A Gender-Transformative Intervention in Sierra Leone

Living Peace is a community-based, gender-transformative approach implemented by Concern Worldwide that works with couples to address harmful gender norms, improve relationships, and reduce violence within households. It brings together men and women, often as couples, in facilitated group sessions where they reflect on power, communication, and conflict, and learn practical skills for building more equitable, respectful, and non-violent relationships. 

In 2014, Concern Worldwide Sierra Leone introduced the Living Peace approach in 22 communities of Tonkolili District as part of a programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The programme aimed to engage men to contribute to safer communities and to reduce sexual violence against women and girls in Tonkolili through increased awareness, shifts in attitudes, and strengthened referral systems.

The pilot demonstrated that when men and women come together to reflect, heal, and openly discuss their relationships, they can begin to break cycles of violence and build stronger, more equal partnerships. Based on this success, Living Peace has since been expanded to other Concern programmes including Yoti Yoti and Linking Agriculture and Natural Resource Management towards Nutrition Security (LANN). 

This learning paper presents the main lessons learned from the implementation of the approach in Sierra Leone, including challenges, and recommendations to inform future programming and scale-up.