Survivor-Centred Justice for Gender-Based Violence in Complex Situations
The report Survivor-Centred Justice for Gender-Based Violence in Complex Situations is the result of new research conducted by IDLO, in partnership with the Global Women’s Institute at George Washington University, in six countries across the globe with the aim to identify approaches that centre survivors in all efforts to address gender-based violence (GBV) in complex situations.
The report is informed by country case studies in Afghanistan, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Sudan, and Tunisia, to provide different perspectives of complexity in accessing justice and an analysis of diverse justice mechanisms dealing with GBV in situations of conflict, organized crime, climate disasters, and health emergencies, often intersecting with contexts of legal pluralism and political transition.
Research findings show that, in order to be effective, measures and programmes aimed at ensuring access to justice for GBV survivors need to be responsive to women’s specific needs and vulnerabilities, as well as relevant to contextual challenges, while firmly anchored in international gender equality and human rights legal obligations.
Five key recommendations and action areas are identified for policymakers, justice professionals and other practitioners working to promote survivor-centred justice for GBV in complex situations:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive survivor-centred justice response to GBV that meets the needs of diverse women through an intersectional approach delivered using effective gender-responsive laws and justice institutions
- Foster integration of services for GBV survivors in ways that enhance prevention, protection, and access to redress through both formal and informal pathways to justice
- Strengthen legal empowerment of women by raising awareness of laws and rights and providing legal support services directly to GBV survivors
- Support women’s collective action and advocacy by safeguarding civic space and providing targeted financing for local women’s organizations and essential community networks
- Expand GBV monitoring and data collection, and strengthen research on what works, to ensure that policies and practices are evidence-based and can be measured for accountability