GBV response fails in emergency settings

Safety of women and girls is often not considered as ‘life-saving’

- CATHERINE POULTON

CONGOLESE refugees, displaced by ongoing clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, wait to board a bus after being registered by Burundian immigration officers at the Gihanga refugee transit camp in Gihanga.

(AFP)

ONE in three women worldwide has experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once, leading me to ask, not if, but when someone confides about a sexual assault, do we all understand best practice in how to respond?

My work is primarily in preventing and responding to violence that women and girls face in emergency settings, including sexual violence, but many lessons are universal.

When training refugee camp managers, police and humanitarian responders, I refer to the ‘“GBV Pocket Guide. Whether you're a specialist or not, it tells you the steps you should follow with one main principle at the heart of all actions: Do no harm.

This means: Don’t judge, don't doubt, don't give advice. Instead, know your local support services, including local women’s associations, health centres and others. This is about preparation. Everyone should download the GBV Pocket Guide because at some point, we will all need it.

In humanitarian contexts, 70% of women experience gender-based violence (GBV) compared with the 35% worldwide.