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The Facilitator Guide on Mainstreaming GBV Risk Mitigation was launched in 2020 and until September 2021 a total of 124 participants from sectors have been trained on the topic.
Another 24 colleagues from 15 country operations and HQ graduated from the 2020 Cohort of the GBV Training of Trainers and more than 210 participants were brought together for the 2020 GBV Global Workshop, which was adapted to online modalities.
Across UNHCR, 2,617 UNHCR learners completed at least one level of the GBV e-learning in the period between January 2020 until September 2021.
UNHCR released its Gender Equality Toolkit in 2020 and provided operational support towards the institutionalization of gender equality and women’s empowerment initiatives. To facilitate cross-operational learning and seize opportunities to advance gender equality, UNHCR and partners documented emerging and promising practices in sub-Saharan Africa and collaborated with the Population Council to document community-based protection practices in East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region.
Below is a selection of UNHCR’s training and capacity building activities in 2019:
- UNHCR trained 140 participants from different sectors on SGBV Mainstreaming (both UNHCR staff and external participants), developed a standardized SGBV mainstreaming training package and launched the SGBV Mainstreaming Learning Program.
- Only in 2019, a total of 2,885 UNHCR colleagues completed the SGBV e-learning.
- UNHCR has developed a Training of Trainers (ToT) learning program targeting SGBV specialists in the field. By completing this ToT, SGBV specialists are able to utilize the training materials to train UNHCR staff, refugees and other stakeholders on SGBV prevention, risk mitigation and response.
- In 2019, UNHCR conducted a Gender Equality Learning Programme for colleagues from the operations in Africa with the objective of strengthening gender equality integration in UNHCR’s work through increased gender equality capacity amongst staff.
- At the end of 2019, UNHCR launched the SGBV toolkit, making relevant key materials such as Policies, international legal framework, guidance, tools and training resources accessible to staff and partners.
- The Annual SGBV Global workshop, which took place in Geneva in October 2019, brought together UNHCR staff working on SGBV across protection functions from 30 operations and regional offices. In an effort to strengthen and expand networks and communities of practice addressing SGBV, the workshop was focused on building capacity addressing SGBV knowledge and expertise and on providing SGBV protection staff with the resources and tools to effectively deliver on core areas in SGBV programming.
- UNHCR supported in coordination with other humanitarian agencies and NGOs and funded the development of an interagency learning package on protection from sexual misconduct which will be made available to partners. UNHCR further developed a new face-to- face training programme on protection from SEA based on materials from IOM and along the same methodology designed a module on addressing SH.
The upcoming SGBV Policy complements the Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) Policy (UNHCR March 2018), as a concrete measure to help accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5. The Policy outlines 10 core actions that UNHCR will take to apply an AGD approach in its work, including reaffirming UNHCR’s five Commitments to Refugee Women: 1) ensuring women and girls participate equally and meaningfully in all decision-making, community management and leadership structures, and committees of persons of concern, 2) are provided with individual registration and documentation, 3) have equal access to and control over management and provision of food, core-relief items, and cash-based interventions, 4) have equal access to economic opportunities, including decent work and quality education and health services and 5) have access to comprehensive SGBV prevention and response services.
UNHCR is involved in the development process of the implementing partner (IP) common assessment tool to ensure IPs meet minimum standards of the UN Protocol on SEA and has made progress on policy alignment to ensure a victim-centered approach guides actions and processes. UNHCR is engaged and provided substantive feedback which fed into the updated IASC Principal 4.
In March 2018, UNHCR recently released its Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) policy which aims to ensure that all persons of concern can enjoy their rights on an equal footing and participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect their lives, families, and communities. The policy outlines 10 core actions that UNHCR will take to apply an Age, Gender and Diversity approach in its work, including reaffirming UNHCR’s five Commitments to Refugee Women: They are 1) ensuring women and girls participate equally and meaningfully in all decision-making, community management and leadership structures, and committees of persons of concern, 2) are provided with individual registration and documentation, 3) have equal access to and control over management and provision of food, core-relief items, and cash-based interventions, 4) have equal access to economic opportunities, including decent work and quality education and health services and 5) have access to comprehensive SGBV prevention and response services.
These serve as concrete measures not only to UNHCR but also other humanitarian actors, to help accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5.
UNHCR continues successful capacity building of staff, partners, government and people of concern. In 2017, 41 staff from the Africa and Middle East and North Africa regions completed an SGBV learning program, which certified trainers on SGBV prevention and response.
UNHCR’s focus on online training and multiple gender-related modules, including on Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, and Prevention of Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Abuse of Authority in the Workplace, has seen more than 7200 staff capacitated.
In addition, UNHCR has been systematically mainstreaming SGBV prevention and response into all UNHCR operations. This involves thematic and cross-sectoral responsibilities to more effectively integrate and address SGBV prevention, risk mitigation and response. This effort is an operationalization of the IASC Guidelines for Integrating Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action.
In UNHCR operations, capacity building and sensitization of communities on SGBV prevention and response were carried out using mass sensitization and awareness campaigns, and targeted trainings of community leaders and influential groups, including youth and male activists against SGBV. Communities have in turn mobilized community-based structures to lead on prevention and response and advocate for action against SGBV.
UNHCR has invested a substantial number of hours conducting training for staff and refugees on SGBV. By the end of 2015, UNHCR trained 228,325 persons of concern, 13,693 partner, government, and UNHCR staff.