“Vrai Djo” project: a campaign to promote positive male role models in the fight against sexual and gender based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This report presents progress of a Search for Common Ground (SFCG) project aimed at sensitising the population of western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the need to change behaviour towards women, and to shape male attitudes so that they are more respectful and positive towards women. Key results of the project include:

• the results of pre- and post-test data from discussions with beneficiaries showed an improvement among participants regarding male attitudes and behaviour. “Vrai Djo” is an innovate media campaign in that it portrays positive male role models as a way of combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
• the relevance and usefulness of the “Vrai Djo” campaign was recognised by the beneficiaries as shown in discussions held with them and through calls from listeners. The various public screenings and broadcasts on television channels have had an immediate impact.
• the cumulative effects of discussions and broadcasts influenced the participants’ commitment to combat violence against women, and change their attitude and behaviour towards women. This confirms the relevance and usefulness of the “Vrai Djo” campaign, and above all the efficiency of SFCG’s approach and tools, despite the short period of implementation.
• the credibility of the star was a centrepiece of the campaign, which has been demonstrated through discussions with beneficiaries and calls from listeners. Music star Celeo Scram is seen by the public as someone with a positive personality and as a model of good behaviour with a clean moral record in the past. Despite his fame, the behaviour of this star is exemplary, and is an exception among Congolese music celebrities.

In light of the above pogress, the authors make the following recommendations:

• extend the broadcasting of “Vrai Djo” for a longer period of time.
• there is a real need for more targeted action. To reach out to the maximum number of beneficiaries possible, there should be: a sustained and consistent effort to follow up on the impact indicators; and increased involvement of the media in the ownership of the campaign. The effectiveness of the campaign depends on its sustainability. This means there is a need for the conception of a mechanism for synergy between SFCG and local media in a dynamic of shared success and positive effects.
• there should be additional sketches added to the film and audio spots that mention issues that have not been dealt with in this campaign.
• there is also a need to find other funding in order to increase the number of sketches.

In conclusion, the authors note that at the end of this campaign, the commitment on the part of the beneficiaries to fight against SGBV was clear. This commitment is reflected in the changing perceptions and behaviour of men towards their wives, with a deeper understanding of their positive role in society. Finally, the true effectiveness and success of this campaign depends upon its sustainability, and the addition of other themes that were not been dealt with during this campaign