REPORT: In 2021, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Jordan piloted the integration of cash assistance within Gender Based Violence (GBV) programming. The pilot targeted GBV survivors and women at risk of GBV – including Jordanians, Syrian refugees and refugees of other nationalities – within the framework of GBV case management. Two modalities were used: one-off Emergency Cash Assistance (ECA) and Recurrent Cash Assistance (RCA) for three to six months. The pilot was conducted from February to December 2021 and reached 215 beneficiaries.

This study examined and compared the experiences of women in six governorates receiving case management (control group/standard of care) with women who received a combination of both case management and cash assistance. Women receiving cash assistance in addition to case management either received one-time emergency cash assistance [of US$100-150] or recurrent cash assistance for three to six months [with transfer amount determined by household size, need and number of transfers]. The evaluation included questionnaire-based interviews at three time points (baseline and approximately two weeks after the first and last cash assistance). Additionally, key informant interviews were conducted.

The study findings indicate that the addition of cash assistance to case management for survivors and women at risk of GBV yielded significant benefits by mitigating the risk of violence and improving psychological well- being. Women in both cash groups that completed the interviews all agreed that cash assistance mitigated the risk of conflict and violence in their relationships. Recurrent cash transfers were preferred by beneficiaries and also yielded greater benefits in terms of improved partner and household relationships and psychological well-being.

Given the current global context, where humanitarian needs far exceed available resources and protracted crisis increases protection risks for women and girls, UNFPA and their implementing partners should endeavor to include cash assistance as a standard tool within their GBV Case Management programs.