Posts Tagged ‘gender-based violence’
Promoting Economic Advancement as a Pathway to Preventing HIV and Violence against Adolescent Girls and Young Women
By Betty Adera This month, as we observe International Women’s Day 2024, it is imperative to reflect on the multifaceted challenges that adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), aged 15 to 24, face. Under this year’s theme, Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress, we must consider how the intertwined issues of HIV/AIDS and violence halt their…
Read MoreIf You Care about Ending Violence against Women and Girls, Care about Toilets
By Jason Brooks, Technical Director, Water Security, Sanitation and Hygiene, Global Communities Have you ever used a bathroom stall without a lock? How about dark public facilities while toileting? How did these experiences make you feel? There are few moments when we feel as vulnerable as when we are attending to our biological needs. All people…
Read MoreStrengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Systems in Sri Lankan Schools
The COVID-19 pandemic and Sri Lanka’s economic crisis have placed already vulnerable and marginalized communities at further risk with challenges to livelihoods, food security and social protections. Increased stressors and the resulting strain on available support services and resources such as mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) have contributed to documented increases in sexual and…
Read MorePreventing and Responding to Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Settings
By Emily Galloway, Sr. Advisor for Global Protection, Global Communities Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive issue that disproportionately affects women, girls and vulnerable individuals during emergencies. In disaster or conflict-affected areas, gender inequalities and power dynamics can both exacerbate existing risks of GBV and create new ones. While risks are always context-specific, we see…
Read MoreAddressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence through Local Partnerships and Governance Systems: Lessons from Sri Lanka
By Gigi Dupuy, Sr. Technical Advisor for Governance & Chioma Okafor, Sr. Technical Advisor for Local Capacity Strengthening, Global Communities Since July 2018, Global Communities has implemented the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation (SCORE) program in Sri Lanka, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). One of the components of the program is…
Read MoreEmpowering Young Men: The Crucial Role of Life Skills Education in Combating Gender-Based Violence
By Betty Adera and the Botswana Country Team In a world striving for equality and justice, it is imperative to recognize education’s pivotal role in shaping future generations’ attitudes and behaviors. One of the key battlegrounds against gender-based violence lies within the corridors of our schools, where young minds are molded and empowered to become…
Read MoreSupporting War-Affected People in Ukraine: Insights from Our Protection Manager
By Paula Rudnicka, Sr. Manager for Public Affairs at Global Communities I remember feeling frightened and devastated when the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began unfolding on my television screen in February 2022. While these feelings were, and still are, not isolated, there is something incredibly jarring about watching the neighboring country being attacked by…
Read MoreMothers Take the Center Stage to End Child Marriage
By Sushmita Mukherjee, PCI India and Dennis Mello, Global Communities Proposals for marriage began coming for Pushpa three years ago, when she was only 15 years old. Pushpa felt too young to be married and wanted to continue her studies, something that many girls in Jharkhand – her home region of India – are unable…
Read MoreEnding the “Triple Threat” of Early Pregnancies, New HIV Infections and Sexual Violence among Adolescent Girls & Young Women
By Betty Adera A single act of sexual violence against women and girls can result in HIV infections and other sexually transmitted diseases, resulting in shame, fear and trauma. However, for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), sexual violence can also result in early pregnancy and childbearing, which carries its own stigma. Globally, girls between…
Read MoreEmpowering Women in India through Self-Help Groups
By Sushmita Mukherjee Global Communities believes in the power and potential of women’s collectives to bring about positive change. In India, PCI, a Global Communities Partner, is working to design and test community-based solutions that will make meaningful advancement toward gender equality. Specifically, we work with women’s collectives within the Self-Help Group (SHG) structure, nurtured…
Read MoreEquitable Partnerships to Support Women’s Economic Empowerment & Combat Gender-Based Violence
By Mabel Bejarano Cobo Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to be part of a panel at the Gender Plus Summit which was organized by FHI360 and co-sponsored by Global Communities. I joined Elena Ratoi from the Center for International Private Enterprise, Doina Postica from the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative in…
Read MoreFinding a Safe Space in Syria: Hamida’s Story
For more than half of her life, Hamida has been exposed to the trauma, violence and instability of war. The 20-year-old, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, is one of 14.6 million people currently in need of humanitarian assistance due to the ongoing crisis in Syria. Recognizing that women and girls often…
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