Gender Based Violence (GBV) depicts any harmful act that is perpetrated against women, girls, boys, and men that is based on socially ascribed differences between males and females. It includes acts that inflict physical, sexual or mental harm and suffering, threats of such acts, and other deprivations of liberty. GBV comprises of a variety of human rights violations including sexual violence, exploitation, and abuse (including by humanitarians). Humanitarian Coordinators and humanitarian country Teams have a responsibility to prevent and address GBV, as one of the four mandatory areas highlighted in their recently released terms of Reference.
Why is collective leadership by the Humanitarian Coordinator and Humanitarian Country Team critical for ensuring effective response to Gender Based Violence in field operations? How can the GBV Sub-Cluster work with the Humanitarian Country Team? A summary of the webinar is available online (Part 1 and Part 2). Practical steps that Humanitarian Coordinators and Humanitarian Country Team can take to address GBV include:
- Promoting GBV integration at all levels of the response. Appointing a GBV focal point responsible for gender- and GBV-mainstreaming.
- Providing training for UN and non-UN humanitarian staff on how to mitigate GBV and mainstream GBV across a response.
- Building resilience through community-based systems by increasing outreach and dialogues with affected communities, including with local and traditional leaders of local communities.
- Supporting local and national capacity to establish lasting solutions as the leadership of government counterparts can be instrumental in strengthening GBV response.
- Ensuring GBV is prioritised in the global advocacy agenda and include GBV in donor briefs.
Part 1
Part 2
