Preventing Gender-Based Violence in Urban Settings

Over recent years, international concern has grown over Gender-Based Violence (GBV), also known as Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), and programmes to prevent and respond to GBV have become an integral part of humanitarian crises’ response (HAMILTON 2014).

Although women and girls are often the main targets of GBV, men may also be exposed (SIDA 2015, UNHCR 2012). Other segments of the population vulnerable to GBV include those belonging to minority or indigenous groups, those that are socio-economically disadvantaged, elderly persons or those with disabilities (UNHCR 2008). GBV can be perpetrated by anyone, including individuals from the refugee or Internally Displaced People (IDP) population, individuals from host communities, humanitarian actors or persons in positions of authority (UNHCR 2015).

GBV can include physical, emotional, psychological and sexual violence (UNHCR 2015). There are several types of GBV, including:

• Sexual violence: may take the form of rape, sexual exploitation, forced prostitution or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Humanitarian actors have found that incidents of sexual violence are significantly underreported (SGBV SWG 2015). The International Rescue Committee found that IPV was mainly driven by women’s separation from families, forced marriage and re-marriage, as well as poverty and male substance abuse (IRC 2015).
• Survival sex: involves the trading of sex (especially by women and girls) for benefits used to pay rent or to obtain access to services. This is a harmful coping mechanism that may be adopted to secure limited livelihood opportunities (SGBV SWG 2015).
• Domestic violence: is physical or psychological violence within the home. The trigger leading to domestic violence appears to often be stress on the part of the perpetrator (most often husbands, uncles or brothers), which is released on the victim (in relevant literature commonly referred to as “survivor”), most commonly women and children (SGBV SWG 2015).
• Trafficking: is an act to trade or sell persons, most commonly for sexual slavery, forced labour, military recruitment or commercial sexual exploitation using coercion, threats or physical force. It involves procurement of financial or other material benefits for the person handing the trade, which may be done by any person no matter the setting or the relationship to the person (UNODC 2017).
• Forced/early marriage or forced abortions: Forced or early marriage is marriage forced upon a person, most often a women or girl, by their families because they believe that community members will show more respect for married women and girls and that it will secure a better future and relieve financial burden on families who depend on humanitarian aid. Forced abortion is another form of sexual violence, were women are coerced into abortions (OHCHR 2014).
• Harmful traditional practices: include practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or forced honour killings. FGM is most prevalent in the Middle East and on the African continent and is related to the nexus of very sensitive issues around patriarchy, gender roles, women’s reproduction and men’s perceptions of women’s sexualities (SIDA 2015). Honour killing is often associated with the Middle East and Northern Africa and, although this is commonly misunderstood, it occurs among Islamic, Christian, Muslim, Kind and other religious and non-religious groups (SIDA 2015).

During times of conflict and increased militarisation, community and household tensions may increase due to fear, trauma and increased vulnerability. This may, in turn, increase the risk of sexual violence, particularly against women (HOLMES AND BHUVANENDRA 2014).

Sexual violence during humanitarian crises can be random or systematically used as a “weapon of war” for ethnic cleansing and to degrade women and render men as “failed protectors” (SIDA 2015, HOLMES AND BHUVANENDRA 2014).

There are several international laws and legal mandates that address GBV in humanitarian crises situations (IASC 2015). These include:

• The International Humanitarian Law provides conventions and protocols to protect men and women from discrimination.
• The Internal Criminal Law recognises rape and sexual violence against women as war crimes, crimes against humanity and constitutive acts of genocide.
• The 1993 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women reinforces the right to dignity as it relates to GBV through asserting the right of all people to life, security, health, non-discrimination, the right to equal protection, as well as just and favourable working conditions (IASC 2015). Refugee Laws to protect human rights (such as the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees) also set out rules and procedures, when the convention is properly interpreted, to protect refugees from gender-related violence (IASC 2015). The UN Security Council’s 2009 Resolution 1888 for refugees was adopted as an important action-oriented resolution addressing issues such as coordination, identification of women’s protection advisors, monitoring and reporting of sexual violence, retaining peacekeepers, national forces and participation of women in peace-building and post-conflict processes (GPC 2010).
• The Sphere Handbook provides indicators and standards to prevent GBV by requiring 1) programming and designs that ensure increased security and dignity for all, 2) communal washing and bathing facilities that are safe and appropriate, and 3) sanitation facilities that are appropriately sited to safeguard women and girls from attacks (THE SPHERE PROJECT 2011).

