United Nations World Food Programme

Protection Policy is being updated in November 2020. A cross cutting theme identified is Gender Based Violence, which will set the direction for broader Mainstreaming across programmes. This will be of closer focus over the coming years to build on existing initiatives and create opportunities for new programmes. 

In Bangladesh, specific focus on context and protection analysis conducted by WFP highlighted GBV risks of populations ability to make ends meet and earn a living – with impacts including trafficking and child marriage. In response to the context analysis, WFP has partnered with UN Women focusing on Self-Reliance projects aimed at supporting socio economic empowerment of women and adolescent girls. 

WFP’s Gender Policy and Protection Policy both cover elements of addressing Gender Based Violence; both policies are supported by guidance manuals for field based staff. 

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence is an organization wide day supported across HQ, Regional and Country Offices. This includes greater advocacy amongst staff members to be agents of change and to better understand the issue to address in their respective programmes.

WFP is also a member of the Protection Clusters in Country across various contexts. This provides a platform to share experiences, raise concerns and find collective solutions to address common issues. WFP is also a member of the Global Protection Cluster since December 2019 – which will enable great voice and agency to better coordinate at a global level. 

In Nepal, technical trainings including GESI specific tailored sessions including PSEA and SH are developed and planned to roll out starting in 2020. 

Cuba Country Office: 

As part of the Inter-agency Gender Group, WFP participated in knowledge sharing workshops on preliminary results of the National Survey on Gender Inequality (led by the Centre for Women Studies of the Cuban Women Federation), which also included analysis on gender-based violence issues. WFP also started to disseminate the results of this survey within the supported agricultural cooperatives.

Cuba Country Office:

• While carrying out sensitization workshops in the field on various gender issues (i.e. masculinities and gender stereotypes), WFP always included a section to advocate on the importance of preventing gender-based violence and on the organization’s commitment in this area.
• WFP is also supporting small initiatives for women’s empowerment in selected cooperatives (i.e. a vegetable garden and poultry farming), which ultimately will also contribute to reduce gender-based violence at the local level.

WFP Headquarters

The Gender Office organized two “training of trainers” workshops on Social Norms in HQ.

These training sessions equipped field officers with skills to address discriminatory gender norms, including harmful masculinities and femininities, to create transformational changes at the individual, organisational and societal levels for gender just outcomes.

In June 2018, the workshop was attended by 18 participants from 13 Country Offices, and three participants from Dakar Regional Bureau.

In October 2018, the workshop was attended by 11 participants from 9 Country Offices, and one participant from Bangkok Regional Bureau.

Iraq Country Office:

In September 2018, WFP / Iraq / Baghdad conducted an awareness session for our cooperating partner Mercy Hands on Social Norms and the transformation of gender.

Nicaragua Country Office

• Let's Paint the World of Orange: Support Survivors of Gender-Based Violence.NICO´s efforts have focused on prevention actions through training and empowerment of members of cooperatives, women and young people, which allows greater awareness and address this problem within the organizations of producers.
• In addition, as part of this campaign, NICO makes efforts to involve men in the processes of accompaniment and learning about the construction of new masculinities, social norms and new leaderships in order to achieve the transformation of gender relations in the workplace and personal life.
• Talks: “Aprender, Involucrarse y estar Alerta para prevenir la Violencia Basada en Género”; “Introducción a la charla sobre Normas Sociales”; Aprendiendo sobre Mitos y Realidades de la Violencia Basada en Género (VBG).

Syria Country Office:

In June 2018, WFP facilitated two-days training on discriminatory social norms for 26 staff of Gender Results Network members and senior management, the training was facilitated by Ahmad Hammoud and Fatema Hammadi with support of Alan Gerieg. The training focused on interactive activates and exercises which promote great participation and better understanding of the norms and the way to address the patriarchal masculinities inside WFP workplace, social live as well as through WFP’s activities across Syria country, thus ensure that different needs for women, girls and men, boys are addressed.

WFP actively participates in the interagency group, with contributions in the revision of the Spotlight strategy

South Sudan Country Office

Monitoring &Evaluation and Emergency team held a GBV workshop on how WFP can adapt its work to address issues raised by the 16-days campaign.