Addressing gender-based violence in disasters and emergency situations

Launch of handbook on Gender, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Disasters

With the commemoration of World Humanitarian Day today, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) with the technical assistance of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Sri Lanka, and the financial support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia (DFAT) launches the first Handbook on Gender, Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Disasters.

The handbook provides practical guidance to policymakers, response staff of the Disaster Management Centre and community groups, to plan, coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate essential actions for a gender equitable disaster response. The book contributes to the implementation of the Policy Framework and National Plan of Action to address Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in Sri Lanka, initiated by the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment.

The Handbook was developed through a series of consultations with key Government stakeholders and other development partners to better inform decision-making to ensure we leave no one behind. Mr. Kunle Adeniyi, Representative for Sri Lanka, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), expressing his views on the launch “The current socio-economic crisis in Sri Lanka has negatively impacted social and gender equality. Even before the crisis, Sri Lanka had a high rate of gender-based violence and past studies indicate that there is an increasing risk of GBV during crisis situations. So now more than ever, we must work together to strengthen our knowledge and skills on GBV coordination as gender equality and protection from further vulnerability and harm is a central responsibility of humanitarian action.”

Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe, Director General, Disaster Management Centre, highlighted the importance of integrating the prevention of GBV in disaster management “Gender equality and empowerment of women and girls are at the very core of the principle of effective disaster response. It is our primary duty to understand the specific needs, capacities and priorities of women and girls, boys and men and integrate this understanding throughout the disaster management programme cycle. As the leading agency for disaster management in Sri Lanka, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) is mandated with the responsibility of implementing and coordinating national and sub-national level programmes, for reducing the risk of disasters with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. The handbook on “Gender, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Disasters”, is an important and useful resource, which will help the stakeholders involved in managing disasters to build on their commitments to gender equality and on women and girls in humanitarian action, with the aim of delivering more effective, rights-based programming.”