Violence against women in conflict, post-conflict and emergency settings

As resources evolve and commitment grows, an increasing number of UN agencies and local and international NGOs are taking up the issue of genderbased violence in conflict and post-conflict settings. Methodologies are being refined to extend and improve services for survivors, and well as to build the capacity of local organizations to take on the issue. Standardized operational procedures for coordination and referral are being adopted in an increasing number of settings. Training modules have been developed to build local capacity to meet the psychosocial needs of survivors. Efforts are being made, most evidently in post-conflict settings but also in some refugee settings, to support legal reforms that would provide greater protection against multiple types of VAWG. Widespread community-based education aimed at changing attitudes and behaviours that promote sexual and other forms of violence against women has been carried out in a number of settings. Research on VAWG -especially through qualitative methods and improved collection of service delivery data-- has also multiplied in recent years, and is bringing pressure to bear on international actors as well as on states to take more aggressive measures to address violence against women and girls in conflict and its aftermath.