Gender-Based Violence in Complex Emergen

This course, taught over seven weeks, explores the structural, social and political factors that contribute to the existence of gender-based violence and which lead to an increased occurrence of acts of gender-based violence in complex emergencies, including conflict zones and natural disasters. Students will learn about a range of practical resources and guidelines for effective programming and discuss contemporary research on considerations for designing interventions, all within a survivor-centered framework. Students will develop a practical understanding of effective interventions for preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in different phases of complex emergencies. Specifically, students will learn a conceptual and practical framework for preventing and responding to GBV. This will include looking at the International Rescue Committee’s field-tested GBV Emergency Response & Preparedness Model; Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines, and other resources. Discussions will focus on the role of States, the United Nations, national/international non-governmental organizations and civil society actors—especially women’s rights organizations and activists—in addressing GBV in emergencies; the role of effective coordination among humanitarian agencies; and how the voices of women and girls drive programming.  

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to design an intervention to address gender-based violence in different phases of a complex emergency, in addition to adapting data collection and research methods as appropriate to GBV programming needs.