This document recognises that violence against women and children occurs at every level of society, in homes, schools, institutions, the workplace, the community or other public and private institutions. It assumes that in order to address violence against women and children, it is necessary to effect change at all levels of society.

As such, a social ecological model underpins this Theory of Change. This model emphasises multiple levels of influence (individual and relationships, organisational and community, systems and institutional, and whole of society) and is founded on the notion that behaviours both shape and are shaped by our social environment.