New toolkit launched on prevention and response to gender-based violence in conflict and post-conflict settings

On 8 November 2022, the WAVE Network in partnership with the OSCE Gender Issues Programme/WIN Project organised the conference on preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV) during the war and in post-war settings in Tbilisi, Georgia, to explore the topic of GBV during and after conflicts and to launch a new toolkit aimed at supporting women’s specialist services and civil society organizations involved in supporting women survivors of violence in conflict and post-conflict settings.

To mark the launch over 50 participants representing civil society activists, representatives of governments, and international organizations from the South Caucasus, South Eastern and Eastern Europe gathered at the conference in Tbilisi.

We are living in times of very complex political, social, economic and environmental challenges and many of these affect women disproportionately, in particular the global rise of violence against women and girls. Women’s specialist services, such as our WAVE members, are essential in times of peace and crisis to tackle violence against women and girls effectively, as they provide holistic, victim-centred and trauma-informed support to women experiencing violence. Given their decades-long expertise, these services can make a unique contribution in tackling the complex difficulties women are facing today.
Stephanie Futter-Orel, WAVE Executive Manager

Civil society, particularly women’s organizations that work with local communities, is at the forefront of the response to gender-based violence. With this toolkit, we aim to provide a practical tool for enhancing the work with women’s specialist services and civil society organizations in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues

The toolkit was developed with the support of the OSCE’s multi-year WIN Project, which aims to build capacity and increase the participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation, and other processes relevant to comprehensive security.