Taking the lead in providing protection from gender-based violence in emergencies

© Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN, Faisal Paktian

In 2019-2020, Canada led the global Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (Call to Action) initiative. For the first time, 48 partner self-reports were published on the initiative’s website, enhancing accountability and transparency of members’ actions to prevent, mitigate and respond to GBV in emergencies.

Canada was able to bring some 87 partners together to use their collective voice to advocate for and effect change. This included issuing 3 Joint Statements on GBV in emergencies: for the Oslo Conference (PDF, 4 pages, 113 KB), the Global Refugee Forum (PDF, 3 pages, 354 KB), and for the Beijing+25 process (PDF, 3 pages, 364 KB).

At the Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Crises Conference in Oslo in May 2019, Canada committed $33 million in humanitarian assistance to address SGBV—and it followed through on this commitment. To promote the implementation of the Call to Action locally, Canada engaged local civil society organizations to join the initiative. It also supported the implementation of the country-level Call to Action Road Map in the Democratic Republic of Congo.