United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees

During its Standing Committee in June, UNHCR introduced the outline of its strategy for the next five years to address sexual and gender-based violence. Hide

Members of UNHCR’s Executive Committee prepared a draft Conclusion on the rights and protection needs of refugees with disabilities, which included the need to prevent and respond to violence against women refugees with disabilities. Hide

UNHCR, in cooperation with UNFPA and WHO, published an e-learning tool on the clinical management of rape. UNHCR’s Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls has been translated into Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish and a CD-ROM version in Arabic, English, French and Spanish has been produced. Hide

UNHCR hosted a White Ribbon Campaign to mobilize men to end violence against women, and a photo exhibition to raise awareness about trafficking. Hide

In December 2009, UNHCR held a training with NGOs from several African countries on resettlement and the heightened risk identification tool (HRIT), which has been developed to enhance the identification of individuals at heightened risk of protection problems, including SGBV. Resettlement is an important protection tool for survivors of SGBV. Hide

In September 2009, a workshop, jointly facilitated by UNHCR, UNFPA and the International Rescue Committee, was held on the establishment of standard operating procedures to address SGBV, and on the gender-based violence information management system (GBVIMS). The workshop included participants from the Central African Republic, Chad, Liberia, Nepal, and Sudan. UNHCR and UNFPA conducted GBVIMS technical support missions to the refugee operations in Kenya and Thailand. Hide

During 2009, UNHCR organized a session for staff at Headquarters to raise awareness about Security Council resolutions 1820 and 1888, and also held a lecture on Revisiting Strategies of Inclusion and Violence against Women. UNHCR commemorated the 16 days of activism campaign against gender violence at Headquarters and in the field with a variety of activities, including a demonstration of solidarity by UNHCR staff in joining the “Get Cross” campaign of UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict. Hide

UNHCR and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working on a population-based survey to understand the magnitude of sexual and gender-based violence and the barriers to protection and other services among refugee populations. Hide

In October 2009, the “Sakhli Advice Centre for Women”, an NGO and partner of UNHCR in Georgia, published a booklet on IDPs and the Problem of Violence, which is based on surveys on sexual and gender- based violence among IDP affected communities. Hide

In Jordan, UNHCR and UNFPA coordinated a mapping of existing sexual and reproductive health and sexual and gender-based violence services available to Iraqi refugees. A matrix was developed and shared with the sub-group on Reproductive Health, the health group and other key actors providing services to mobilize improved services. Hide