Violence against women is sanctified by custom and reinforced by institutions in most communities. The main challenge for Change Makers of the ‘We Can’ campaign is to address the need to effectively engage communities in order to elevate awareness and commitment to end violence against women.

A team of Change Makers from Dinajpur district under the guidance of Polli Sree, a campaign ally, hit upon the idea of organising a football tournament at the playgrounds of the Ramchandrapur Pilot High School, Kaharole upazila, Dinajpur district on 3 July 2006. The idea of a football match was thought up because the World Cup was being played in Germany and the football fever was at its pitch.

Change Makers say they thought “a football match to be a brilliant idea to attract attention to the campaign and its cause amongst men in the community, challenge gender norms, involve men as partners in the struggle and create a lasting change.”

Players invited the audience to join the campaign and work to end domestic violence in homes. They ran around the playground carrying the carrying campaign banner. The 5,000-strong audience also got to see an array of ‘We Can’ messages through posters, festoons and buntings. Messages about the campaign were also relayed on the mike by the commentator.