Attachments
141,638 people participated in GBV awareness sessions
11,034 GBV awareness sessions conducted
7,643 GBV survivors received safe and survivorcentred GBV response services
Case management
UNHCR’s survivor-centred approach to GBV case management seeks to empower the survivor by prioritizing the survivor’s rights, needs, and wishes. This is done by ensuring survivors have access to appropriate, accessible, and quality support services including health care, psychological and social support, and legal services. In line with the guiding principles on protection and applying the survivor-centred approach, UNHCR and its partners tailor each service to the needs of each survivor based on their wishes.
During 2023, UNHCR and its partners identified and supported 7,643 GBV survivors through survivor-centred and multi-sectoral case management services.
Community engagement
Women’s committees comprising women of all ages and backgrounds play a central role in GBV awareness-raising and community mobilization. They were created to strengthen the role of women in decision-making within their communities.
Women’s committees focus on promoting gender equality, sensitization through awarenessraising in GBV prevention and response, women's legal rights, and available services. The committees also coordinate with UNHCR to assist vulnerable women in finding work. During 2023, UNHCR supported 158 women’s committees (1,639 women) spread across the different governorates.
Men’s engagement in GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response continued during 2023 by enhancing the role of men in preventing and responding to GBV as well as in challenging deepseated cultural norms and power structures. During 2023, UNHCR supported 22 men’s committees (207 men) that are agents of change to support the empowerment of women and challenge harmful practices.
Awareness-raising
Awareness-raising is a fundamental component of UNHCR’s GBV prevention strategy to enhance gender equality and gender inclusion. It fosters communication and information exchange to improve mutual understanding of GBV and the related harms within the communities, as well as available services, especially to GBV survivors, and to promote change in attitudes and behaviour.
UNHCR started shifting the modality of awareness-raising from individual sessions to a curriculabased approach. This enabled specialized staff to work closely with the same group of people throughout the implementation of the curriculum, allowing them to measure the attitude and behavioural change of the participants through a pre- and post-impact assessment. Following the training series in the first half of 2023, one partner started implementing "The Girl Shine” curriculum in different locations/governorates (Rural Damascus, As-Sweida, Dara’a, Homs, Hama, Idleb, Aleppo). The " Girl Shine" programme addresses issues related to gender inequality within family structures, impacting the experiences of adolescent girls regarding gender-based violence. It works to change norms and attitudes within families to provide greater protection for teenage girls. Additionally, it addresses power dynamics between caregivers and adolescent girls. By the end of 2023, a total of 28 groups were targeted, which included 1,029 attendees who completed the curriculam. Also, UNHCR and its partners conducted 11,034 awareness sessions in community centres, schools, and collective shelters, among other locations reaching