Risk Of Gender-based Violence Research Articles

Gender-Based Violence in the Context of the Future of Work: A Qualitative Review of the Literature.

Discussions about the Future of Work have become ubiquitous both in academic and international organizations' discourse. As part of these developments, the platform economy has revolutionized work practices and relationships. Despite the emergence of a burgeoning literature on platform studies, little is known about whether and to what extent platform work exacerbates the risk of gender-based violence among workers. This review article examines 39 academic articles, book chapters, reports, and conference papers published between 2016 and 2023 using qualitative content analysis to provide a preliminary understanding of empirical data on this issue. The reviewed studies were selected using relevant keywords on the basis of a database of 175 studies examining the platform economy with gender perspective, complemented with additional sources identified during the review. The main findings are: platform workers across sectors are vulnerable to gender-based violence, especially those at the intersection of several axes of subordination; platforms' socio-technological features exacerbate the risk of gender-based violence; (fear of) gender-based violence limits women's access to platform work and the economic benefits derived from it; most platforms lack effective preventative and redressal mechanisms against violence; and, faced with platforms' inaction, workers adopt individual and collective measures to address (the risk of) gender-based violence in platform work. The analysis also evidences the need for more research on intersectional vulnerabilities, particularly with regard to sexual orientation and gender expression and identity, as well as on the physical and psychological impact of gender-based violence on platform workers, which provides avenues for future research.

An Intersectionality Approach to Addressing Gender-Based Violence Against Internally Displaced Women Living in IDP Camps in Northern Nigeria

In the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, gender-based violence continues to be widespread. Women and girls living in IDP camps are not only vulnerable because of their gender and displacement status, they become even more vulnerable because family and community structures have broken down. This article aims at discussing the intersectional paradigm, developed primarily in the past two decades, and how it helps us to better understand gender based violence of the IDPs. It argues that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to gender based violence against women in general and IDP women in particular. A more complex analysis is needed to understand how race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and displacement status intersect with violence against women. These intersecting vulnerabilities which makes them exposed to gender-based violence from a number of different perpetrators equally lead to a lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services. The plight of women living in IDP camps, lack of protection and especially the pressing need for a specific protection regime is the focus of this article. Using analytical study to inquire into the connection between power and gender-based violence against vulnerable persons of concern such as IDP, findings reveals that structural contexts elevate risks of gender-based violence (GBV) targeting internally displaced (ID) girls and women living in IDPs camps and therefore, the intersectional approach, not typically used in the post-conflict situation literature, must become a significant part of its framework.

The “HeForshe” Approach Model to The Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children

The pandemic causes the risk of gender-based violence to increase, one of which is domestic violence. It is because many women as mothers are workers, so they also have to do waiting office tasks, as well as do household work which is frequently burdened by women. Based on data from the Online Information System for the Protection of Women and Children (understood as Sistem Informasi Online Perlindungan Perempuan dan Anak/SIMFONI PPA) in October 2022, 19,613 cases of violence occurred, with details of 3,164 male victims and 17,960 victims, specifically for NTT (East Nusa Tenggara) Province as many as 895 cases of violence. Percentage of Women Victims of Violence by Type of Violence in the Province of NTT of abuse 44.03%, humiliation 65.01%, harassment 7.12%, neglect 12.71%, and others 13.02%. Perpetrators 68.85% are parents and victims of violence against women 1.91% in rural areas and 2.23 in urban areas. The Research Objective is to identify the 'HeForShe'' Approach Model to the Involvement of Men in the Elimination of Violence against Women and Children in Kupang City and Kupang Regency, NTT Province in 2022. The research Method is a Mixed Method, Qualitative with Phenomenological Method and Quantitative Descriptive Survey Method. The population in the study were informants encompassing married men and women aged <55 years with the sample criteria being wife/husband status, and living together for more than 1 year. Female and male aged 18 years and unmarried, living with their parents. Religious leaders, midwives, teachers, and local government. Purposive sampling. Collecting data was performed by in-depth interviews and FGD in groups of 10-15 people, analysis was carried out descriptively, and a way ANOVA test to compare the three models. Research Results: From the 3 proposed models, it was discovered that 65 percent of respondents agreed with model 2, and the results of the one-way ANOVA test were obtained the p-value is 0.002 or smaller than alpha 5%, Conclusion: One model was obtained, namely the Network Coordination Model for the Office of Health, Education and Local Government in Empowering Youth in Primary Health Units and schools in Action to Prevent Violence against Women and Children. Recommended as one of the HeForShe models that is more appropriate to apply in the case of the Approach to the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children by involving teenagers.

