Gender and trade

This manual is one of several outcomes of a three-year global Gender-based Violence Initiative spearheaded by the Reproductive Health Response in Conflict (RHRC) Consortium and aimed at improving international and local capacity to address gender-based violence (GBV) in refugee, internally displaced, and post-conflict settings. The tools have been formulated according to a multi-sectoral model of GBV programming that promotes action within and coordination between the constituent community, health and social services, and the legal and security sectors. The manual is meant to be used by humanitarian professionals who have experience with and are committed to GBV prevention and response.

The document was prepared through a broad and lengthy consultation process within the United Nations system, with extensive reference to the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Assistance, Implementation Group on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. It is hoped that this glossary serves as a practical reference guide to terms often used within humanitarian situations, and that it will be reviewed and updated periodically.

The Guidelines for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a tool for field actors in the humanitarian community to establish a multi-sectoral coordinated approach to gender-based violence in emergency settings. It provides practical advice on how to ensure that humanitarian assistance and protection programmes for displaced populations are safe, and do not directly or indirectly increase women’s and girls’ risk to sexual violence. It also details what response services should be in place to meet the needs of survivors/victims of sexual violence.

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) is issuing Guidelines for HIV/AIDS interventions in Emergency Settings to help individuals and organizations in their efforts to address the special needs of HIV-infected and HIV-affected people living in emergency situations. The Guidelines are based on the experiences of organizations of the UN system and their NGO partners, and reflect the shared vision that success can be achieved when resources are pooled and when all concerned work together.

These guidelines follow the general framework outlined in the UNHCR Policy on Refugee Women, adopted by the forty-first Session of the Executive Committee. The underlying principle of the Policy is to integrate the resources and needs of refugee women into all aspects of programming to ensure equitable protection and assistance activities. The guidelines also recognize that special efforts may be needed to resolve problems faced specifically by refugee women.