On March 7, the CHAMPION project in Tanzania, sponsored by the United
States Agency for International Development, received one of five Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out about
Violence against Women. The CHAMPION
project is funded by the American People as part of the United States President’s Emergency
Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), The
CHAMPION Project received the award for their work on the Kuwa Mfano wa Kuigwa (Be a
Role Model) mass media campaign. Actress
and Avon Foundation for Women Ambassador Salma Hayek Pinault presented the
awards in New York during an adjunct event to the 57th session of
the Commission of the Status of Women at the United Nations.
The CHAMPION Project’s Kuwa Mfano
wa Kuigwa campaign is part of a five-year effort to engage men in
Tanzania by increasing their involvement in addressing the underlying gender
issues and power imbalances in relationships. The campaign, which was launched
in Tanzania in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development, Gender
and Children in December 2011, aims to turn men from bystanders to champions
with its key message, “Violence is everyone’s problem. Be a role model. Earn
respect by standing up to violence.”
For
the Avon Communications Award, an international panel of judges selected Kuwa Mfano wa Kuigwa from more than 425 submissions by 119 organizations in 46
countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. The
CHAMPION project, implemented by EngenderHealth in Tanzania with communications
support from FHI360, was one of five global entities to receive the prestigious
award. The award recognizes outstanding communications
campaigns that are helping change communities, policies, institutions, and
behaviors to end violence against women. The winners will each receive an Avon
Foundation grant to continue their work speaking out against violence against
women.
“People are willing to speak out, but they
don’t always know how to recognize the signs of abuse or how best to
intervene,” said Sheri McCoy, the Chief Executive Officer of Avon Products,
Inc., at the awards ceremony. “Avon believes communications and education will
help bystanders become interveners and help break the cycle of violence, which
is why the Avon Speak Out against Domestic Violence program is honoring these
communications awards winners today.”
“We congratulate the award winners for their strategic and
innovative communications efforts,” said Futures without Violence Founder and
President, Esta Soler. “Communications provide a powerful tools for changing
attitudes and behaviors—raising awareness, sounding the alarm, and spreading
news about what to do and where to go for help in abusive situations.”
The awards coincide with International Women’s Day and the
Commission of the Status of Women, which this year focuses on the elimination and
prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. The Commission of
the Status of Women drew nearly 6,000 representatives from UN Member States, UN
entities, and NGOs from around the world for a two-week session.
A
TV Spot from the award-winning Kuwa Mfano wa Kuigwa campaign can viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0K_FsT5mYFc.
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