“Violence Across Borders: Venezuelan Women and the Continuum of Violence in Migration and Settlement”

The ongoing conflict in Venezuela has created significant risks for women and girls. Conflict affected populations often face higher levels of vulnerability and risks of gender-based violence (GBV) at home, in transit and at destination countries. Venezuelan women face GBV at all stages of their journey. Due to their often-irregular or undocumented status in host countries, many women lack legal access to healthcare and work which leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and GBV. Using the continuum of violence model by Kelly (1988; 2012) as well as Menjívar & Walsh (2017; 2019), this work underscores the complex ways in which gender, nationality and legal status interact with each other to shape patterns of migration and settlement. Focusing on the two largest receiving countries in Latin America: Colombia and Peru, this work also outlines how the structural, symbolic and interpersonal nature of GBV crosses borders amid the challenges of conflict, displacement and xenophobia.

“When you leave your country, this is what you’re in for”: experiences of structural, legal, and gender-based violence among asylum-seeking women at the Mexico-U.S. border

BackgroundRecent U.S. immigration policy has increasingly focused on asylum deterrence and has been used extensively to rapidly deport and deter asylum-seekers, leaving thousands of would-be asylum-seekers waiting indefinitely in Mexican border cities, a large and growing proportion of whom are pregnant and parenting women. In the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, these women are spending unprecedented durations waiting under unsafe humanitarian conditions to seek safety in the U.S, with rising concerns regarding increases in gender-based violence (GBV) among this population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given existing gaps in evidence, we aimed to describe the lived experiences of GBV in the context of asylum deterrence policies among pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women at the Mexico-U.S. border.MethodsWithin the community-based Maternal and Infant Health for Refugee & Asylum-Seeking Women (MIHRA) study, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 30 asylum-seeking women in Tijuana, Mexico between June and December 2022. Eligible women had been pregnant or postpartum since March 2020, were 18–49 years old, and migrated for the purposes of seeking asylum in the U.S. Drawing on conceptualizations of structural and legal violence, we conducted a thematic analysis of participants’ experiences of GBV in the context of asylum deterrence policies and COVID-19.ResultsPregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women routinely faced multiple forms of GBV perpetuated by asylum deterrence policies at all stages of migration (pre-migration, in transit, and in Tijuana). Indefinite wait times to cross the border and inadequate/unsafe shelter exacerbated further vulnerability to GBV. Repeated exposure to GBV contributed to poor mental health among women who reported feelings of fear, isolation, despair, shame, and anxiety. The lack of supports and legal recourse related to GBV in Tijuana highlighted the impact of asylum deterrence policies on this ongoing humanitarian crisis.ConclusionAsylum deterrence policies undermine the health and safety of pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women at the Mexico-U.S. border. There is an urgent need to end U.S. asylum deterrence policies and to provide respectful, appropriate, and adequately resourced humanitarian supports to pregnant and parenting asylum-seeking women in border cities, to reduce women’s risk of GBV and trauma.

Exploring COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and uptake in Nairobi’s urban informal settlements: an unsupervised machine learning analysis of a longitudinal prospective cohort study from 2021 to 2022

ObjectivesTo illustrate the utility of unsupervised machine learning compared with traditional methods of analysis by identifying archetypes within the population that may be more or less likely to get the...

Transgender Ukrainians and the Need for LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in National and International Refugee Policies

Over 7 million Ukrainians have become refugees since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As a result, countries around the world have opened their doors and invited Ukrainians to seek refuge from the ongoing conflict. However, not all Ukrainians have experienced this conflict equally, with queer and transgender Ukrainians facing increased risks of gender-based violence, discrimination, and difficulties crossing borders due to inaccurate gender markers on their identification. This policy brief focuses on the unique challenges LGBTQIA+ Ukrainians have faced while fleeing the conflict. I provide an analysis of the persistent exclusion of LGBTQIA+ people within sexual and gender-based violence policies and refugee policies (like the Women, Peace and Security agenda and Feminist Foreign Policy initiatives) due to marginalization and systemic discrimination. This paper argues that the Government of Canada can address this issue, not just for Ukrainian refugees but for all refugees, by implementing LGBTQIA+ inclusive policies to address the gaps in Canada's current system. It should be noted, this policy brief examines the conflict from February 2022 to April 2022. Given that this is an ongoing conflict, some statistics may have changed, however, the lack of support for LGBTQIA+ refugees in national and international refugee policy remains a pressing issue.

