Building Prevention Together: Lessons From Advocates on Ending DV/SA in AANHPI and MENA Communities

A key question sits at the heart of this work: What does it mean to stop violence before it starts? The broader anti-violence field has invested in prevention for many years, yet there has been far less attention to how advocates who serve AANHPI and MENA communities define prevention and how they carry it out day to day. Their voices have too often been missing from research and policy conversations. That silence makes it harder for funders, systems, and the public to recognize and support the prevention strategies that are already taking root in our communities.

To help fill that gap, the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV) partnered with researchers from two Midwestern universities to conduct a qualitative study in 2024. A total of 20 advocates from 15 culturally specific organizations across the United States and its territories took part in virtual interviews and focus groups. They brought a wide range of identities, professional roles, and years of prevention experience, representing both organizations serving multiple AANHPI and MENA populations and those focused on specific communities such as South Asian, MENA, East Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander. Together, they shared how they define prevention, what they are doing in practice, and the barriers and successes they encounter. Their insights shine a light on the innovation and creativity happening on the ground.