Section L: Which social actors does the project seek to engage with and influence? In no more than 300 words, the applicant needs to indicate what individuals, groups, organizations, and/or institutions the project interacts with directly, as well as which individuals, groups, organizations and/or institutions the project anticipates opportunities for influence and change.
Example 1: Project leaders have already engaged teachers and educational staff in X region who have agreed to work with us on developing school guidelines regarding violence against boys and girls. School employees have also agreed to create a curriculum based on best practices and implement the curriculum as part of this project. Construction workers of PQR Construction Company and project leadership will engage in developing and building 5 safe sites.
In addition, project leaders as well as project participants will have opportunities to influence legislators and local area government officials. Presentations will be scheduled in front of the city council during their monthly meetings. The first presentation will be an overview of the project. This will be followed by quarterly updates. Meetings between parents, educators, and project leaders and legislators will take place with the goal of creating a working committee to draft legislation. All participants will be encouraged to heighten the awareness of the new legislation when the populace has the opportunity to vote.
Working to change a culture where violence against women and children is essentially ignored is our biggest challenge. To this end, we will be developing a ‘tool kit’ with information about the positive impacts addressing this issue will have on society. The tool kit, along with the offer to do a presentation, will be made available at no cost to any group (e.g., schools, nonprofit organizations, etc.) throughout the length of this project and into the future. Media outlets of all kinds (Internet, TV, radio, newspapers, social media, etc.) will receive the tool kit along with an invitation to interview project participants. Our goal is to blanket our region with the positive outcomes that will occur with the implementation of this program.
Example 2: Working with pre-identified garment factories, we will be working with management, selected staff, and union representatives to create anti-harassment committees as well as establish a formal sexual harassment and workplace violence process.
We will also be working with legislators to clarify specific laws regarding sexual harassment and violence in the workplace. In order to bring pressure upon legislators at the national level, project leaders will develop a coalition of representatives from various nonprofit organizations (both local and international) that focus on women’s issues, relevant unions, companies outsourcing work to India in the garment industry, and relevant government agencies. An action plan has been developed providing a calendar of activities that are opportunities to influence government representatives.
