Overview
This interactive training explores how religious actors can be effectively and ethically engaged in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls (VAWG) and gender-based violence (GBV). Drawing on international research and programme experience, it challenges the common framing of religion solely as a risk factor and instead examines its potential as a resource for survivor support and community change.
Participants will engage with evidence from diverse contexts—including North America, Europe, Africa, and the UK—highlighting both good practices and challenges in working with faith leaders and institutions. The training introduces practical models, including theology-informed approaches to capacity-building with clergy, and explores how integrating safeguarding, counselling, legal and theological perspectives can strengthen responses.
A key focus will be on navigating the complexities of collaboration across sectors and belief systems. Participants will examine frameworks for faith-sensitive and secular approaches, explore interfaith and multistakeholder collaboration and apply systems thinking tools to map actors, relationships and barriers within their own contexts. Interactive exercises support participants to identify realistic and context-appropriate pathways for engagement.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the complex role of religion in shaping experiences and responses to VAWG/GBV
- Identify the potential and limitations of engaging religious actors as partners
- Analyse good practices and challenges from global evidence and case studies
- Apply faith-sensitive and secular frameworks to programme design and collaboration
- Explore interfaith and cross-sectoral approaches to addressing VAWG
- Use systems thinking to map stakeholders, risks, and opportunities in local contexts
- Identify practical steps to strengthen multistakeholder collaboration and referral pathways
Who It’s For
- GBV/VAWG practitioners and case workers
- Staff of NGOs, faith-based organisations, and humanitarian agencies
- Women’s rights organisations and advocacy groups
- Programme managers and policymakers
- Religious leaders and faith actors interested in engaging in VAWG responses
Format
2-day in-person training (up to 15 participants)
Case studies, group discussions, systems mapping, role play and reflective exercises
Available in English, French, Romanian and Greek (other languages depending on team capacity)
Certificate of completion issued by IDVRM
Price and T&Cs
Our trainer fee is £200 per 90 minutes of delivery, but this does not take into consideration preparation time and internal administrative costs. Each training’s cost differs according to how bespoke the client would like it to be, the additional preparation or research it may require, translation or delivery in other languages, and other factors.
We recommend that courses should have a duration of at least 3 hours to achieve in-depth analysis, interactivity and learning outcomes. Courses are delivered online by the IDVRM team and affiliated specialists. The specific trainer/group of trainers can be agreed with the client at the time of curating our services.
All courses are online and limited to 15 participants. It is possible to expand participation and course duration, but this will be reflected in the price to capture additional time of preparation, number of trainers and training duration.
Courses can be delivered in person, but in that case, clients must provide a venue and reasonable travel and accommodation arrangements for the trainer(s). If delivering the course requires international travel, the cost must be covered by the client and sufficient time must be allowed for travel arrangements to be made.
Low-income and charity clients: In line with our decolonial mission, we offer special discounts for charities and organisations working at the grassroots level who are under-funded and work in low-income environments. Please contact us to discuss the possibilities.