Government responses to COVID-19 and impact on GBV services and programmes: comparative analysis of the situation in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria

As governments impose restrictive policies to contain infectious disease outbreaks, pre-existing gender-based inequalities are often exacerbated, increasing the risk of gender-based violence (GBV). Despite international guidance on the need for continued provision of GBV services during emergencies, governments often de-prioritise GBV services and programmes. We conducted a rapid assessment in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria to examine the impact of COVID-19 policies on the availability of GBV prevention and response services. The study team interviewed 80 stakeholders representing different GBV services in the four countries. The interviews revealed strikingly similar government mis-steps that disrupted the availability of comprehensive GBV services. In all four countries, the government’s failure to exempt the provision of multi-sectoral GBV services from initial lockdown restrictions led to confusion and disrupted the provision of critical GBV services such as clinical management of rape, legal and judicial services, psychosocial services, availability of shelters, and community-based prevention activities. The government’s imposition of curfews, stay-at-home orders, and transportation restrictions further diminished access to services. Governments must strengthen currently available GBV prevention and response services and be better prepared for future pandemics. Following international guidelines, governments should deem GBV services as essential from the beginning with clear implementation plans. Governments must invest in community-based solutions and the expansion of digital tools to ensure everyone, especially those likely to be structurally excluded, have access to critical services during an emergency.

Reporting on the shadow pandemic in Nigeria: An analysis of five media organizations’ coverage of gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study fills a gap in research by examining how the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare structural and systemic gender inequities in Nigeria. In particular, women and girls are at increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV). We analysed a corpus of 361 articles on GBV published between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020 by Daily Trust, The Guardian, Leadership, The Punch and Vanguard, to determine how effectively Nigerian media reported on GBV during the pandemic. Analysis centred on five phases of reporting during those 24 months: (1) pre-lockdown; (2) early lockdown period, 29 March–26 May; (3) response to a rise in GBV, 26 May–30 July; (4) easing of lockdown and (5) sixteen days of activism against GBV, 25 November–10 December 2020. Key themes emerging in the media coverage include the shadow pandemic of GBV in Nigeria, response to the rise in GBV, NGOs combating GBV and calls for improved legislation.

"At the Root of COVID Grew a More Complicated Situation": A Qualitative Analysis of the Guatemalan Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response System during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A growing body of literature has documented an increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV) within the context of COVID-19 and service providers’ reduced capacity to address this vulnerability. Less examined are the system-level impacts of the pandemic on the GBV sector in low- and middle-income countries. Drawing on the perspectives of 18 service providers working across various GBV-related sectors in Guatemala, we explored how the Guatemalan GBV prevention and response system operated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight that the pandemic reinforced survivors’ existing adversities (inadequate transportation access, food insecurity, digital divides), which subsequently reduced access to reporting, justice, and support. Consequently, the GBV prevention and response system had to absorb the responsibility of securing survivors’ essential social determinants of health, further limiting already inflexible budgets. The pandemic also imposed new challenges, such as service gridlocks, that negatively affected survivors’ system navigation and impaired service providers’ abilities to efficiently receive reports and mobilize harm reduction and prevention programming. The findings underscore the systemic challenges faced by GBV service providers and the need to incorporate gender mainstreaming across public service sectors—namely, transportation and information/communication—to improve lifesaving GBV service delivery for Guatemalan survivors, particularly survivors in rural/remote regions.

Gender-based violence and depressive symptoms among female entertainment workers in Cambodia: A cross-sectional study.

