Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in FCV Situations

This note highlights best practices in designing, implementing and evaluating a project addressing GBV. It makes the case for focusing on GBV in FCV situations, noting the high prevalence of GBV and its long-term consequences (e.g. low birth weight babies, higher incidence of HIV, stigmatization). It highlights the heightened vulnerability of displaced people to GBV including rape, forced and child marriages, or sex-selective genocide. It suggests that GBV interventions target: (1) women and girls (e.g. estimates of sexual violence against female refugees range from 21 to 50 percent); (2) men and boys as potential perpetrators and victims (e.g. a survey of 520 Syrian refugees showed that 10.8 percent of men and boys had experienced sexual violence); (3) unaccompanied children who are especially at risk of GBV; (4) community leaders as gatekeepers and role models, including for displaced populations; (5) service providers as first points of contact for refugees and who can recognize/respond to GBV; and (6) security personnel, who can recognize/respond to GBV and who can also be potential perpetrators. The note presents a typology of GBV by stage of emergency, and lists recommended interventions. It emphasizes that interventions should include both an emergency response and a longer-term rehabilitation and recovery approach. While evaluation evidence on the effectiveness of GBV interventions is scarce, the note provides links to various guidelines on evaluating GBV interventions and lists possible indicators for measuring GBV and GBV services.