IT’S ON ALL OF US – COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR GBV RISK MITIGATION

Global Cluster Coordinators Group, Statement for 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE 2022

As humanitarians, we have a collective responsibility to ensure that we are doing all we can in our work, to understand and mitigate gender-based violence (GBV), which we know is exacerbated in times of crisis. We are called to do so by the commitments and standards of our profession and the Centrality of Protection. Perhaps most importantly, we are also called to do so because the very programming that we implement can – if not done well - cause or intensify GBV, violating the rights of women and girls (and other marginalized genders according to the context), and our own principle to “Do No Harm”.  

The GCCG is committed to ensuring that GBV risk mitigation is consistently addressed as an immediate priority in humanitarian action, regardless of cluster or mandate. Based on their principles,  it is the responsibility of all humanitarian actors to integrate GBV risk identification and mitigation into their strategies and programmes, and to engage with the GBV Area of Responsibility (AoR) as part of the overall protection capacity in their respective context. All humanitarians should ensure that they, and the cluster that they lead can identify GBV risks, know how to safely respond to GBV disclosure, and that risk mitigation actions are taken in line with core standards outlined in the IASC GBV Guidelines, the GBV Accountability Framework, and  the objectives of the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies, of which nearly all Cluster Lead Agencies are members. The leadership and actions taken by clusters and thematic working groups, including Cash Working Groups, in-country can have significant influence on the extent to which GBV is recognized and addressed as a life-saving priority across all areas of humanitarian response. 

The shared vision of the GCCG: a world in which all individuals  are free from the threat of GBV, particularly women and girls who face disproportionate risk. The concrete recommendations for achieving this vision are detailed in the GBV Accountability Framework and summarized in the annex to this statement. 

The GCCG commits to supporting our members to ensure that GBV risk mitigation efforts are resourced, established, and coordinated from the outset of all emergency responses. In doing so, we will not only ensure that more women and girls at risk are able to safely access and use the life-saving humanitarian assistance that we provide, but we will improve the safety, dignity, and well-being of the people that we serve.