Gender-based Violence

Key Messages

  • The Camp Management Agency shares a responsibility to ensure that conditions in the camp minimise risks of gender-based violence (GBV) for all vulnerable population groups in the camp. 
  • A comprehensive understanding of the risk factors faced by vulnerable groups in camp settings, and the causes of these risks, is essential for effective GBV prevention and response interventions. Although the vast majority of those who experience GBV are women and girls, men and boys also experience violence based on gender, including sexual violence. 
  • Direct and meaningful participation of, and consultation with, women in decision-making in the camp is critical to ensuring that management, assistance and service delivery reduce the risks of GBV and respond to GBV in a timely and culturally appropriate manner, so as to provide protection for the groups most at risk. 
  • Camp management staff should make regular, preferably multiple times during the day, monitoring visits, or safety audits, at distribution points, security check points, water and sanitation facilities, service institutions and in any other areas where vulnerable groups might be at higher risk. Their observations should be shared with the relevant protection partners and humanitarian organisations. 
  • To effectively prevent and respond to GBV, a multi-sectoral and inter-agency approach is needed. The Camp Management Agency should monitor and advocate for the availability of appropriate health and psychosocial services and ensure that relevant information is provided in terms of prevention and response. 
  • The Camp Management Agency's staff should be trained and well prepared to understand GBV issues and therefore mainstream them in their daily work and activities in the camp.