Action Breaks Silence

Creating a world free from the fear of VAWG

Our Story

Image

Action Breaks Silence UK was founded by Debi Steven in July 2013. A survivor of child sexual abuse herself, Debi is driven by her belief that all women and girls should be empowered to live their lives free from the fear and threat of violence being perpetrated against them.

Working alongside an international community of activists, academics and youth and drawing on knowledge gained completing her MA in Women and Child Abuse (London Metropolitan University), Debi designed the Action Breaks Silence Community Intervention which is aimed at profoundly changing the prevailing narrative on violence against women and girls (VAWG) 

A “Whole Schools Approach” (developed by Ava ) is used to engage, educate and empower all members of a schools community, including students, management, teachers and caregivers / parents with the goal of stamping out VAWG in schools and surrounding communities.

The Action Breaks Silence Community Intervention tackles sexual harassment and sexual violence and includes targeted strategies to address gender inequality and unhealthy masculinity which underpin harmful sexual behaviour. The design and delivery of the intervention is guided by the Social Norms and Active Bystander Theories.

The Action Breaks Silence Community Intervention to end VAWG/GBV consists of:

  • The Train-the-Trainer Programme: Upskilling under employed young adults to deliver our programmes in their communities
  • The Primary Schools Programme to end VAWG
  • The Youth Ambassador Programme: United young people to address VAWG/GBV in Youth Relationships
  • The Empowerment Through Self Defence Workshop for women and girls
  • The Undefining Masculinity Workshop: Addressing the challenges patriarchy may have on boys/men and promoting healthy masculinity

Debi founded Action Breaks Silence UK and co-founded the Action Breaks Silence Foundation in India. While the three charities are independently governed by their own elected Boards, all deliver the Action Breaks Silence Community Intervention to end VAWG with a focus on communities that face multitudes of challenges.

Our Core Values

our core values

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a world free from violence against women and girls.

Our Mission

To end violence against women and girls by educating, engaging and empowering communities.

We tackle sexism and misogyny and the other root causes of violence against women and girls.

We work within communities that face a multitude of challenges to teach empowerment through connection to core values, understanding boundaries and recognising societal pressure as well as promoting healthy relationships, positive masculinity and inner strength. 

We provide structured training for young people and survivors to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver our programmes, and to mentor younger students.  This equips the trainees with both technical and interpersonal skills and practical experience to build confidence, resilience and improved employability.

WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY

ACTION BREAKS SILENCE STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH ALL GROUPS ADVOCATING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE IN OUR BROKEN SYSTEM. ACTION BREAKS SILENCE FOCUSES PROGRAMME DELIVERY WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES.

Our hearts are with the families of our murdered brothers, sisters and neighbours. We condemn all racist acts and we mourn for the lives lost and damaged. Our shared work to build a world free from all forms of discrimination, free of violence against women and girls—to build a more just and equitable world—sustains us. It is our fervent hope that this moment in history will mark true change. A change that opens up new opportunities for restructuring our culture toward greater justice … where shared humanity, equal opportunity, and equal responsibility reign.