Rewriting Norms Together: Collective Voices Driving Gender and Social Change

Youth in the Dominican Republic co-created a digital campaign to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and the non-consensual sharing of intimate content. Through a series of participatory workshops, young people explored how digital spaces can both empower and harm. They reflected on their own experiences and used storytelling, creativity, and collaboration to transform personal narratives into powerful messages promoting consent, empathy, and digital safety. The campaign amplifies youth voices, challenges harmful online behaviors, and advocates for a culture of respect and accountability in digital interactions.

The LEGO-Foundation supported Responsible, Engaged, and Loving (REAL) Fathers program in Uganda is a community-based, father mentorship program. The program enables young fathers to select their own mentor fathers from within their communities, who are then trained to mentor the young fathers on reducing household violence, strengthening spousal partnerships, and promoting healthy father-child bonding. We conducted a large Most Significant Change (MSC) Study to collect over 70 personal narratives across six Ugandan regions. Our multimedia showcase features a 6.5-minute subtitled video compilation of selected MSC stories collected in the REAL Fathers Program, narrated by participating fathers, their spouses, and a local community leader. The video captures raw, authentic, lived experiences and highlights the transformative shifts in relationships and connection that were experienced by fathers, their families and communities through their involvement in the REAL Fathers program.

SSK brings together MTV Shuga and Shujaaz. Leveraging a collaborative formative research process with young Kenyans, and combining MTV Shuga and Shujaaz's expansive followings and diverse media offerings, we are saturating the media landscape in Kenya. Through the work, we are reaching a generation of young people and facilitating repeat engagement and cross pollination from two independent, trusted sources. Through the power of immersive storytelling, delivered consistently, repeatedly and at scale, we aim to shift the social expectations of behaviour for women and girls, and to mainstream supportive masculinities and female decision-making power for a generation.
Participants will view SSK's diverse multimedia products. This will include scenes from the MTV Shuga Mashariki TV drama; stills from the Shujaaz comic book; extracts from the GenFree docuseries; clips from the Shujaaz TV drama; and other social and digital assets . The content and accompanying discussion will explore how we have approached consistent, standardised gender-focused messages through varied formats and platforms. In addition to the media, we will explore data from the accompanying learning agenda, through which we are understanding the processes of gender normative change. The session will be of use to broad audiences, including SBCC practitioners and technical experts.