There are also regional legal instruments related to GBV, which provide more detailed polices and higher standards that are applied if national law cannot do so. They identify regional courts that may be able to investigate acts of GBV. An example of one of these instruments is the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on the Rights of the Child in Islam (IASC 2015). WASH policies, standards and guidelines as well as national and local policies, too, should incorporate mandates and programmes to prevent and respond GBV (IASC 2015).

Humanitarian interventions are most effective when focused not only on addressing the immediate needs of those affected by the crises, but also on protecting the rights and long-term wellbeing of the most vulnerable (IASC 2015). Breaking the cycle of violence requires recognising and addressing the specific concerns that women, girls, men and boys may face at different times and in different locations (IASC 2015, UNHCR 2015). Through GBV programmes, humanitarian actors can plan for mechanisms for the survivors of GBV to confidentially report incidents, to receive non-discriminatory access to services and to seek judicial remedy if they wish (UNHC 2015). As men and boys can also be victims of GBV, programming should be inclusive and should also provide safe spaces for male GBV survivors and should include men and boy’s aspects into awareness raising (UNHCR 2012).

The guiding principles of GBV programming are safety, respect, confidentiality and non-discrimination. They should be considered in all stages of GBV programmes linked to the humanitarian aid organisations’ responsibility to provide protection and assistance to the affected (and their families). They are embodied through a human-right based, a survivor-centred and a community-based approach (GPC 2010, UNHCR 2015).

In order to effectively reduce risks and to provide support and services to survivors, GBV programmes should be established in the first phase of an emergency (POTTS AND ZUCO 2014). GBV programmes should be implemented across different sectors of humanitarian response and across the displaced and the host communities (IASC 2015). Two main models for GBV include the Multi-sectoral and Multi-Level Model and the Participatory and Community-Based Models. Further details of GBV program planning are available in Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action (IASC 2015).

The Humanitarian Practices Network presents ten principles related to the prevention and response to GBV specifically for WASH programming (see figure below).  

Important cornerstone guidelines, toolkits and manuals relating to GBV can be found in the further readings’ section of this factsheet.

Humanitarian crises can significantly alter or affect a populations’ traditional WASH practices and can exacerbate the gender inequalities around WASH and the vulnerabilities of women to violence (HOUSE ET AL 2014). Water, particularly if scarce, can increase tensions, which in turn may increase the risk of IPV or conflicts at water points. Therefore, WASH programmes play an important role in preventing GBV and in keeping the affected people safe from violence (IASC 2015). In Urban Settings, girls and women regularly face harassment when on public transport, using sanitary facilities or when out at night (HOUSE ET AL 2014). They may prefer to use the toilets and bathing units at night, which can put them at even higher risk of violence.

If gender issues are not considered in humanitarian WASH interventions, this can put women and girls further at risk (EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2014).

Collaboration between GBV specialists, protection staff and WASH specialists on GBV aspects of humanitarian interventions, especially related to carrying out WASH assessment and training, is crucial. GBV incidents often remain unreported, as survivors may be ashamed or stigmatised, they may blame themselves, may not trust authorities, or may fear reprisals (UNHCR 2015). For this reason, collaboration and careful planning is also necessary for establishing reporting mechanisms for GBV incidents and setting up systems that ensure that survivors of GBV can receive safe confidential assistance (IASC 2015).

Recommended good practices for preventing and responding to GBV include awareness raising initiatives aimed at changing attitudes and behaviour around GBV, improving access to GBV response services (e.g. health services, psychosocial care, and legal) as well as improving the legal and security environment for refugees, IDP and for host communities. Recommended actions and good practices include:

