Strengthening and sustaining gender-based violence (GBV) coordination in emergencies: a synthesis of practitioner-driven, globally applicable recommendations

Raftery, P, Potts, A, Hyde, M, Wuyke, YY, Hashmey, H, Munezero, L, Kiss, L, Hossain, M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1878-8145 and Palmer, J, 2026. Strengthening and sustaining gender-based violence (GBV) coordination in emergencies: a synthesis of practitioner-driven, globally applicable recommendations. Conflict and Health, 20 (1): 28. ISSN 1752-1505

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Abstract

Introduction
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global public health and human rights crisis, requiring coordinated efforts to ensure effective prevention, risk mitigation, and response, particularly in emergencies. Despite policy commitments underlining the importance of addressing GBV in emergencies, funding remains insufficient, inconsistent, and poorly aligned with aid prioritisation in the changing humanitarian and global health financing landscape. This paper synthesizes evidence on GBV coordination in humanitarian and public health emergencies and presents global recommendations to inform policy and practice in the context of the ongoing Humanitarian Reset.

Methods
Using a three-phase qualitative methodology—comprising evidence synthesis, case study analysis, and a global expert practitioner consultation—we developed a framework and present strategic recommendations to strengthen and sustain GBV coordination in emergencies.

Results
Our findings identify seven strategic recommendations aimed at investing in, sustaining, and transforming GBV coordination efforts globally. Key investment priorities include expanding the GBV coordination workforce, including for risk mitigation, prioritizing and systematically addressing GBV within public health emergencies, and investing in information management systems and strategic research. To sustain GBV coordination, we recommend adapting funding models, diversifying financial sources, advancing national leadership and localization, and implementing context-specific coordination approaches, including at the sub-national level. Furthermore, we propose that emergencies can serve as catalysts for broader social and legal transformations that advance GBV prevention and gender equality.

Conclusion
Rather than accepting the deprioritisation of GBV coordination as an inevitable consequence of funding reductions framed as efficiency gains, our findings underscore the critical value of maintaining a dedicated focus on GBV within humanitarian coordination. Our findings provide practical, evidence-based recommendations and a global framework for policymakers, donors, and practitioners to strengthen and sustain GBV coordination in diverse emergency contexts. Sustained progress will require collective commitment to address GBV, even as funding landscapes change, and the backlash against gender equality continues to intensify.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Conflict and Health
Creators:	Raftery, P., Potts, A., Hyde, M., Wuyke, Y.Y., Hashmey, H., Munezero, L., Kiss, L., Hossain, M. and Palmer, J.
Publisher:	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date:	December 2026
Volume:	20
Number:	1
ISSN:	1752-1505
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1186/s13031-026-00770-9 DOI 2595791 Other
Rights:	© The Author(s) 2026. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Melissa Cornwell
Date Added:	24 Mar 2026 10:33
Last Modified:	24 Mar 2026 10:33
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55459

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