International Organization for Migration
Background
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. While not part of the United Nations system, IOM maintains close working relations with United Nations bodies and operational agencies, as well as with a wide range of international and non-governmental organizations. In addition, IOM is the designated cluster leader for camp management in humanitarian settings for natural disasters. Through its gender equality policy adopted in 2015, IOM is committed to ensuring that a gender perspective is mainstreamed throughout all IOM policies, activities and programming.
Policy framework
IOM's approach to addressing GBV is guided by the principles set out in IOM’s Institutional Framework for Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Crises (2018, “GBV in crisis framework”). Furthermore, in 2024 IOM launched a new Gender Equality Policy (having been adopted in late 2023). The IOM Gender Equality Policy 2024 emphasizes a “whole of organisation” approach, highlighting the importance of integrating gender considerations into all areas of IOM's work. This policy builds on previous progress and embodies an evidence and results-based approach that contributes to achieving institutional commitments on gender equality. The policy includes a focus on programmatic results from gender mainstreaming and targeted interventions including to address GBV, as well as enabling factors such as funding allocation, capacity requirements and achieving gender parity.
Areas of Focus
IOM primarily focuses on the three pillars of the GBV in crisis framework: mitigating risks, supporting survivors and addressing the root causes. However, IOM also works on human trafficking, predominately affecting women survivors. Furthermore, IOM’s approach includes ensuring that actions are taken to mainstream GBV across all IOM programmes, promoting safe and ethical GBV-related data collection, and strengthening engagement with women-led and women’s rights organizations to address GBV and promote gender equality.
Resources
IOM (2020). Displacement Tracking Matrix for GBV.
IOM (2024). Intersectional Gender Analysis Toolkit.
IOM (2024). Gender Equality Policy.
In the Central African Republic, IOM is working to prevent SGBV among internally-displaced and host populations. IOM is building capacity among National Police and Gendarmerie forces to respond adequately to SGBV case reports, in coordination with UN Civil Police / CIVPOL. In this effort, IOM is also advocating for the increased recruitment of female police officers. These efforts will provide police with the tools to use a survivor-centred approach, as well as educate them in relation to Central African legislation and international human rights law on rape as a war crime.
Many of IOM’s overseas pre-departure cultural orientation programmes specifically address domestic violence, female genital mutilation and other such practices that are both harmful to women and against the prevailing rule of law. IOM is working on improving the way this is reflected in curriculum and key priority messages, in training manuals and in supporting activities. IOM is also exploring how to best adopt more effective learning methodologies in order for participants to understand the underlying reasons why these practices are illegal and may have serious consequences, including the removal of children from families by child protective services.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, IOM is working with various UN, government and NGO partners to identify and address gaps in existing care, support and justice systems, and create an effective, comprehensive and standardized approach to assisting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. The project aims to shed light on the drivers of high rates of sexual violence in conflict situations, but also how sexual violence impedes the full restoration of peace in post-conflict societies. It demonstrates the resolve of the entire UN Country Team in BiH to tackle this issue in a coordinated and systematic manner. IOM’s work in this effort is focused on the development and establishment of a comprehensive legal framework and mechanisms to enable victim-status recognition and on providing reparations for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence regardless of their gender.
As the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster lead agency for natural disasters, and in line with the objectives of the global Call to Action on Protection Against Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies, IOM is working to ensure that proper prevention and mitigation measures are in place to reduce the likelihood of GBV taking place in camps and camp-like settings. Furthermore, IOM is working on the inclusion of GBV prevention and mitigation at all stages of camp response. At the global level, IOM has developed practical approaches to mainstream GBV prevention and mitigation in line with the IASC Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Action (2015) and is engaging in a number of activities, including: - Deployment of CCCM-GBV Rapid Response Advisors (RRAs), who are mentoring CCCM actors, developing inter-cluster SOPs on the exchange of information between CCCM and Protection actors, supporting the implementation of CCCM operations relating to GBV and addressing technical skill gaps; - Engagement in small-scale, camp-based initiatives to strengthen women’s participation in camp governance structures and develop guidance on how to support women’s engagement to contribute to reducing GBV risks. Small pilot projects have thus far been initiated in Iraq, South Sudan, Ecuador, Nigeria and the Philippines.