Report on Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Contexts: A Sustainable Development Goals Perspective

Introduction: Aligning Humanitarian Action with Sustainable Development Goals

This report synthesizes key research on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) within humanitarian settings, including conflict, post-conflict, and disaster-recovery environments. The findings are framed through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrating that addressing GBV is fundamental to achieving global development targets. The analysis highlights the interconnectedness of SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 1 (No Poverty), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

The Scope and Impact of Gender-Based Violence: A Barrier to Sustainable Development

Global Prevalence and High-Risk Contexts

The global prevalence of violence against women, particularly IPV, remains a significant challenge to human rights and sustainable development. Research underscores that this issue is exacerbated in specific contexts, directly impeding progress on SDG 5 (Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls) and SDG 16 (Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence).

• Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Adolescent and young adult women in these regions face heightened vulnerability to GBV.
• Conflict and Displacement: Humanitarian emergencies, including armed conflict and displacement, intensify the risk of GBV and sexual violence for women and children. Studies from Colombia, East Timor, and among refugee populations confirm that instability and the breakdown of social structures create environments where violence proliferates.
• Natural Disasters: Post-disaster settings present unique barriers and facilitators for engaging communities in GBV prevention, highlighting the need for tailored interventions.

Consequences for Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

GBV has severe and lasting consequences on the mental and physical health of survivors, representing a major obstacle to achieving SDG 3 (Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being). The trauma associated with violence necessitates integrated health and psychosocial support systems.

1. Mental Health Outcomes: Research consistently links experiences of GBV with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, particularly among women in conflict-affected regions like Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2. Social and Familial Impact: Survivors of GBV often face social isolation and family rejection, further compounding their psychological distress and hindering recovery.
3. Economic Buffers: Studies indicate that economic assets, such as livestock, can serve as a buffer against the mental health impacts of conflict-related trauma, pointing to the intersection of economic stability (SDG 1) and well-being (SDG 3).

Interventions and Strategies for Achieving SDG 5

Psychosocial Support and Community Engagement

Effective interventions require a multi-layered approach that combines individual support with community-level change. These strategies are crucial for promoting resilience and recovery, contributing to both SDG 3 and SDG 5.

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Systematic reviews identify MHPSS as a critical component of GBV response in humanitarian settings.
• Community-Based Programs: Initiatives like the “Communities Care Programme” focus on changing social norms to prevent violence against women and girls in conflict-affected communities, fostering an environment conducive to gender equality.

Economic Empowerment and Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA)

Economic interventions, particularly CVA, are increasingly recognized as a powerful tool for reducing women’s vulnerability to GBV. This approach directly supports the achievement of SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), while creating pathways to reduce IPV.

1. Reducing IPV through CVA: A growing body of evidence from systematic reviews and experimental studies in Latin America, South Africa, and Bangladesh demonstrates that cash transfers can lead to a reduction in IPV.
2. Causal Pathways: CVA is believed to reduce IPV by decreasing household poverty-related stress, improving food security, and increasing women’s bargaining power and economic independence.
3. Durability of Impact: Long-term follow-up studies suggest that the positive impacts of cash transfers on reducing IPV can be durable, highlighting their potential for sustainable change.

Operationalizing GBV Response in Humanitarian Settings

Frameworks and Screening Tools

To effectively address GBV, humanitarian actors require standardized guidelines and tools. This operational capacity is essential for implementing the policies and programs called for in SDG 5 (Target 5.c).

• International Guidelines: The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) provides comprehensive guidelines for integrating GBV interventions into humanitarian action, focusing on risk reduction and resilience.
• Screening and Identification: The development and testing of tools like the ASIST-GBV provide a standardized method for identifying female survivors of GBV in humanitarian settings, ensuring they can be connected to appropriate care.

Case Studies: Integrating Cash Assistance into GBV Case Management

Recent case studies from around the world illustrate the practical application of integrating CVA into GBV case management, providing survivors with the resources and choice needed for recovery. These programs exemplify the on-the-ground implementation of integrated SDG strategies.

• Colombia: Cash assistance is used within GBV case management to support the urgent needs of women and adolescent girls.
• Indonesia: CVA is provided to GBV survivors receiving case management to enhance their safety and economic stability.
• Jordan: The “From Risk to Choice” program integrates cash assistance into GBV case management for refugee populations, empowering survivors.
• Honduras & Moldova: Cash assistance has been leveraged as a critical tool in responding to the needs of GBV survivors, including in refugee response contexts.
• Lebanon: Case studies demonstrate the successful integration of cash assistance into GBV case management programs.

Operational guidance has been developed to help humanitarian actors design and implement these integrated programs effectively.

