WHY we need to assess GBV risks in programming

Understanding WHO is at risk of GBV and WHY they are at risk (or what makes them especially vulnerable to a risk) is critical to being able to understand how to design and implement programming that can MITIGATE those risks. 

All sectors should develop and integrate methodologies for assessing GBV risks associated with and/or which could be mitigated by their programming, from the very outset of a response. All sectors, including non-GBV specialized sectors, can and should integrate a GBV lens into their own assessments. Such an assessment does NOT look at GBV incidents or prevalence, but rather helps us to understand if/how the most vulnerable or marginalized participants are able to safely access, use and/or participate in the sector’s services.

Conducting sector-specific assessments that include questions aimed at identifying GBV risks can make programming safer and more accessible.

HOW to integrate GBV risk identification into assessments

There are a range of simple tools & methodologies for assessing GBV risks in sector programming.          

Key Tools For Data Collection: Consultations, The AAAQ Framework, and Safety Audits

Consultations

Consultations with women and girls 1). seek to understand the risks and barriers that they face and 2). assess if GBV risk mitigation measures are reducing barriers to services and helping women and girls feel safer. Consultations can take multiple modalities. Click on the links below to access core resources for each modality.

Regardless of modality, all consultations should follow basic principles to ensure they are safe and ethical. Click on the resources below for more guidance.

Four components of safe consultations

In addition to consultations, there are several other assessment tools that non-GBV specialized sectors can use to gain an understanding of relevant risks.

The Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, Quality Framework

The Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, Quality Framework (AAAQ) is a tool to identify the range of possible barriers that vulnerable and marginalized populations might face when trying to access services. It offers a series of questions across a variety of categories that, when answered, can provide good insight into what types of barriers exist within a particular programming environment, and therefore where action to address barriers to services is most needed.

The AAAQ Framework has been adapted for a variety of sectors.

For sector-specific frameworks go to your sector page under the “Sectors” tab. 

SAFETY AUDITS

Safety audits are a simple, practical way to collect information related to GBV-related safety risks and can be integrated into regular assessment/monitoring activities to track change over time. There are two general types of safety audits: Observation and Consultation.

How to undertake a safety audit

Click below to access different types of safety audit tools 

• For more detail on how to conduct a safety audit, here is a How-To-Guide from the GBV AoR Helpdesk
• To see additional key safety audit tools click here

Basic ethics related to GBV and GBV-related data

GBV Risk Mitigation Data Collection: Do’s and Dont’s

All humanitarian actors conducting assessments must consider basic ethics related to GBV and GBV-related data collection and sharing to prevent inadvertently increasing stigma, GBV risks, or risk of reprisals during their assessments.

• GBV incident data is never needed for GBV risk mitigation. Only general, non-identifying information on general risks associated with programming and/or in the environment is necessary to be able to make programming safer and more accessible.
• Non-GBV specialists should never attempt to gather GBV prevalence data or ask women and girls directly about their experiences of GBV, as doing so can inadvertently put both program participants and the enumerators at risk. Moreover, prevalence data can be of poor quality due to underreporting incidents of GBV.