The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Empowerment Self-defense - Reduced Past-year Sexual Assault Prevalence

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Strategy researched

Empowerment self-defense to bolster self-confidence and verbal and physical safety skills in order to prevent sexual violence perpetrated again adolescent girls and young women

Impact achieved

The IMPower programme showed a reduction in 32% of the occurrence of sexual assault in the past year among students who participated compared to students who did not take part. Students who participated were 3.33 times more likely to have knowledge in self-defense, compared to the control group. In the intervention group, 43% of girls said they had used the programme-learned skills to stop forced sex since training. Of the girls who used the skills, 52% reported using the learned skills more than once to stop forced sex. An additional 53% of girls reporting using the skills also to stop harassment, and 52% reported using the skills to stop physical violence.

Country of study

Malawi

Research methodology

Cluster RCT with 7,832 students

Journal

BMC Public Health; 2018

Journal paper title and link

Sexual violence among adolescent girls and young women in Malawi: a cluster-randomized controlled implementation trial of empowerment self-defense training

Excerpt from Abstract

"This intervention reduced sexual violence victimization in both primary and secondary school settings. Results support the effectiveness of ESD to address sexual violence, and approach the elimination of violence against women and girls set forth with Sustainable Development Goal #5. Implementation within the education system can enable sustainability and reach."