This toolkit grew out of a need to build evidence and document the ongoing practices, policies, and programs aimed at stopping violence in within Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) communities. To address this need, API-GBV (Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence) collaborated with researchers from two Midwestern universities and held listening sessions with 20 advocates across the country with experience providing primary prevention efforts. The participating advocates shared the barriers, practices, and successes of their prevention work, including local to state level policy advocacy, program evaluations, leadership cohorts, trauma-informed community healing spaces, and healthy relationship training initiatives.

This toolkit is designed to support individuals and organizations working within Asian American, Native AANHPI, and MENA communities by offering a range of resources to strengthen and inform primary prevention efforts to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking. Inside, you’ll find:

• Theoretical frameworks to ground prevention work in research and practice;
• Insights and narratives from advocates who are actively implementing prevention strategies;
• Practical methods and techniques for applying primary prevention in culturally relevant and community-driven ways;
• Tools and resources that can be adapted or expanded to fit your unique context.

Our goal is to provide a dynamic, community-informed resource that uplifts promising practices, fosters learning, and encourages connection among those working to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking before it begins.