Resistance and backlash are common and ongoing challenges faced by practitioners and organisations working on primary prevention of family violence and all forms of violence against women.  This is a complex phenomenon where we work, learn, live and play. 
 
Those working in primary prevention have a responsibility to reflect on how prevention efforts may provoke hostile, aggressive and even violent forms of backlash directed at those advocating change, leaders or organisations as a whole. This overt backlash may be coupled with more subtle or passive forms of resistance, which may include:

• denying the gendered drivers of violence against women;
• refusing any responsibility to address the issues; and
• delaying or obstructing progressive change to patriarchal norms, practices or structures.

 It is important to understand, monitor and develop practical strategies to minimise and overcome different forms of resistance.

The 'Understanding, monitoring and responding to resistance and backlash' report seeks to advance our understanding of this issue and to define practical approaches to monitoring, assessing and responding to backlash and resistance that emerges in organisational settings.