Taking on the fight against Sexual and Gender-based Violence

At the Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Crises Conference, 21 donors announced a total of US$363 million for 2019 and 2020 and beyond – including $226.2 million for 2019 only.

This amount includes funding for the UN, ICRC / IFRC, NGO and Civil Society mechanisms, including local actors/organizations and women’s groups, engaged in SGBV prevention and response. This funding is in addition to the unearmarked or core funding to humanitarian partners who work to prevent and respond to SGBV, to the Central Emergency Response Fund and to Country-based Pooled Funds.

In a ground-breaking collaboration, the governments of Norway, Iraq, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates together with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross co-organized the event to tackle sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), a global challenge that while devastating for the people and communities affected, is not inevitable and can be prevented.

High-level delegations from 100 countries, top UN officials, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege and many civil society representatives gathered in Oslo to strengthen political commitment and increase funding to end sexual and gender-based violence in humanitarian crises.

In 2019, 140 million people require humanitarian assistance. Of these, around 35 million are women and girls of reproductive age. Yet, despite its criticality, protection from this form of violence remains severely underfunded at less than 1 percent of all funds channeled to humanitarian assistance.

“Sexual and gender-based violence is no longer a hidden horror”, said UN Humanitarian Chief Mark Lowcock, who has witnessed civilians suffering and gross human rights violations during his visits to countries caught in crisis. “It is out in the open and there really is no excuse for inaction in the face of this abhorrent phenomenon in humanitarian crises. Survivors and people at-risk all over the world need material and tangible support close to where they live”.

While the humanitarian response to SGBV has improved in recent years, much remains to be done. It is vital that the prevention and response focus on the needs of those affected, with their participation.

Original source: UNOCHA
Published on 24 May 2019