It’s not just about changing a law; it’s about changing minds : A Minor Field Study on Primary Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls in a local Argentinian context

Abstract: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a serious human rights issue that demands urgent action. Current standard practices increasingly focus on primary prevention; that is, to prevent violence before it occurs. The aim of this study was to enhance the knowledge on VAWG primary prevention within the social work field in a local Argentinian context - Lanús Municipality - through the model of prevention theory. It also sought to explore the understanding of primary prevention and the causes of VAWG. Following a qualitative research strategy, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals engaged within VAWG prevention. The study found that the content, entry-point and scope of programs vary, although the common thread is the ambition to address unequal power dynamics and achieve a social change. Most programs use a selective targeted approach, which is almost exclusively directed toward women, and focus on empowerment, raising awareness and engaging the community. The findings also revealed the difficulty in separating preventive and responsive programs within social work practice. Based on the analysis of these results, it is concluded that the multiplicity of prevention practices corresponds with the view on VAWG as a multifaceted issue. Another main conclusion is that social work practices risk reinforcing inequalities through language use and problematizations made within the programs.