HO-503001 The Hague Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) concern the right of all individuals to make decisions concerning their sexual activity and reproduction free from discrimination, coercion, and violence[1], as expressed in documents such as the Programmeof Actionof the International Conference on Population Development and the Beijing Platform of Action. SRHR entail amongst others the right to have respect for bodily integrity, and the right to have consensual sexual relations and marriage. Prevention of violence againstwomen and girls (VAWG) is thus a key strategy to ensure the respect, protection and realization of these rights, as one in three women (35,6%) globally report having experienced physical and/or sexual partner violence, or sexual violence by a non-partner.

Violations of women's sexual and reproductive health and rights are often deeply engrained in societal norms and values pertaining to women's sexuality. Patriarchal concepts of women's roles within the family mean that women are often valued based on their ability to reproduce. Other gender social norms are that men have a right to control or discipline women through physical means, making women vulnerable to violence by intimate partners and places girls at risk of sexual abuse.

In November 2017, during the 16 days of activismagainst gender-based violence, Oxfam in Nigeria will launch a campaign to end violence against women and girls focused on challenging and changing the social norms that underpin the violence. Even though there is insufficient data on VAWG in Nigeria, we know thatsocial norms around traditional practices play a big role. The Nigerian Demographic Health Survey figures (2013) show high prevalence of VAWG related to traditional practices, like female genitalmutilation (25%) and child marriage (43%). Traditional practices also limit women in economic and social participation in the public sphere. These prevalence figures indicate that social norms relatedto traditional practices in Nigeria are likely creatingan atmosphere conducive to VAWG. The traditional practices vary per region and are shaped in the realm of the Christian and Islamic religion.

Oxfam in Nigeria will join the worldwide Oxfam campaign called "Enough: together we can end violence against women and girls". The Enough campaign goes beyond a typical campaign on this issue that focuses merely on individual awareness-raising and behaviour change or on policy level change. Instead, the campaign targets the underlying social norms that determineand influence the actions individuals take in their everyday life.
For Oxfam Violence against Women covers different issues, such as child marriage and sexual violence. Based on above mentioned data, the campaign in Nigeria will focus on social norms around customs and traditional practices like early and forced child marriage, female genital mutilation, and economic- and social restrictions for women. Before designing the campaign, Oxfam will conduct formative research to inform the campaign message inline with common beliefs, attitudes and social norms in the targeted society.

With the Share-Net International smallgrant we will translate the data derived from the formative research on social norms in Nigeria into (1) a workingpaper, (2) a leaflet, (3) a workshop with policy-makers and influential stakeholders. Footage filmed at the two workshops will be used to edit a short clip to disseminate the research findings and their translation into campaign messages to policy makersand theNGO / CSO community.The small grant will support the planning of necessary interventions for the campaign and other initiatives taken on by partner andthe government. Further, it supports communication and dissemination of the deepened understanding about social norms underpinning violent behaviour in Nigeria from the formative research beyond Oxfam and participating partners.