Female entertainment workers (FEWs) are at higher risk of gender-based violence (GBV) than the general population. The prolonged stress and fear caused by GBV increase the likelihood of depression, a major mental health problem among FEWs. However, their mental health issue has received limited attention and remains poorly researched in the context of GBV. We examined the association between GBV and depressive symptoms among FEWs in Cambodia. We conducted this cross-sectional study in 2017. We used a two-stage cluster random sampling method to select FEWs from the municipality and six provinces for face-to-face interviews. We used the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to measure depressive symptoms. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms. We included a total of 645 FEWs in data analyses. The proportions of FEWs experiencing emotional, physical, and sexual violence were 36.1%, 11.6%, and 17.2%, respectively. Of the total participants, 65.9% had high levels of depressive symptoms. The adjusted odds of having high levels of depressive symptoms were higher among FEWs who engaged in transactional sex (AOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.09-2.94), experienced emotional abuse (AOR 3.15, 95% CI 1.90-5.23), and experienced two (AOR 7.89, 95% CI 3.28-18.99) and three overlapping types of GBV (AOR 12.12, 95% CI 2.47-59.25) than those who did not. FEWs in this study experienced high levels and overlapping types of GBV associated with high levels of depressive symptoms. Policy interventions and services should be designed to prevent GBV and support the victims of GBV to mitigate depressive symptoms among FEWs in Cambodia.

Problem framing of increased gender-based violence by national governments of Argentina and Spain during COVID-19: an interpretive policy analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mitigation efforts that put women at increased risk of gender-based violence. Stay-at-home requirements increased abuse at home. Early in the pandemic Spain and Argentina issued policies to address such violence at home. This policy analysis uses the ‘What’s the problem represented to be’ approach to shed light on the different assumptions, intentions and problem framings in both governments’ policy responses. Drawing on published policy documents we found both disparities and similarities in the way that gender-based violence is represented as a problem. Four key findings emerged; (1) gender-based violence is not clearly defined in the policies and the terminology has a partially (de)gendered discourse while focusing on female ‘victims’ of violence; (2) the role of men as perpetrators is ‘silenced’; (3) the problem construction weighs exclusively on the aftermath of the violence, and; (4) both countries address violence against LGBTI+ in different ways. Our recommendations are for policymakers to reconsider the focus of their policies in these respects to reduce the harm that naming and framing of gender-based violence can inflict. We recommend attention to the root causes of gender-based violence to result in a more holistic and sustainable approach in policy development.

Experience of Violence due to COVID-19 among Returnee Migrants of Far-Western Province of Nepal

Migration has been a main pillar of the nation as well as the household economy of Nepal. However, COVID-19 has caused stigma and discrimination and increased risks of violence, disrupting GBV prevention and response mechanisms. The objectives of the study are to examine the prevalence and determinants of experience of violence due to COVID-19 among returnee migrants of the Far-western province of Nepal. Data for this survey were collected through a cross-sectional research design using quantitative methods in the Far-western province of Nepal. A total of 1182 respondents were surveyed to gather quantitative information. Univariate, Bivariate and multivariate analyses were applied to data. In addition, multivariable analysis was used to identify whether independent variables affected the risk of Gender-Based Violence. An overwhelming majority of returnee migrants were male (94.2%), while about 6 percent were female. One-third of respondents were youth aged below 25 years. Thirty-two percent of them had primary or below education. Eighteen percent of returnee migrants do not have food sufficient for a month in their household. Three in five returnee migrants (60%) reported that they had experienced violence. Multivariate analysis shows that female migrants were more likely to experience violence (aOR=2.1, 95% CI=1.02-4.3) than male migrants. Older age migrants were more likely to experience violence than younger migrants aged below 20. Migrants from poor households were more likely to experience violence (aOR=4.5, 95% CI= 3.1-6.7) than rich households. Physically disabled migrants were 4 times more likely (aOR=4.5, 95% CI= 2.6-7.5) than those who are not disabled. Experience of violence is very high among returnee migrants of Sudurpashchim province of Nepal. Our study found that female migrants, physically disabled migrants, who had elderly in their houses, and migrants from poor households were more likely to experience violence. Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive awareness program and services that can help to prevent violence among returnee migrants.

