This year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is centered on enhancing global systems for current and future generations through the Summit of the Future. As cycles of violence and suffering become protracted without international mediation, the multilateral systems built in the aftermath of World War II are struggling to ensure a hopeful future for millions of people trapped in conflict and crisis. In fact, many multilateral institutions supporting financing, development and diplomacy can make it harder, not easier, for crisis-affected communities to resolve conflict, meet basic needs and secure pathways to resilience and prosperity.

In December 2018, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) completed an assessment in Beni, DRC, with the aim of examining the effects of the EVD outbreak and response on women and girls, and specifically how the outbreak has impacted women and girls’ experience of violence, also considering the pre-existing context of insecurity in which they live.