American Refugee Committee Awarded $1.5 million for Project to Reduce Violence Against Women

WASHINGTON, DC - The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), awarded the American Refugee Committee (ARC), an international non-governmental organization, $1.5 million to conduct a three-year communication initiative, which will address gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices among conflict-affected communities in Liberia, Pakistan, and Rwanda. ARC will partner with Communication for Change (C4C), a non-profit training organization, to implement the Through our Eyes program.

The goal of Through our Eyes is to help local communities initiate a change in attitudes and behaviors in order to reduce violence against women and girls. Beneficiaries of the program will include displaced and returning populations in Liberia, Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and Congolese refugees in Rwanda.

Through our Eyes will focus on critical issues facing girls and women in each of the three countries, including early marriage, violence perpetrated against vulnerable groups such as older women and widows, and in some cases, honor killings. As part of the program, video and audio programs that raise awareness of gender-based violence will be produced by, with, and for community members, through a process that emphasizes collaboration and inclusion.

For more information on USAID programs in Africa and South Asia and its programs concerning Women in Development, please visit www.usaid.gov.

Source: U.S. Agency for International Development Press Release

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