COVID-19 and women migrant workers in informal employment: recommendations for strengthening social protection efforts in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

ABSTRACT Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of migrant workers returned from their countries of employment to their families in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. This article focuses on a specific population of migrant workers – Lao women returnee migrant workers in informal employment in Thailand – to explore how COVID-19 impacted their well-being and to what extent their home country’s social protection system supported them. It is based on more than 400 structured interviews with women migrant workers across nine provinces of Laos, who were working abroad in the informal economy and returned to Laos at the beginning of the pandemic. The research documented a rise in unemployment and income loss while aggravating gender inequalities in terms of the division of unpaid care work, discriminatory behaviours, and potential risks of gender-based violence. It identified several policy areas where systemic support for Lao women returnee migrant workers in informal employment should be prioritised: (1) extension of social protection, (2) national labour market strategy plan, (3) migration-sensitive national action plan, and (4) co-ordination between government and civil society organisations.

COVID-19 and access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for young people: An overview of the international literature and policy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the ability of young people to access appropriate and timely sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH). The aimof this study was to summarise international innovations aimed at ensuring ongoing access. This study was an overview of peer‑reviewed literature and policy statements from international and national organisations related to SRH foryoung people during COVID-19. Innovations have focused on improving access to appropriate and timely SRH for young people, mostly through telehealth; increasing community and healthcare worker awareness of the heightened riskof gender-based violence and its consequences; and removing restrictions on contraception and abortion access. Despite this, a substantial decline in sexual wellbeing and SRH access has been reported from many parts of theworld, although Australian data arelacking. Support for young people to access timely and appropriate SRH during the COVID-19 pandemic should be a priority for policymakers around the world.

The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic and Gender-Based Violence on Uptake of HIV Services in Touboro District Hospital, Cameroon

As we move towards HIV epidemic control in Cameroon, we strive to limit the number of new infections by maintaining on-treatment PWHIV. The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic may cause interruptions in HIV treatment and slow progression. COVID-19 control measures have caused; the lockdown of businesses, some health services, and imposed work from home, with intimate partners and more people spending longer hours together at home. As a consequence, there is an increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV). GBV can affect adherence to treatment in PWHIV and prevent them from accessing health services. The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of Covid-19 and GBV on the uptake of HIV services by assessing interruptions in treatment. Using a structured questionnaire, demographic data, Information on COVID-19 and intimate partner violence were obtained from 339 participants between 15 and 60 years old, taking HIV treatment at the Touboro district hospital. We used the Antiretroviral treatment register of the health facility to extract data on the frequency and duration of interruption in treatment. The Prevalence of intimate partner violence was high in our study participants, although interruption in treatment was only significant in respondents who reported verbal abuse. A strong association was observed between Covid 19 and interruption in treatment. There was equally an association between Covid-19 and an increase in intimate IPV. Other Socio-demographic variables found to affect interruption in treatment were level of Education of the partner, Age difference with intimate partner greater than 10years, and early years on antiretroviral therapy. According to the study, Both Gender-based violence (IPV) and Covid-19 affect interruption in antiretroviral treatment.

Promising practices for the monitoring and evaluation of gender-based violence risk mitigation interventions in humanitarian response: a multi-methods study

BackgroundRisks of gender-based violence (GBV) are exacerbated in humanitarian crises. GBV risk mitigation interventions aim to reduce exposure to GBV and ensure that humanitarian response actions and services themselves do not cause harm or increase the risk of violence. The 2015 IASC Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action (‘GBV Guidelines’) are a globally endorsed resource that provides comprehensive guidance for all humanitarian actors and sectors on GBV risk mitigation. While uptake of GBV risk mitigation approaches across multiple humanitarian sectors has occurred, there is limited understanding of how to monitor and evaluate GBV risk mitigation interventions.MethodsA multi-methods study was conducted in 2019 to identify promising practices for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of GBV risk mitigation interventions in non-GBV sectors and to develop a set of illustrative case examples. The study included a comprehensive desk review of 145 articles, documents and resources from the published and grey literature, as well as 11 in-depth interviews and five focus group discussions with humanitarian practitioners. Using Dedoose software and a codebook developed a priori, qualitative data were transcribed and coded and a content analysis was conducted. Excerpts focusing on promising practices from the qualitative data and the desk review were analyzed together and grouped by thematic area. Similar promising practices were combined and consolidated to create a final list, and case examples were identified.ResultsCurrent promising practices for M&E of GBV risk mitigation activities in the following categories are described: (1) Coordination and collaboration, (2) Designing M&E approaches and tools for GBV risk mitigation activities, (3) Contextualization, (4) Developing and selecting indicators, (5) Data collection, (6) Data analysis and use of findings, (7) Potential safety concerns for affected populations and staff, and (8) Staff capacity and engagement. These are supplemented with seven diverse case examples to illustrate application of the promising practices using real-world examples.ConclusionThis paper highlights current promising practices for M&E of GBV risk mitigation interventions in humanitarian response. Further application of these practices—alongside ongoing documentation of emerging approaches—will be critical to ensuring that GBV risk mitigation interventions are more rigorously tested with the aim of building the evidence base on the effectiveness of different GBV risk mitigation interventions within specific humanitarian sectors.

