Violence against women and girls is a global problem of epidemic proportions. Evidence shows that over one-third of women and girls globally will experience some form of violence in their lifetime. Regardless of where they live, their religion or culture, or what stage of life they are in, each is a target of violence specifically because of her gender and the gender discrimination that persists globally. Gender-based violence (GBV) is exacerbated in emergencies, where vulnerability and risks are higher, and family and community protections have often broken down. Rohingya women arriving in Cox’s Bazar have reported rape at the hands of the Myanmar military, while in the refugee settlements, women and girls are often not allowed to leave their tents, isolating them from services and increasing their risks of violence from partners and family. In South Sudan, as many as 65 per cent of women and girls have experienced physical or sexual violence. Sexual exploitation of women and girls in emergencies – including by aid workers and peacekeepers – is also increasingly recognised as a problem that the humanitarian sector must address.

Gender-based violence (GBV) often escalates during humanitarian emergencies, especially when crises result in displacement. Increasingly, displaced persons are living in host communities or informal settlements, with more than half of the world's displaced people living in urban areas. Furthermore, conflict and disasters exacerbate many forms of GBV, such as sexual violence, intimate partner violence (IPV), and early marriage. Often those populations at greatest risk of GBV reside in areas that are difficult to access, both in terms of distance and security. To address these challenges, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), with support from the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM), and European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), has developed guidelines to support the provision of mobile and remote services to survivors of GBV in out-of-camp humanitarian settings. The guidelines recommend approaches and minimum standards for designing and implementing such approaches to service delivery while adhering to best-practice principles.

Children are one of the most vulnerable groups of migrants. They have complex needs, including for a safe and stable environment, as well as access to healthcare, education and tailored, child-friendly services. Within this group, unaccompanied children, who have been separated from their families and are not being cared for by an adult guardian,are particularly exposed to increased risks of violence, abuse, and exploitation. As a result, they need targeted and appropriate services to scale, including adequate identification and registration, guardianship and legal representation, quality accommodation and care arrangements. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been providing child protection services for asylum-seekers, refugees and other migrants in Greece since 2016, and have been providing Supported Independent Living services for teenagers in Athens in 2019. We believe that durable solutions that better address the needs and safeguard the rights of unaccompanied children must be urgently introduced or expanded. This report aims to highlight the importance of strengthening the multiple durable solutions available for unaccompanied children in Greece.

As coverage of conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan continue to dominate news headlines, this can spark difficult questions for children seeking to process these distressing events.  

Philanthropy fuels the IRC’s work responding to emergencies and protracted crises in over 40 crisis-affected countries. We provide shelter, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, education, support for children and special aid for women in the top-ten most fragile states and the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. We stay in a region for as long as required to help revive livelihoods and support broken communities to rebuild. As one of the only organisations that works across the entire arc of crisis—from the warzones of Syria to resettling refugees in dozens of cities across Europe and the Americas—philanthropy helps us provide lifechanging support to millions of people whose lives have been disrupted by crisis. The IRC recognises that women and girls experience crises differently. As a feminist organisation, we put gender considerations at the heart of all our programmes. We also integrate our Climate Action Plan into programme design and outcomes. Helping global communities respond to changing climate now, by mapping hazards and developing early warning systems will save time, money and lives in the long-term.

To respond to the specific needs of adolescent girls in humanitarian settings and to address the gap in evidence of what works to promote the health, safety and empowerment of adolescent girls, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has invested in a robust adolescent girl programming and research agenda. As part of this effort, the IRC partnered with Columbia University over a three year period (2014–2017) to develop, implement and evaluate the Creating Opportunities through Mentoring, Parental Involvement and Safe Spaces (COMPASS) program, funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). COMPASS was implemented with refugees living in camps on the Sudan/Ethiopia border, conflict-affected communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and displaced populations in north-west Pakistan.