Case studies

Social movement strategies to engage and mobilize communities have been effective at reducing HIV transmission. Community-based interventions have made significant advancements in HIV prevention, including:

• decreasing discrimination against those who are HIV positive;
• raising the levels of HIV testing and counseling amongst young adults;
• improving access to program and service quality; and
• increasing the uptake of antiretroviral treatment to prevent transmission to non-infected partners.

Engaging and mobilizing communities – including members of stakeholder groups and civil society agencies – has been critical in taking collective action towards the goal of preventing HIV transmission. To be effective, communities were found to need the following three key components:

1. empowerment through elements, such as leadership, resources, program management and the support of external partners
2. development of having a collective or shared identity as a community
3. capacity in health promotion, including the development of knowledge and skills, available resources, civic engagement, values for change and a learning culture

In 1985, 17 women with disabilities across Canada met in Ottawa to form what would become the Disabled Women’s Network (DAWN Canada), one of only a few similar networks globally. These women united in their commitment to creating a national cross-disability organization to advocate for the rights of all women with disabilities and Deaf women through a lens of feminist leadership.

DAWN Canada is a powerful example of an organization built by grassroots efforts and collective action. Its mission targets key areas of shared concern for women with disabilities including discrimination, poverty, unemployment and violence and the promotion of health equity and access to justice. To build support and public visibility, they applied grassroots actions and strategically partnered with other organizations who also advocated for the rights of women and persons with disabilities and the end of systemic marginalization, including labour unions. Researchers and academics joined the effort to promote a feminist disability lens as a standard of practice.  

DAWN Canada remains an active and committed disability advocacy organization at all levels:

• at the micro level, they support women and girls with tools to build their self-determination and leadership
• at the community level, they improve programs to support the needs and rights of women and girls with disabilities and Deaf women
• at the macro level, they advocate for policy reform  

In Alabama, United States, a public health community coalition targeting breast and cervical cancer prevention engaged in grassroots advocacy to influence policy and legislation for smoke-free spaces (Wynn et al., 2011).

This coalition was made up of local stakeholders, including an interdisciplinary committee of government officials, faith-based organizations, academics, researchers and volunteers. Their collective efforts were effective in part because the people involved were receptive to change. 

There was a strong impetus for change caused by these concurrent factors:

• data showing an unequal burden of cancers among Black Americans due in part to higher rates of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure.
• recognition that the risk of cancers could be lowered by: implementing evidence-informed strategies; increasing public awareness and advocacy; and promoting healthy public policy.  
• the coalition’s commitment to creating social change by improving the health and well-being of the community to achieve positive health outcomes.
• public support for the establishment of legislated smoke-free areas, evident from the results of local and national Gallup polls.
• an understanding of the powerful impact of social movement actions to create change.

This receptivity to change led the coalition to engage in social movement actions. They became empowered by learning strategies to lead change; they realized the power of their collective voices and mobilized actions. They felt their actions were timely and needed due to the data indicating rising cancer levels amongst Black Americans. They were committed to taking action to address and rectify health inequities.