Training and Assessment Actions

• Provide training and coaching to WASH personnel on gender issues and how to make use of women’s knowledge within the community. Often WASH professionals and staff that work with refugees and IDPs may find people confiding in them about sexual violence although they are not GBV-specialists. As such, they should be trained and aware of their responsibilities and actions they can take. In addition, it is critical they try to understand the power dynamics within the population and how this can contribute to GBV (HOUSE ET AL 2014). In addition, WASH professionals may have concerns about how to engage in discussion about GBV due to the sensitivity of the subject and over the community’s reaction (IASC 2015). Humanitarian personnel should be fully trained on the relation between gender and violence. This is crucial partially because women, girls and other at-risks groups may face exploitation at the hands of WASH staff in return for soap, sanitarian materials, water and other WASH supplies (IASC 2015; IOM, NRC AND UNHCR 2015).
• Ensure women are equally consulted as men to assess their needs (UN WOMEN 2016).
• Engage and educate people in positions of authority (employers, landlords and teachers) in the risks and consequences of GBV. Also, ensure that law practitioners and local authorities address needs of refugees and IDPs in terms of access to judicial and incident reporting mechanisms and services (UNHCR 2015).
• Engage host communities and affected populations about water-resource usage. This is vital to preventing GBV given that - if there is insufficient water - women and girls may be punished for returning home empty-handed (IASC 2015). 

Participatory Planning and Infrastructure Siting and Design

• Involve women and other at-risk groups addressing the appropriateness of WASH facilities in urban settings (IASC 2015.)
• Conduct community consultation (GWC 2009) and ensure women and adolescent groups are actively involved in community-based WASH committees and management groups, while still being aware of potential tensions. Employ persons from at-risk groups in WASH staff, leaderships and training positions (50% women representation is a good goal) (IASC 2015). 
• For Urban Settings, promote security for women and girls by establishing reception centres for asylum seekers and providing separate well-lit accommodation for women (IASC 2015). Risk of GBV can be high at markets, in workplaces, on the way to and from schools, while using public transport and at home. Measures to ensure safety for refugees and IDPs should address risks in these locations (UNHCR 2015). Ensuring access to services for the right people may be hindered by the fact it is often difficult to identify survivors or those at risk in this setting. GBV should be addressed in collaboration with local host communities and host governments as well as with humanitarian actors providing shelters and organising housing arrangements (UNHCR 2015).

Planning Hygiene Item Selection and Distribution

• At times where water is rationed, work with affected refugees and IDPs to schedule time of water availability when it is safe for women and girls (see Selecting and Distributing Hygiene Items factsheet, IASC 2015).
• Ensure distribution of hygiene items occurs in a manner so that people can reach home safely (OCHA 2012).
• Facilitate distribution and sanitary supplies to women and girls of reproductive age and plan systems for washing and/or disposal of sanitary supplies that are consistent with the rights and expressed needs of women and girls (see Menstrual Hygiene Management and Selecting and Distributing Hygiene Items and [689-] factsheets, IASC 2015).

WASH and GBV Programme Components for Refugees and IPDs

• Provide training for vocational skills and livelihood programmes as this can contribute to preventing GBV and empowering women (UNHCR 2015).
• Raise awareness and assist with incorporating GBV programming and gender equality promotion into hygiene promotion activities among refugees or IDPs, particularly in schools. This intervention should strive for maximum involvement of women and should put emphasis on integrating GBV messages beyond basic messages throughout the programme (e.g. prevention, reporting and access to care (see Hygiene Promotion Campaigning in Urban Settings and Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST) factsheets). Awareness raising on GBV is most effective when targeting not only women but at men as well. This can reduce acceptance of violence, improve empathy for survivors and increase knowledge of gender relations and women’s rights (BHUVANENDRA AND HOLMES 2014).

Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Proper assessment of GBV risks is essential in areas such as participation and leadership, cultural and community norms and infrastructure (IASC 2015, see page 306 of guidance document for further detail). One checklist to aid in risk assessment is the Global Wash’s Clusters List Gender Checklist (GWC 2009).
• Support monitoring efforts of WASH sites and ensure that monitoring addresses safety, as well gender inequality and GBV. Add safety concerns into transect walks or when conducting audits or planning WASH projects (IASC 2015).

A summary of IASC recommended actions for WASH programming and their appropriate emergency stage (Pre-Emergency, Emergency, Stabilised Stage, Recovery to Development) is provided in this link.

This factsheet provides a guidance for Urban Settings on the issues of Gender-Based Violence in humanitarian crises situations and measures to prevent and respond to it. The programming guidance and good practices are focused on practices for the WASH sector. The further reading resources provide general documents related to preventing GBV. For guidance related to rural or camp / prolonged encampment settings of humanitarian intervention, see the factsheets on Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based-Violence in Rural and Camp and Prolonged Encampment Settings.