Problem Background
Drug abuse is one of the significant global health crises that affects families. Substance misuse contributes significantly to gender-based violence against women. Males who misuse drugs are more likely to abuse women both physically and sexually (Romo-Avilés et al., 2023).
Despite this belief that drug misuse leads men to assault women, it is also clear that when this mistreatment occurs, neither the abuser nor the person being ill-treated is intoxicated in most cases (Gadd et al., 2019). In cases where both men and women have been involved in substance abuse, particularly alcohol, the average amount of alcohol they consume during the assault is often minimal.
According to Njoya (2019), the number of rape cases constantly rising worldwide is connected to increased drug addiction among youths and adults. Some substances misused by individuals, like alcohol, can impair the ability to make rational decisions and increase sex drives, leading to rape. This makes it an important area that requires restorative approaches to end gender-based violence due to drug misuse. This has triggered efforts to end gender-based violence globally. According to a report by the United Nations in Uganda alone, 76 percent of men have been sensitized about sexual and gender-based violence (Bahumura, 2022). This sensitization was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Drugs often impair an individual’s thinking, thus motivating violence by intensifying the user’s power. Substance addiction does not just lead to gender-based violence against women, but it also increases the user’s risk in other health aspects. One particular risk identified by neuropsychologists is alteration of brain chemistry. The drugs are also capable of creating a dysfunctional family across generations. Despite the revelation of the association between drug addiction and violence, abstinence from drugs, for instance, alcohol, is insufficient to end gender-based violence.
Women who depend on drugs are facing substance abuse-related problems. They occasionally experience a substantial amount of violence during their childhood and continue to experience the same as adults, compared to their counterparts who have not experienced substance misuse-related problems (EMCDDA, 2023). Women’s abstinence from drugs to protect themselves from assault from men does not change the behavior of the men who harm them. Still, it plays a vital role in decision-making (Casey & Cservenka, 2020). It enables them to seek support and take advantage of the opportunity to gain clarity of mind.
The Goal of the Plan
Changing Perceptions
One of the goals of the restorative plan is to change the perception of men involved in gender-based violence. According to journalist Safra Bahumura from Kampala, Uganda, if men are engaged in family affairs such as raising kids, it is automatic that gender-based violence will reduce naturally (Bahumura, 2022). The journalist reports that busy men, often engaged in family matters ranging from raising children to other activities, are likely to abandon their harmful behavior. The bad habits they are likely to drop include substance abuse, which they are exposed to throughout their lives (Bahumura, 2022). Consequently, this will lead to a substantial reduction in gender-based violence.
The initiative aims to create awareness by sensitizing men to change their perceptions of women and reduce gender-based violence. This will lead to respect for and the promotion of gender equality within communities. Men will begin viewing women as supportive partners upon participating in this Initiative.
Promotion of Dialogue
The Initiative also targets to end gender-based violence through community engagement. This is critical as it will allow us to reach men involved in gender-based violence within their spaces, especially in drinking joints (Bahumura, 2022). At this point, the transformative approach will be critical for sharing educational materials with men and for gathering their feedback. The community dialogue will also be critical in allowing men and women to share their perspectives about gender-based violence due to substance abuse. The community dialogue will also create awareness about gender-based violence and sensitize men against drug abuse.
Process of Accomplishing Goal and Creating Impact
Responding to gender-based violence through a transformative approach involves establishing structures, actions, timeframes, project teams, and rules. The project will encompass creating a multidisciplinary team involving legal professionals, mental health experts, and community leaders. This multidisciplinary team will be assigned responsibilities to ensure its smooth operations.
The team will take actions, such as conducting a needs assessment by engaging key stakeholders in the area to identify where the issue is prevalent and understand the local context (Jira et al., 2018). The project manager will also be responsible for fostering partnerships with local organizations, such as non-governmental organizations and government bodies dealing with the issues of drug abuse and gender-based violence. This is important as it will enable the program to leverage its expertise and resources and build effective networks.
The team will also design training programs enabling the Initiative to meet its goals. The training programs to be developed will target a diverse audience, including community members, legal professionals, and social workers. Mental health experts will also take action in designing programs that enable them to care for and support victims and survivors through counseling and rehabilitation services.
The legal team will also be involved in taking actions such as developing guidelines and protocols for restorative justice processes. This will enable the survivors and victims to feel safe while engaging in the Program (Shin, 2020). The team will play an active role in capacity building by training facilitators in restorative practices. This will ensure that the facilitators attain the relevant skills and knowledge in handling substance abuse issues and gender-based violence cases.
