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In 2004, WFP collected data in 28 country offices in the framework of its Enhanced Commitment to Women Baseline Survey Initiative, and qualitative data to complement the surveys in 6 more countries, of which some were conducted in collaboration with UNHCR. The surveys determined the awareness levels of male and female beneficiaries of: the fact that they are not to provide any favour in exchange for receiving food; and the channels available to them to report cases of abuse linked to food distribution.

The issue of violence against women was thoroughly investigated during the last Food Security and Nutrition assessment by WFP in Darfur, Sudan, and a specific section on physical insecurity and gender-related violence was added into the final assessment report.

WFP launched its technical guidance on accountability to affected populations (AAP) in January 2017. The guidance complements the protection guidance and provides an overview of AAP in the context of WFP’s operations. It is meant to guide staff and partners to better support programme design and implementation in a manner that reflects the needs and views of affected communities, including women and girls. 


In 2017, WFP commissioned two external evaluation of its Humanitarian Protection Policy (2012) and the Policy on Humanitarian Principles and Access (2006).


The evaluation of the Humanitarian Protection Policy generated a set of recommendations to strengthen systematically integration of protection and accountability to affected population to WFP’s different frameworks, programmes and processes.

In Rwanda, WFP supports the national response in fighting GBV through the One UN framework. WFP is active in the UN Gender Task Force and the National Gender Cluster, co-chaired by the Minister, in the Prime Minister's Office, in Charge of Gender and Family promotion (MIGEPROF) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), which work to harmonize and coordinate responses to sexual and gender-based violence.

1. The 16 days of Activism to end gender-based violence was organised by WFP from 25 November to 10 December 2017 with an active participation at HQ, Regional Bureaux, Country, Field and Liaison Offices.
2. The Director of WFP Gender Office participated in IANWGE annual meeting in New York in March 2017 and 2018.
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5. WFP can most effectively respond to GBV as a protection concern through strong coordination with partners and advocacy is almost exclusively done in coordination with protection actors. As part of its prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence WFP remains actively engaged in the following inter-agency coordination mechanisms/groups: the IASC Gender Reference Group and the Gender-based Violence AOR, the Global Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies, the Global Protection Cluster, the IASC GenCap and ProCap Steering Committees and the Secretary General’s initiative on Human Rights Up Front.  Members of the Gender Office represent WFP in IASC GRG and serve as Co-Chair of the IASC GenCAP Steering Committee. Members of the Emergencies and Transition unit represent WFP in the IASC ProCap project. 
6. WFP participated into the IASC PSEA/AAP task team.

WFP attended 9 IASC meetings in 2015, in which WFP was playing a pivotal role as a member of the standing committee of the GenCap project & the co-chair of the IASC Gender Reference Group. Gender based violence is a key consideration in WFP's Policy on Humanitarian Protection (2012) that outlines the organisation's position on protection and provides a framework for implementation of its responsibilities in this regard. As part of its modus operandi, WFP seeks to implement food assistance programmes that take the interlinkages between hunger and gender-based violence into account. The objective is to ensure that programmes are safe and dignified, and to support an overall environment in which gender-based violence is reduced and the effects of violence on survivors are mitigated.  

WFP has contributed to the development of the 2015 IASC "Guidelines for Integrating Gender Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action" and is currently a member of  the IASC GBV Guidelines  Global Reference Group, which is responsbile of the global  roll out of the guidelines.

In 2016, WFP campaign took place from Friday 25 November 25 to 10 December 2017, focusing on the importance of resources to prevent and eliminate violence against women, men, girls and boys. Importance was given to the financial, technical, and human resources necessary to support concrete activities to end gender based-violence (GBV), and how WFP contributes in each of these categories, and how it could be doing more. During the first week of the campaign, WFP highlighted its internal resources, policies, tools and training materials that contribute to reducing gender based violence; in the second week it looked at partnerships and how they contribute to eliminating gender-based violence (in line with SDG #17 about partnership).

In reference to trainings and capacity building of WFP employees, a good example related to PSEA could be the online e-learning, made compulsory for all WFP employees, on Prevention of Fraud, Corruption and SEA. 


WFP MYANMAR Country Office
1) For the opening of the 16 Days Campaign against GBV, WFP Myanmar closely cooperated with the National Myanmar Gender Equality Network (GEN) and supported its national campaign ‘From Peace in the home to peace in the world: Involve men to fight violence against women.” Furthermore, a brief footage in the IDP camp benefitting from the new transfer modality (e-wallet) in Myitkyina, Kachin State, was produced with statements of internally displaced women and men on the importance of understanding the root causes of intimate partner violence which might arise from changing in-kind assistance to cash based transfer modalities. WFP Field Office closely collaborated with Karuna Mission Social Solidarity (KMSS), UNFPA and UNHCR on various actions suggested to prevent GBV within the families and also in communities where strongly defined gender roles are still deeply embedded within a cultural or religious coat and gender equality neglected on the public agenda. As an example, the humanitarian community together with IDPs competed in the mini marathon organized by the GBV working group.  


2) WFP male staff signed up to the WFP Men Stand for Gender Equality pledge and remained highly engaged in contributing to the country wide campaign to prevent GBV highlighted during orange days and events like the International Women’s Day.  


3) WFP Myanmar reiterated its commitment to organize monthly orange days in its Field Offices. In March 2018, Myitkyina Field Office dedicated a special event to help staff understand the negative consequences of GBV against women and girls and learned about the importance of promoting a peaceful co-existence that begins at household level. WFP staff acknowledged that in their working environment, women’s voices and suggestions are still less powerful than those provided by men.   

WFP, in collaboration with UNICEF and Save the Children/UK designed, developed and implemented a regional training initiative in Southern Africa in 2002/2003 on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse for almost 5,000 staff from the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, government, and commercial partners, including truck drivers involved in food distribution. The training materials were reviewed in 2004 to reflect lessons learned and feedbacks from country offices. In collaboration with Relief International, WFP implemented a food-supported training programme on fuel-efficient stove-making that aimed at tackling sexual and gender-based violence in North Darfur by reducing the need for, and the time women spend outside camps collecting firewood.