Faith leaders are often influential in their community. Their interpretations and the resulting application of religious texts shapes male and female relationships in various ways. In some instances, religious text has been used to validate practices that keep women on the fringes of processes that are critical to their own development and to that of their families and communities. Other prejudices can extend more power and privilege to males at the expense of females. This can result in a lack of equitable access and control of family and community resources, as well as the condoning of gender-based violence.

Channels of Hope for Gender (CoHG) is a primary prevention project that runs in the remote Aboriginal community of Lajamanu. It uses faith and culture to address harmful ideas, norms and behaviours that perpeptuate family violence. The project builds upon a local culturally safe preventative infrastructure and is led by local Aboriginal faith and cultural leaders who are seeking to achieve long term attitudinal and behavioural change by challenging the drivers and assumptions that perpetuate violence.

CoHG practices a place-based approach which embeds Warlpiri culture using resources that are accessible, culturally safe, informed by local language, spiritualty and reflective of community values.

CoHG uses a Strong Spirit framework to acknowledge the importance of First Nations spirituality through connection to language, land, law, kinship and ceremony.