Conclusion: A Multi-faceted Approach for a Sustainable Future

The evidence synthesized in this report confirms that addressing Gender-Based Violence is a prerequisite for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Efforts to combat GBV cannot be siloed; they are intrinsically linked to poverty reduction (SDG 1), health and well-being (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), and peaceful societies (SDG 16). An effective response requires integrated, evidence-based interventions that combine economic support like CVA with comprehensive psychosocial services and community-level engagement to challenge harmful social norms. By adopting such a multi-faceted approach, humanitarian action can move beyond immediate relief to contribute to a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The provided list of references primarily focuses on issues that are directly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis of the titles reveals a strong emphasis on gender equality, health, poverty, and peace, especially in vulnerable contexts like humanitarian crises and low-income countries.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the most prominent SDG. Numerous references explicitly mention “Gender-based violence” (GBV), “violence against women,” “intimate partner violence” (IPV), and “sexual violence.” The articles explore the prevalence, causes, and interventions aimed at protecting women and girls. For example, reference 1 discusses “Gender-based violence against adolescent and young adult women,” and reference 3 focuses on the “global scope and magnitude” of “Violence against women.”

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The consequences of violence on physical and mental health are a recurring theme. References mention “mental health,” “psychosocial support,” “depressive symptoms,” and general “health outcomes.” Reference 39 provides a “systematic review and Meta-Analysis” of the “mental health outcomes of intimate partner violence among women,” while reference 17 discusses “Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings.”

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  Many of the studies are set in contexts of instability, including “conflict,” “post-conflict States,” “humanitarian emergencies,” “displacement,” and among “refugees.” These settings exacerbate violence and break down protective institutions. Reference 5 examines “Gender-based violence in conflict and displacement,” and reference 14 reviews interventions to reduce violence in “conflict and post-conflict States and other humanitarian crises.”

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article list heavily features economic interventions like “cash transfers,” “microcredit programs,” and “social protection” as tools to mitigate violence and empower women. This links the issue of violence directly to economic vulnerability and poverty. Reference 21 details “Global research into cash transfers to prevent intimate partner violence,” and reference 25 reviews “Women economic empowerment via cash transfer and microcredit programs.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific issues discussed in the reference titles, several SDG targets can be clearly identified.

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. This is the central target, addressed by nearly every reference that mentions intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or gender-based violence (e.g., references 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 19).
   • Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources… This target is relevant to the studies on “women economic empowerment” through “cash transfer and microcredit programs” (reference 25) and providing “livestock/animal assets” (reference 9), which are explored as pathways to reduce vulnerability to violence.

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The focus on “mental health symptoms,” “depressive symptoms,” and the need for “psychosocial support” for survivors of violence (references 9, 17, 39, 41, 42) directly aligns with the promotion of mental health and well-being.

3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The research set in “conflict-affected populations” (reference 8), “humanitarian emergencies” (reference 12), and “areas of armed conflict” (reference 38) directly addresses this target by examining violence in its most extreme forms.
   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. Reference 12, which discusses “The impact of humanitarian emergencies on the prevalence of violence against children,” is directly related to this target.

4. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all… and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. The extensive list of studies on “cash transfers” and “social protection” as interventions (references 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31) shows a clear link to this target, using these systems to protect vulnerable women in low-income and humanitarian settings.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The reference titles do not explicitly state SDG indicators, but they strongly imply the metrics used in the research, which align with official and thematic indicators for measuring progress.

• For Target 5.2 (Eliminate violence against women):

  • Prevalence of intimate partner violence: This is a direct measure implied by titles like “The global prevalence of intimate partner violence against women” (reference 2) and “Prevalence of intimate partner violence: findings from the WHO multi-country study…” (reference 4). This aligns with Indicator 5.2.1.
  • Prevalence/Incidence of sexual and gender-based violence: Studies measuring “sexual violence among female refugees” (reference 7) or the “incidence of intimate partner violence and sexual violence” (reference 14) provide data for this indicator, which aligns with Indicators 5.2.1 and 5.2.2.

• For Target 3.4 (Promote mental health):

  • Prevalence of mental health symptoms: The research on “mental health symptoms” (reference 9), “depressive symptoms” (reference 42), and “mental health outcomes” (reference 39) among survivors of violence serves as a direct indicator of well-being.

• For Target 16.1 (Reduce all forms of violence):

  • Proportion of the population subjected to violence: The studies determining the “prevalence of Gender-based violence among Conflict-affected populations” (reference 8) directly measure this, aligning with Indicator 16.1.3.

• For Target 1.3 (Implement social protection systems):

  • Impact of cash transfers on violence reduction: The core question in many references is whether interventions like “cash transfers” reduce IPV (references 21, 23, 24, 29, 30). The measured change in violence rates following these programs serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of social protection systems in achieving broader social goals.

4. Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: conflictandhealth.biomedcentral.com