps prevent abuse and empowers employees to speak up without fear of retaliation.
Governments remain responsible for creating legal and institutional frameworks that protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable. Strong laws must be effectively enforced through trained police officers, prosecutors, judges, healthcare providers, and social workers who understand the needs of survivors.
Accessible services such as shelters, counselling, legal aid, and medical care ensure that victims receive comprehensive support throughout their recovery.
Economic empowerment also contributes to preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Financial dependence often prevents survivors from leaving abusive relationships.
Expanding access to education, vocational training, decent employment, and financial resources enables women and girls to make independent decisions about their lives and reduces their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse.
Importantly, prevention requires listening to survivors. Their experiences provide valuable insights into the barriers they face and the support they need. Survivor-centred approaches prioritize safety, confidentiality, dignity, and informed choice. Communities should believe survivors, offer compassionate support, and avoid language or behaviour that increases their trauma.
Young people are among the most powerful drivers of social change. Through peer education, school clubs, sports programmes, creative arts, and community service, they can challenge stereotypes and encourage respectful behaviour among their peers.
When youth become advocates for gender equality, they influence not only their generation but also future generations.
Changing social norms does not happen overnight. Beliefs that have existed for generations require sustained education, dialogue, and consistent action.
Every conversation that challenges discrimination, every family that teaches equality, every school that promotes respect, every community leader who condemns violence, and every institution that protects survivors contributes to lasting change.
Preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is ultimately about creating communities where everyone can live free from fear, discrimination, and abuse. It means recognizing that violence is never justified, consent must always be respected, and every individual deserves equal rights and opportunities regardless of gender.
The responsibility belongs to all of us. Parents, teachers, religious leaders, policymakers, employers, healthcare workers, journalists, law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and young people each have a role to play in transforming harmful social norms into cultures of respect, equality, and non-violence.
When society rejects harmful stereotypes, supports survivors without judgment, and holds perpetrators accountable, the cycle of violence can be broken. The journey may be challenging, but every positive action—no matter how small—brings us closer to a future where homes are safer, communities are stronger, and every person can thrive with dignity and respect.
Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is not only about responding after violence occurs; it is about preventing it before it begins.
By confronting harmful social norms, promoting gender equality, and fostering respectful relationships, we lay the foundation for safer families, healthier communities, and a more just society. The future we build depends on the values we choose to uphold today.
