When Teams Unite: A City’s Bold New Approach to Tackling Gender-Based Violence

Imagine a city where gender-based violence is a well-known problem, yet still hidden in the shadows. This scenario plays out in Humanville, a metaphorical city where the new mayor decided to tackle this seemingly insurmountable issue by gathering leaders from various sectors in a Citizen Assembly. Instead of competing for funding, these leaders collaborated, opening the door for smaller community organizations to contribute meaningfully to the fight against violence.

In a radical shift, funding was allocated based on demonstrable capabilities rather than proposals, which allowed small community groups to participate while larger institutions found themselves sidelined. Initially, this led to a rise in reported incidents as the community confronted hard truths. However, after five years of collaboration and a commitment to addressing root causes, the city began to see hope on the horizon. It’s a reminder that sometimes to reveal the problems hidden in plain sight, you have to change the rules of the game entirely!