Participatory Theater and the Prevention of Gender-based Violence

This paper examines gender-based violence (GBV) prevention programs in two national contexts: the United States and El Salvador. It shows how prevention programs have drawn from popular education movements in Latin America to develop curricula emphasizing participation and personal transformation. Specifically, the paper demonstrates the impact of theater-based activities on the outcomes of school-based GBV prevention programs, focusing on the case of the Equinoccio of Centro Bartolome de las Casas in San Salvador, El Salvador. The author proposes a need for further research about the longitudinal impacts of theater-based prevention programs for adolescents and men.