Integrating GBV Risk Mitigation Across the Humanitarian Program Cycle

Integrating GBV Risk Mitigation into Resource Mobilization

Click Here to Return to Integrating GBV Risk Mitigation Across HPC

As with all humanitarian programming, funding for GBV risk mitigation is critical. Ensuring that GBV risk mitigation activities are funded from the earliest stage of response allows us to deliver programming as safely as possible.

cLick here to download this content as a PDF

WHY Integrate GBV Risk Mitigation into Resource Mobilization

Mitigating GBV risks associated with programming not only improves participants’ safety and well-being, but can improve access to services and sector-specific outcomes as well. While not all GBV risk mitigation-related activities cost money, some do, and funding is required to ensure that the project being proposed is as safe and effective as possible. In addition, donors are increasingly demanding emphasis on GBV risk mitigation in the proposals they review. GBV risk mitigation should be included in all humanitarian funding proposals, regardless of sector.

HOW to Integrate GBV Risk Mitigation Strategies into Resource Mobilization

Integrating GBV Risk Mitigation into Proposals

  • All proposals should have a GBV risk mitigation lens incorporated from the beginning of a project design/proposal development process.
  • GBV risks and risk mitigation strategies in proposals should be specific and tangible and included throughout all core sections of the proposal (i.e.: in the needs assessment section, project justification, activities, M&E section and the budget). It is not enough to mention GBV risks in a needs assessment section without including activities to mitigate those same risks.

Questions to Consider When Developing Proposals

Section

Needs assessment

Question

  • Are GBV-related risks clearly outlined?
  • Are the specific forms of GBV related to these risks, clearly outlined?
  • Are the specific populations that are vulnerable to these risks specifically outlined?

Section

Project rationale, objectives and/or activities

Question

  • Are direct links made between any GBV-related risks noted in the needs analysis section and the project rationale and/or activities?
  • Are there specific GBV risk mitigation activities outlined?
  • If relevant/necessary for the project - is any plan for staff training/capacity development on GBV outlined?

Section

M&E section/indicators

Question

  • Are the target participants and indicators clearly disaggregated by sex, age and/or other factors of vulnerability?
  • Does the list of indicators/monitoring plan outline any engagement/consultations with women, girls and other at-risk groups?
  • Are there any indicators specifically tracking outcomes related to identified GBV risks?

Integrating GBV risk mitigation into Proposal Budgets

  • Including appropriate and relevant costs for implementing GBV risk mitigation activities within sectors’ budget and reporting lines is key to ensuring safe and effective programming and, ultimately, to institutionalizing and operationalizing the principle of Do No Harm. Always remember that staffing plans should include the human resource capacity for budgeted activities and GBV risk mitigation strategies.
  • Required funding for GBV risk mitigation activities are best included under the sector’s own budgets (i.e.: locks for latrines should be included as part of the overall WASH budget) as doing so supports the sector’s responsibility for mitigating risks associated with its own programming, and avoids possible double counting.
  • A consistent, general budget line in all sectors’ project proposals for capacity building on GBV risk mitigation and safe response to disclosures can promote shared responsibilities between GBV and other sectors.
  • A strong proposal that outlines GBV risk and risk mitigation strategies at each stage of the project design should be able to justify funding requests to donors

Good Practice for GBV Risk Mitigation Proposal Budgeting

GBV-related interventions that DON’T cost money

(non-exhaustive)

  • Incorporating GBV risk-related questions in sector-specific assessments
  • Ensuring consultations with vulnerable groups
  • Encouraging women’s leadership in camp/sector committees
  • Hiring female staff/creating mentorship programs
  • Conducting safety audits
  • Adjusting hours of clinics or timing of food distributions
  • Segregating WASH facilities 

GBV-related interventions that DO cost money

(non-exhaustive) 

Hardware

  • Heavy doors/ locks for latrines
  • Shelter materials to support privacy
  • Lighting in and around camp settings/settlements
  • NFls to support safety/dignity
  • Building safe shelters/spaces

Software

  • GBV specialized expertise
  • Additional female enumerators
  • Women and child-friendly IEC materials

Key Tools and Resources

GBV Guidelines Thematic Area Guides (TAGs)

  • Each TAG includes sector-specific resource mobilization guidance outlining how to ensure GBV risk mitigation is covered in a proposal. This is generally included around p. 44 in the TAGs. Find sector specific TAGs here. See the example from the Health sector TAG below.
Click image to download the pdf of the TAG for the Health Sector.

GBV Guidelines Essential Actions Tables

  • Additionally, the GBV Guidelines’ sector-specific Essential Actions Tables provide ideas of what types of GBV risk mitigation actions/activities to include in proposals. This is included on p. 39A of the TAG. Find sector-specific Essential Actions Tables here. See the example from the Child Protection sector TAG below. Click the image to view a larger, readable version.
Click here to download the pdf of the TAG for the Child Protection Sector.

Proposal Drafting Resources

Increasingly, key donors such as USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs and U.S. State Department’s Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration are requiring that proposals integrate GBV risk mitigation. 

  • BHA’s Protection and GBV Risk Mitigation Mainstreaming Requirements are outlined in the Emergency Application Guidance. BHA’s specific recommendations for GBV risk mitigation/protection mainstreaming are included on the  sector-specific pages here .
  • CARE’s GBV Risk Mitigation Proposal Review Checklist is a short, simple tool to support practitioners to ensure that all key GBV risk mitigation-related issues are covered before proposal submission.

This site is always being updated, so please check back often for new additions, tools, and resources!

Copyright © 2025 • GBV Guidelines

crossmenu