It is important to remember that campaigning is only one aspect of a wide-ranging effort to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Comprehensive, nation-wide work to end VAW should include community interventions, services for VAW survivors, training of relevant professionals (e.g. health, police and judicial staff), effective laws and their enforcement, support to men who need to stop violent behaviour (e.g. through activities in peer groups), as well as programmes in schools and on campuses to inform and empower children and youth to prevent VAW (VicHealth, 2005. Review of Communication Components of Social Marketing...)
With this in mind, it is important to examine how a planned campaign will fit into the overall context of efforts to end VAW. For example, campaigns that urge violence survivors to seek help or shelter in areas where these services might be limited or non-existent, can put survivors at further risk and do more harm than good. Similarly, campaigns that seek to improve policies on ending VAW should first assess the existing policy and decision-making environment and take into account gaps, or potential overlaps or conflicts in other areas when planning the campaign.