Around the world, women and girls displaced by conflict and crises are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence (GBV) and economic marginalization, both rooted in gender inequality. GBV—including sexual violence, domestic violence, and sexual exploitation and abuse—inhibits access to safe, sustainable employment, livelihoods, and financial autonomy, while the lack of opportunities for economic self-reliance can trap survivors in abusive or vulnerable situations as a means for survival.
In 2016, the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants called on governments to enhance refugee self-reliance, for example, by granting refugees the right to work and providing job training. That same year, the World Humanitarian Summit urged the international humanitarian system to reform existing power structures and strengthen the role of local actors in humanitarian response.
The Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) has a long history of working with local organizations in refugee settings to support survivors of gender-based violence. Recent approaches include providing access to economic independence, including cash to pay for safe accommodation, medical care, and legal fees that start the path to recovery.
An Innovative GBV Program
From 2021 to 2024, WRC and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) collaborated and partnered with local organizations in Jordan, Lebanon, Niger, and Uganda to pilot a new, innovative approach on localized and integrated models for GBV and economic recovery programming.
In each country, we established local anchor groups (LAGs), bringing together local actors, international nongovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies, and government ministries. These groups worked together to explore solutions for each community. Each LAG developed a theory of change model to reduce gender-based violence and improve the economic well-being of survivors by addressing the unique barriers of gender-based violence survivors and women at risk in their communities.
“I had the opportunity to interact with experts and specialists, ask questions and engage in inspiring discussions. My experience in the program has greatly expanded my vision and understanding of how to deal with gender issues and promote economic empowerment in humanitarian settings. I believe it will be an important base for my future contribution to positive change in my community.” – LAG member in Jordan
Four Countries, Five Innovative Programs
In the final year of the project, seven local actors across four countries piloted integrated GBV-economic recovery programs in their communities based on their LAG’s theory of change model. The findings from the program evaluations showed how these holistic programs had positive effects on the survivors and women and girls at risk.
In Lebanon, DRC supported the women-led organization Key of Life to deliver livelihood skills-building and business marketing training to Syrian and Lebanese gender-based violence survivors and women at risk. They ran a mentorship program, GBV case management, and GBV awareness sessions. Some survivors secured employment or started small businesses, and all participants gained valuable skills and improved outlooks on their economic potential.
“The program had a positive impact on my life, as I gained new skills that boosted my self-confidence and improved my work performance. I became more aware of how to take advantage of the opportunities around me and started applying what I learned in my daily life. This helped me enhance my relationships and develop ideas for small projects.” – Lebanese woman and GBV survivor, 39 years old
In Jordan, with the support of DRC, the Arab Women Organization provided project management, financial literacy training, psychosocial support, and access to legal assistance for Syrian and Jordanian GBV survivors. Community awareness-raising sessions improved understanding of gender equality, and women-led organizations reported enhanced capacity to support GBV survivors.
The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development delivered job training and cash to Syrian and Jordanian GBV survivors and women at risk. It organized awareness-raising sessions with private sector employers and community members on violence against women in the workplace. By the end of the program, survivors were able to grow their small businesses or find employment, and private sector employers made commitments to foster safer workplaces. Women in the program and in the community gained access to a network of professional opportunities.
In Niger, Education for Peace and Progress Association, Coordination des ONG et Association Féminines Nigériennes, and Union Rufin Asiri delivered microprojects for gender-based violence survivors in displaced and host communities integrating vocational and financial literacy training, start-up kits, and access to microfinance initiatives. Community dialogues and awareness-raising sessions on GBV resulted in increased feelings of autonomy, safety, and access to economic opportunities, as well as decreased community conflicts due to improved gender relations.
In Uganda, the refugee-led organization Youth Empowerment to Act provided skills-based and business development training to gender-based violence survivors, who were provided with start-up capital for small businesses. DRC provided case management support to survivors of GBV, including mental health services and referrals to legal aid, healthcare, and other services and GBV awareness-raising with men and women in the community. Survivors reported increased self-reliance and well-being because of the program.
“I was hopeless before the training but now I’m confident of myself. I can get my own money, buy food, clothes, educational materials for my kids. I now know that what a man does, I can do and even better.” – South Sudanese refugee woman, 25 years old
Conclusion
Across all four countries, the pilot programs demonstrated how supporting GBV survivors and women at risk to become economically empowered, in addition to traditional methods of support like mental health services and legal aid, helped them in their recovery from GBV. The findings from the evaluations highlighted the potential of highly contextualized, integrated GBV and economic recovery programming to support GBV survivors and women at risk.
As women and girls continue to face gender-based violence and economic marginalization in global conflicts like Sudan, the Middle East, Myanmar, and beyond, it is imperative to explore new ways of supporting displaced survivors and women and girls at risk of GBV. The Women’s Refugee Commission remains committed to working with our partners to end conflict-related violence against displaced women and girls and to supporting survivors on their paths to safety and economic security. In this joint program with DRC, the approaches piloted open a door to reimagining the ways international humanitarian aid organizations design programs for survivors, share knowledge, and diffuse power with local actors.
Learn more about the GBV Innovation Programme, implemented in partnership with WRC and DRC.
