Evaluating integrated GBV-SRH Approaches for Women and Girls in Emergencies

Globally, investment in complementary sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) service delivery models, and efforts to articulate programmatic frameworks and define best practice around integration has focused on the clinical management of rape (CMR), coordinating referral pathways, integrating GBV and HIV response, and integrating case management in health clinics, which is wide-spread in humanitarian programming. The natural partnership of these two sectors has not been lost on humanitarian actors, who recognize the potential complementarity of these two areas of work to maximize positive outcomes for women and girls (W&G). Programmatic data from IRC’s Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) and Health programs have shown integrated services result in a significant increase in uptake of some of the often culturally sensitive, stigmatized services that hugely effect W&G’s protection and health outcomes.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC)’s experience from various humanitarian settings, and recent assessments, has demonstrated that there is a gap in documented guidance and learning, and that there is a need for research in women-centered WPE-SRH integration to both identify promising practices as well as areas of future inquiry or innovation. Such research is necessary to meet the growing GBV and SRH needs to optimize multiple outcomes for all W&G. While integrated GBV and SRH services exist in some humanitarian responses, little research exists on the benefits and how to best integrate these services from the perspectives of W&G.

With support from USAID, the IRC is undertaking formative research in Pakistan and South Sudan via a method called human-centered design to evaluate women and girls’ experiences of integrated GBV-SRH services and identify promising practices on where, when, and how they should be integrated in emergency settings. Through this effort, IRC will 1) conduct feminist informed, formative research on integrated GBV-SRH approaches using qualitative human centered design 2) evaluate user preferences 3) identify service providers experience in integrated GBV-SRH approach in emergencies and humanitarian contexts and 4) identify best practices and promising approaches in the delivery of integrated response programming for at-risk W&G.

Are you a GBV and/or SRH staff of a local women-led organization, UN organizations, international organization, local organization, and/ or government official who has worked in close collaboration on an integrated model of programming with GBV and SRH in a country affected by conflict and crises? Are you available to participate in an hour interview via WhatsApp, Facebook, mobile call, zoom, Skype or any means of your preference? If so, we want to hear from you!

Results of the formative research will be locally and globally disseminated to the GBV and SRH communities. Thank you so much for your anticipated response, the IRC appreciates your partnership, and support, and we hope to have the honor to learn about your perspective and experience for the improvement of GBV and SRH care uptake and utilization for the women and girls in emergencies.

To schedule an interview, kindly send your name, organization or group associated with to keziah.patrick@rescue.org. Interviews will be completed in English.