All the activities in the restorative plan require a time frame. Each project element will require a timeline based on its scope. Each phase of the restorative program will have a realistic timeframe to ensure each element is implemented successfully. The first element will involve conducting a needs assessment, which is estimated to take approximately 2 to 3 months.
Following the successful completion of the needs assessment, the project will proceed to the next phase, which involves stakeholder engagement and partnership development. This is estimated to take about 1-3 months. After this phase is completed, the project will move on to the design stage, which involves creating the training manuals and is expected to take 2–3 months. After the phase is completed, the project team will engage in capacity building, an ongoing process.
The project will also involve monitoring, evaluation, and policy advocacy. This project will draw examples from the Restorative Justice for All (RJ4All) International Institute. The organization partners with governments, NGOs, and universities to develop training programs and policies promoting restorative justice.
Key Steps in Implementing the Plan
Implementing this plan to address gender-based violence caused by substance abuse will involve various steps. The first step in the process is project planning, including forming the team. The team will define the program goals and desired outcomes (Graham et al., 2021). The team will also engage with stakeholders to gather insights and perspectives. Another key step in implementing the project will involve developing training curricula for restorative practices. The plan will also prioritize advocating for policy changes to those that prioritize restorative approaches to the problem and those that will increase resources to fight gender-based violence. Finally, the project will involve ongoing activities, such as supervising the facilitators to ensure meaningful engagement with other stakeholders and project success.
Measuring Success and Gaps of the Project
The measurement of the project’s success will involve various indicators. One indicator to be used is the case resolution rate (von Meullen & van der Waldt, 2022). This evaluation criterion involves calculating the percentages of successfully solved cases through restorative approaches. This may include mediation processes or community engagements. Another metric for measuring the project’s success is monitoring the rate of repeat offenses. This metric is particularly suitable for monitoring individuals who have undergone the restorative program and comparing their results with those obtained using traditional measures.
Gaps, on the other hand, will be measured through stakeholder feedback. This process will be carried out by engaging supervisors and other stakeholders to understand their views on the project, which is critical for identifying the gap (Philbrick et al., 2021). The gap will also be identified by implementing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system. This will enable data collection on the project, which will then be analyzed to identify areas for improvement.
References
Bahumura, S. (2022). How will the sexual and gender based violence puzzle be solved?IWF.
Casey, J. L., & Cservenka, A. (2020). Effects of frequent marijuana use on risky decision-making in young adult college students. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 11, 100253.
EMCDDA. (2023). Women and drugs: Health and social responses.
Gadd, D., Henderson, J., Radcliffe, P., Stephens-Lewis, D., Johnson, A., & Gilchrist, G. (2019). The dynamics of domestic abuse and drug and alcohol dependency. The British Journal of Criminology, 59(5), 1035-1053.
Graham, S., Zha, C. C., King, A. C., Banchoff, A. W., Sarnquist, C., Dauber, M., & Baiocchi, M. (2021). A novel model for generating creative, community-responsive interventions to reduce gender-based violence on college campuses. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(15), 7933.
Jira, L., Weyessa, N., Mulatu, S., & Bogale, T. (2018). Training need assessment among health care providers in public health facilities of Benishangul Regional State, North West Ethiopia, 2018. Am J Life Sci, 8(5), 114-20.
Njoya, M. N. (2019). Drug abuse and GBV. International Society of Substance Use Professionals.
Philbrick, W. C., Milnor, J. R., Deshmukh, M., & Mechael, P. N. (2021). Protocol: The use of information and communications technologies (ICT) for contributing to the prevention of, and response to, sexual and gender‐based violence against women and children in lower‐and middle‐income countries: an evidence and gap map. Campbell systematic reviews, 17(1), e1153.
Romo-Avilés, N., Tarriño-Concejero, L., Pavón-Benítez, L., & Marín-Torres, J. (2023). Addressing gender-based violence in drug addiction treatment: A systematic Mapping review. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 1-27.
Shin, W. (2020). Mama, keep walking for peace and justice: Gender violence and Liberian mothers’ interreligious peace movement. Religions, 11(7), 323.
von Meullen, N., & van der Waldt, G. (2022). Promoting gender-based violence awareness in higher education institutions: The case of student representative councils in selected South African universities. Administratio Publica, 30(3), 126-147.