Our initial efforts in this campaign will be centered on educating people about this issue, and growing a larger base of concerned activists. We will do this by promoting our message through several creative means:



Soccer Games
Women from the local communities, women’s groups and other women’s organizations play soccer games in designated locations in Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, and Nigeria. The games are designed to bring awareness to the issue of violence against women in a unique format, as women are not often the participants in soccer competitions. This one-of-a-kind match will feature fierce competition and excitement for spectators and players as Africa’s own brave and beautiful women battle it out on the field to say enough is enough, and violence against women is not ok, it is just wrong. The games will also feature speakers who will deliver messaging against violence and abuse, and who will educate community members about local support systems and resources available to combat these acts.
 
Community Ambassador Training
We identify and train community ambassadors in the same initially targeted countries who can deliver workshops and development sessions for men that highlight alternatives to violence and who are committed to serving as a continual community resource. Ambassadors will serve on two main levels. The University Ambassador Level will conduct outreach primarily at the university level and in urban areas, and the Rural Ambassador will conduct outreach in villages and smaller locales.

Annual Conference
The Inaugural UAA AWARE Annual Conference is bieng held to bring high-level awareness to the prevalence of violence against African women, and to continue the dialogue around the impact it has on society. The conference will solicit engagement and action from thought leaders and community activists, and will focus on solutions based discussions.

Communication Strategy
This campaign will include an aggressive major social media initiative designed to reach a wide US/Africa based donor audience, and will include several components that put a different “face” on violence against women. We will feature the stories of women from various socioeconomic levels who have been victims of violence and who have overcome the effects of their abuse. We will incorporate “Mic-on-the-street” clips of men in Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria who will give their commentary about the “appropriateness” and acceptance of abusing women. We will also partner with several other similarly aligned NGOs and non-profit organizations to communicate our message through collaborative channels.

UN Say “NO” To Violence Campaign Page
This interface will allow us to communicate our efforts to a global audience, and to collaborate with like-minded organizations in this effort. This page provides a platform to publicize program goals and events, and allows people to actively engage and contribute to our progress.