Search Results

Despite increasing scholarship on conflict-related sexual violence against men and boys, knowledge gaps remain regarding the forms, repercussions, and responses to this violence. To help build the evidence base, the Women’s Refugee Commission undertook exploratory, qualitative research in 2018 and 2019 examining the characteristics and impacts of sexual violence against men and boys, as well as assessing the availability and accessibility of services for male survivors, in three refugee settings.

Evidence of sexual violence against men and boys in many conflict-affected settings is increasingly recognized. Yet relatively little is currently known about the varied forms, sites, and impacts of this violence. Further, scant research on sexual violence against men and boys in displacement contexts has been undertaken to date. To begin to address these knowledge gaps, we undertook a multicountry, qualitative, exploratory study to gain insights into these issues. Study settings and populations were Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh; refugees and migrants who had traveled through Libya residing in Italy; and refugees from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, and South Sudan residing in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya.

We invite you to take part in our research project, 'Current Experiences and Alternative Futures of Responding to Crises and Forced Displacement.' Participation in the research project should take no more than 10-15 minutes. The questionnaire is in English but will soon be available in French, Spanish, and Arabic. If you have any questions, please contact wrcresearchproject@wrcommission.org.

This is a first-ever report on effective funding recommendations to address period poverty. This report is launched by Dominika Kulczyk in partnership with the Founders Pledge to bring more attention to period poverty.  They are committed to finding and funding solutions to global challenges and the report is a call to action for effective ways funding can be used to address period poverty.

As a result of the circumstances brought on by COVID-19, adolescent girls face a myriad of risks – ranging from an increased likelihood of exposure to violence and early marriage to catastrophic learning, health, and economic losses. Despite these concerns, girls’ unique needs have not been adequately prioritized in response plans and donor investments. Although girls are facing unprecedented challenges, a range of innovative approaches have emerged to promote their resilience- throughout the world, girls are leading the way in efforts to facilitate remote learning, share vital information, inform effective service provision, and engage in efforts to prevent and respond to violence. Adolescent-focused programming is also being tailored to support girls from diverse backgrounds— in order to build back more inclusively. This report highlights the powerful potential of adolescent girls – and of the critical importance of investing in them. When coupled with supportive community structures and necessary resources, girl-led action can be both impactful and cost-effective— within the context of COVID-19 and beyond.

In just six months, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world forever. The spread of the virus has triggered a global humanitarian crisis, killed over 1 million people; triggered the worst economic crisis in 80 years, and led to predictions that the global economy could shrink by US$12 trillion by the end of 2021. In parallel, climate extremes have caused additional humanitarian hardship and suffering in many places and threaten to further unravel decades of development progress. This report examines these inter-connected crises and offers recommendations for decision-makers on how to use the recovery from COVID-19 to “build forward” in three sectors: climate change, humanitarian responses, and women’s economic empowerment.

The access, availability, and affordability of contraceptive and abortion services in India have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, exacerbating existing issues. Currently, the Government of India has considered these health services as essential during Covid-19. Through document review and interviews with key stakeholders, we found that women in India are facing significant barriers to accessing safe contraceptive and abortion services.This is due to the reduction in routine services offered by health clinics, lack of education and outreach on how to access services, the overburdening of community-based workers who usually supply contraceptives, and guide women on accessing sage abortion services, and poor access to transport. It is expected that if family planning services do not return to routine as soon as possible, there will be a significant rise in unwanted pregnancies and escalation in morbidity from increases in women attempting unsafe abortions.

Since the onset of the pandemic, UNFPA h has made significant changes to its programmes to ensure they are being addressed. UNFPA offices throughout the Arab states region have continued to focus on innovations and alternative solutions that guarantee the continuity of services to those in need, maintaining safe access to health facilities that provide sexual and reproductive health services while tailoring programmes to allow for continued support to survivors of gender-based violence. This document captures some of these efforts, outlining the lessons learned and offering a simple blueprint that can be replicated in other contexts.

Contraceptive self-injection holds great potential for expanding women’s family planning options, especially during a pandemic. And now providing digital training options for health workers and clients is key to successful contraceptive self-injection. This article summarizes PATH's work to implement and evaluate our eLearning course for health workers and training video for clients.

A new global report from Plan International UK which conducts analyses of best practice and emerging trends that are enabling girls to access SRHR. Developed through an agency lens and global literature review, the report is complemented by two country case studies, exploring first-hand experiences of adolescent girls including rural communities affected by long term climate insecurity, and short-term disaster response to Cyclone Idai in southern Malawi.