Patterns of Gender-Based Violence in Conflict-Affected Ukraine: A Descriptive Analysis of Internally Displaced and Local Women Receiving Psychosocial Services.

Since 2014, a protracted armed conflict has afflicted eastern Ukraine, resulting in the displacement of over 1.4 million residents. The resulting humanitarian crisis has placed women, particularly displaced women, at greater risk of gender-based violence (GBV). In Ukraine, reports of GBV were higher following the start of the conflict (22.4% in 2014 vs. 18.3% in 2007), with displaced women suffering from GBV nearly three times more than non-displaced residents (15.2% vs. 5.3%). Many GBV incidents in Ukraine have been reported along the "contact line," the border separating government from non-government-controlled areas. This study compares types of GBV experienced by displaced and local (non-displaced) women receiving psychosocial support in order to identify the gaps in services during a time of conflict. Data was collected by mental healthcare providers from 11,826 women (25.5% displaced; 74.5% local) aged 15 to 69 receiving psychosocial services in five conflict-affected regions from February 2016 to June 2017. Group differences were assessed using Pearson's chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous variables. Overall, almost half of the women experienced intimate partner violence and psychological abuse. Compared to residents, displaced women were more likely to report non-domestic GBV incidents involving sexual and economic violence. Almost 8% of violent incidents against displaced women occurred at checkpoints or at reception centers for internally displaced persons (IDP) and 20% were perpetrated by armed men. Consistent with the literature, this study suggests that displaced women are more vulnerable to attacks by persons outside the home and by armed groups. Our findings underscore the need to expand violence prevention programs to address the unique vulnerabilities of displaced women before, during, and after displacement. Programs should be tailored to prevent violence within and outside the home. Increased prevention efforts are needed in areas with high concentrations of armed men, along the contact line, and at IDP reception centers to protect displaced women. This is particularly urgent in the context of increased GBV due to COVID-19.

The High Risk of Gender-Based Violence for Migrant Women and Girls

Gender-based violence (GBV) represents a severe human rights violation rooted in harmful gender norms and discriminatory cultural beliefs and attitudes. GBV is of critical concern for migrant women and girls due to the lack of safe and regular migration pathways, inadequate access to services and information, language barriers, and limited work and educational opportunities.1

Gender-Based Violence Risk Mitigation by Non-GBV Specialists Prior to and during COVID-19: A Global Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Humanitarian Practitioners.

Available evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic and response measures may lead to increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV), including in humanitarian contexts. This study examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of humanitarian practitioners related to GBV risk mitigation approaches during COVID-19 in order to refine current guidance and inform future materials. A global, online cross-sectional survey of humanitarian practitioners was conducted between November 2020 and April 2021. We calculated descriptive statistics and used Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests to compare knowledge, attitudes, and practices among GBV specialists and non-specialists. Of 170 respondents, 58% were female and 44% were GBV specialists. Almost all (95%) of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they have a role to play in GBV risk mitigation. Compared to GBV specialists, a higher proportion of non-specialists reported little to no knowledge on GBV risk mitigation global guidance (38% vs. 7%, p < 0.001) and on how to respond to a disclosure of GBV (18% vs. 3%, p < 0.001). Respondents reported several barriers to integrating GBV risk mitigation into their work during COVID-19, including insufficient funding, capacity, knowledge, and guidance. Efforts to mainstream GBV risk mitigation actions should continue and intensify, leveraging the lessons and experiences generated thus far.