United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees

Data Collection
UNHCR utilises the Gender Based Violence Information Management System, an inter-agency initiative enables humanitarian actors to effectively and safely collect and analyse SGBV incidents reported by survivors. This system helps informs improvements in response services, in SGBV prevention, and in coordination. It has been introduced in 20 UNHCR operations, 7 of which were in 2017. 

Analysis and research 
UNHCR conducted a population-based assessment of the impact of solar-powered street lights in Uganda’s Rhino Camp. The assessment indicated perceptions of prevention of violence and crime, improvement of safety, and productive night-time activity in the refugee settlement was carried out in 2017 in cooperation with refugees who led the collection and analysis of the data. The study represents the first known research on the protective effect of community lighting in a refugee settlement. 

A study by the Population Council, UNHCR and local Ugandan organizations, tested the effectiveness of implementing a community-based SGBV prevention model in emergency settings - the Zero Tolerance Village Alliance intervention, in Western Uganda, proved to be particularly effective in moderating negative gender attitudes and beliefs related to SGBV and positively changing perceptions of community SGBV norms. 

A compilation of promising practices to address Gender Equality in the Middle East and North African region was released in 2017.  This report contains in-depth information on seven gender equality promising practices that are part of UNHCR’s response to the Syria crisis in the Middle East and North Africa. It reflects catalytic initiatives that seek to address specific gender-related protection needs and risks of diverse Syrian women, men, boys and girls implemented by UNHCR and partners. 

UNHCR has issued a Technical Note on UNHCR's Engagement in the Implementation of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism for grave violations against children in armed conflict, as well as on Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence.  http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5a6edf734.pdf  

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 is a signatory of the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies and has made 10 commitments aimed at changing UNHCR’s internal institutional policies and implementing SGBV prevention, mitigation and response programmes from the onset of emergencies. 

As lead for the Global Protection Cluster, the UNHCR promotes protection as central to the humanitarian response and as a core member of the IASC’s GBV Area of Responsibility, UNHCR works with UN agencies, NGOs and governments to ensure coverage and quality of prevention and response mechanisms in addressing SGBV. 

UNHCR is member of the Real Time Accountability Partnership and serves as member of UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, an interagency collation aimed at galvanizing coordinated UN effort to address sexual violence in conflict-related settings.

UNHCR co-chairs the IASC Task Team on Accountability to Affected Populations and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (AAP/PSEA).

UNHCR is also a member of the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict Network of Focal Points who support the work of the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. 

UNHCR requires all staff to undertake specific actions in their own sector to mitigate risk of SGBV.   In 2017, UNHCR issued a Briefing Paper; WASH, Protection and Accountability http://wash.unhcr.org/download/wash-protection-and-accountability/. It includes case studies and a checklist on WASH and safety and security considerations which impact on SGBV. 

Under the US Bureau for Population and Refugee Migration  funded Safe from the Start project, staff who provide specialised technical support on addressing SGBV prevention, mitigation and response at the onset of emergencies have been deployed to emergency situations in 22 countries (for 197months as of March 2018),  to ensure that appropriate assessment, actions and strategies are implemented early. An evaluative assessment in 2016 found that UNHCR operations receiving technical support achieved significant progress in mitigating the risk of SGBV and in improving access and quality of vital services. Results from end of deployment assessments showed that UNHCR operations increased the efficiency of SGBV programming from 31% to 75%, and increased coverage of SGBV programming from 30% to 61%. Further, 56% of operations receiving a deployment have sustained that expertise and carried on the work. 

UNHCR and a partner organisation have opened a women’s only internet café in Herat, Afghanistan. The café, which is the first of its kind within UNHCR operations, was devised as a response to the harassment and intimidation experienced by many women who used traditional internet cafes in Herat. The café provides a safe environment to use the internet, participate in free trainings and report SGBV cases through a confidential questionnaire. The project also explores how to connect participants to skills training relevant to the local job market.

In 2016, UNHCR established response mechanisms to people fleeing from conflicts and crises in various parts of the world such as Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, CAR, Niger and Nigeria. With the continued flow of refugees to many of the mentioned countries, UNHCR operations have sought to swiftly increase and strengthen the SGBV response and assistance. UNHCR has worked together with partners, including refugees, with the aim of ensuring the provision of accessible, prompt, confidential and appropriate multi-sectoral services (safety, legal, psycho-social and medical) to survivors, establishing referral pathways and coordination mechanisms, recording cases on the GBVIMS and reducing of risk of SGBV through prevention and outreach activities. Although challenges persist, UNHCR continues to work to enhance community participation in SGBV programming and towards the empowerment of survivors.

During 2016, in Cameroon, Djohong, UNHCR worked to use education and peer support to address SGBV experienced by young women. The aim is to reduce the rate of forced and/or early marriage and early pregnancy among young women through peer education and support. The project aims also to reduce the number of youth without work in refugee camp communities through peer support network and art training. In addition, the projects sought to reduce the use of drugs and involvement in crime by providing training and leadership opportunities.

In June 2016, UNHCR held its NGO Annual Consultations with a thematic session on “Youth Addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Challenges and Opportunities”. The session placed youth at the centre of the discussion and provided a platform to exchange innovative ways to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Refugee and internally displaced youth face SGBV, including domestic violence, child marriage, and survival sex. Topics discussed included how diverse youth are taking action to prevent and respond to SGBV and how UNHCR and NGO partners can better involve and support youth in their work to prevent and respond to SGBV. The importance of including survivors, persons with disabilities and sexual minorities into efforts and how to work to better integrating these groups was also discussed, in addition to how can we work together to engage men and boys in SGBV prevention and response.