sensibiliser

Sensibiliser is a French verb meaning to raise awareness or to make someone more sensitive to a topic, issue, or situation. It refers to the process of informing, motivating, and shaping attitudes to encourage consideration or action. The verb is used with the preposition à: sensibiliser quelqu’un à quelque chose. The corresponding noun is sensibilisation, the act or process of awareness-raising, while a person who conducts this work can be described as a sensibilisateur.

In practice, sensibilisation is used across public health, safety, environmental, social equality, and civic-engagement contexts. It can target the general public, specific communities, organizations, or policy-makers. Methods include information campaigns, workshops, training sessions, media outreach, and partnerships with local actors. Effective sensibilisation often combines clear messaging with culturally appropriate channels and opportunities for dialogue, feedback, and repeated exposure.

In development and policy discourse, sensibilisation is typically an initial step toward behavior change, sometimes followed by education, capacity building, or structural interventions. In English usage, the closest equivalents are “to raise awareness” or “to sensitize.”

See also: sensibilisation, prise de conscience, communication en santé publique.