IASC Weekly (GVA) - GBV
Geneva
Meeting Documents
1. Gender Based Violence: A Humanitarian Crisis
Jessica Gorham, Global Coordinator, Inter-agency (UNFPA, UNHCR, and UNICEF) GBV Capacity Development Project will discuss the GBV AoR’s efforts to improve both multi-sectoral GBV programming (prevention and response) and inter-agency GBV coordination in humanitarian contexts. Ms. Gorham will share her experiences from recent missions to Sudan (Darfur states), Afghanistan, and the Central African Republic. She will highlight that all humanitarian actors need to take responsibility for the care and protection of those most vulnerable to GBV.
Background
Gender-based violence (GBV) encompasses a wide range of human rights violations and can be directed at women, men, girls and boys. GBV takes the form of rape, domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment, trafficking of women, girls and boys and several harmful traditional practices including female genital mutilation/cutting, child marriage, bride inheritance and many others. It is pervasive in times of peace. In times of crisis, GBV may become more extreme. In armed conflict, one form of GBV, sexual violence, can become so widespread and systematic that it is considered a weapon in conflict and can escalate into crimes against humanity, war crimes or be part of the crime of genocide.
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In May 2010, UNFPA, UNHCR and UNICEF were successfully awarded a grant from the European Commission (ECHO) to support an 18-month project to build the capacity and knowledge of humanitarian staff addressing GBV. The project is implemented in nine countries spanning three regions – Francophone Africa (Chad, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast), Asia-Pacific (Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan) and the Arab States (Occupied Palestinian Territory, Iraq, Sudan). At the center of this program are teams of country-level “Capacity Promoters” who work in tandem with Regional Program Managers to organize, facilitate and support the introduction and/or rolling out of several core tools for good GBV programming and coordination.
2. AOB