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Safe from the Start
Safe from the Start
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a grave human rights violation and one of the most widespread protection risks faced by forcibly displaced women and girls, as well as men and boys. Conflict and displacement makes people of concern to UNHCR more vulnerable to abuse, including rape, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, survival sex and forced marriage.
Ending sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination against the displaced is a fundamental goal for UNHCR. But protecting against SGBV is a huge challenge because the social and economic support systems of those most at risk have been destroyed, and the communities' focus is on survival and meeting daily needs. The result is that the most vulnerable face greater insecurity than ever. In these circumstances, the trauma caused by SGBV on individuals can have long-term consequences for the community as a whole.
In late 2013, the United States announced the provision of funding for a new three-year initiative with UNHCR, "Safe from the Start," to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies around the world. The project will ensure that SGBV prevention is included as an essential, life-saving intervention from the start of an emergency. We will do this by deploying dedicated staff; insisting that everything we do, from shelter to sanitation to education to health care and more, is done with this as a priority; and by underscoring the accountability of staff to take all possible steps to prevent and respond to SGBV in different operational contexts.