Building a NO MORE Generation: Reflections from the AVON Equal Futures Programme

Each day during NO MORE Week, we’re highlighting how communities around the world are taking action to end abuse. Today, join us on the KNOW MORE Blog and NO MORE’s social channels as we spotlight efforts across Africa and the Middle East.

This guest post by Impact Drivers shares how their community programs are building cultures of empowerment and consent among youth in South Africa.

In South Africa, gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of the most urgent human rights crises of our time. Addressing it requires more than reactive measures - it calls for early, intentional engagement with young people to reshape norms, challenge harmful beliefs, and build cultures of consent and accountability.

Through the AVON Equal Futures Programme, we (Impact Drivers) have been working to do exactly that.

On 3 November 2025, we launched the four-week introductory programme under two banners: BoysWillBeBoys and UNBOX HER. Hosted at Lambano Academy in Roodepoort and Umnotho for Empowerment in Muldersdrift, the programme brought together 19 Adolescent Boys and Young Men (ABYM) and 18 Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW), each stepping into the role of GBV Prevention Champion.

From the outset, the intention was clear: create safe, inclusive spaces where young people could explore difficult conversations around gender norms, sexual consent, intimate partner violence (IPV), and GBV. We began with a baseline questionnaire to assess participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, which was re-administered at the end of the programme to measure shifts in understanding and perspective - because meaningful change must be both felt and measured.

The first sessions focused on foundational understanding: What is GBV? What is IPV? What does sexual consent truly mean? Participants broke into smaller groups, debated real-life scenarios, and reflected on how these issues manifest in their communities. Even in the early discussions, there was honesty, curiosity, and a willingness to listen.

By Week Two, the focus deepened into sexual consent. We asked a simple but powerful question: What is consent? The answers reflected growing awareness - “the ability to say yes or no,” “giving permission,” “respecting when someone says no.” To support the emotional weight of these conversations, a youth-friendly psychologist was present at both sites. This proved essential, as some discussions surfaced personal experiences and triggered difficult memories, especially with the AGYWs.

Interactive exercises - including the well-known “Tea Analogy” video - helped participants grasp that consent must be freely given, informed, enthusiastic, and reversible. One of the most significant moments came when participants acknowledged that consent can be withdrawn at any time. This recognition challenged many deeply ingrained myths and opened space for new thinking.

In Week Three, we shifted from awareness to action. Participants were divided into groups and tasked with drafting manifestos for change. They outlined what they wanted to transform in their communities, envisioned what a GBV-free South Africa could look like, and defined the role young people must play in creating that future.

The manifestos were bold and thoughtful. They called for accountability among peers, respectful communication in relationships, community education, and the courage to intervene when witnessing harm. The process fostered leadership, teamwork, and ownership - moving participants from passive observers to active change agents.

An important qualitative component of the programme involved selecting three participants from each site to be followed by a film crew throughout the four weeks. Their evolving reflections capture something data alone cannot: the subtle but powerful shifts in language, empathy, and self-perception that occur when young people feel safe enough to question what they’ve been taught.

On 22 November, we gathered in Farmall, Gauteng, for the closing session of the introductory programme. Participants returned with friends and peers from their schools and organisations, expanding the circle of dialogue. The day was marked by honest reflection, shared stories, laughter, and moments of deep vulnerability. Over popcorn and slushies, young people spoke about boundaries, blurred lines, peer pressure, and the responsibility each of us carries in building safer relationships.

It was a reminder that prevention work is not only about policy or statistics. It is about creating spaces where young people feel seen, heard, and valued - where transformation begins with conversation.

Our perspective on GBV in South Africa is shaped by what we witness daily: extraordinary resilience alongside systemic challenges. While there are national frameworks, legislative protections, and growing public awareness, implementation gaps and entrenched social norms continue to undermine progress. Prevention must start earlier. Boys must be invited into conversations about positive masculinity. Girls must be empowered not only to protect themselves, but to expect respect. Communities must move from silence to accountability.

More of this is in the attached video, which explores the broader response landscape and the urgent need for sustained, community-driven prevention efforts.

The AVON Equal Futures Programme is just one step in a much longer journey - but it is a hopeful one. When young boys openly challenge harmful stereotypes, and young girls confidently articulate their rights and boundaries, we begin to see the cultural shift that NO MORE Week calls us toward.

Ending GBV requires all of us. It requires courage, consistency, and collaboration across sectors and borders. Most of all, it requires investing in young people - not as future leaders, but as leaders right now.

We Rise and say NO MORE!

Learn more about how organizations and advocates are responding to gender-based violence throughout Africa on our NO MORE Week Regional Playlist on YouTube.

Read our post on the activists driving legal reforms in the Middle East on the KNOW MORE Blog.

To seek help or find a support service near you, visit the NO MORE Global Directory.