Handbook for Coordinating Gender-based Violence Interventions in Emergencies

In the wake of horrific accounts of Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE) that span the globe, the voices of survivors have galvanized the international community to work towards the elimination of GBV.

The protection and safety of women and girls can be achieved only through coordinated, collective and sustained action. We know good coordination of interventions works and pays direct humanitarian dividends. Only through effective coordination can we bridge any gaps, address persistent challenges and make progress against common objectives. Specifically, GBV coordination ensures that every humanitarian response, from the earliest phases of a crisis, provides safe and comprehensive life-saving services for GBV survivors and mitigates the risks of GBV. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate GBV in all settings and make progress towards peace, security and human rights.

This handbook is a quick-reference tool that provides practical, field-level guidance to establish and maintain a GBV sub-cluster in a humanitarian emergency. It provides the foundations for coordination. More in-depth information can be pursued through resources referenced in this handbook. The GBV AoR website (gbvaor.net) maintains a repository of tools, training materials, and resources that complement this handbook. As a second edition, this handbook provides updates to practitioners on humanitarian reforms, lessons learned, promising practices and resources that have emerged since its first publication in 2010. 

This manual is available in English and Arabic. For more information, please visit the Gender-based Violence Area of Responsibility website.